What comes to mind when you think of an environmentally friendly home?
Maybe a rustic cottage in the woods or a little grass-covered home tucked into the landscape?
The fact is that future sustainable homes will come in a variety of forms, sizes, and materials. Some are the nature-loving cottages we mentioned before, while others are modern, fashionable, and technologically savvy city and suburban houses.
What is an ‘eco’ house?
An eco-home is exactly what it sounds like: it's a house that's built to have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible.
What is the significance of this?
The use of fossil fuels to power and heat our homes is one of the primary contributors to climate change. The use of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and natural and renewable materials are all hallmarks of our eco-friendly designs.
What Features Do Eco-Friendly Homes Have?
Environmental friendly characteristics are found in the design, building, operation, and upkeep of a truly eco-friendly home.
Although there are many methods to make your home more environmentally friendly, the following are the seven most popular features in our area:
Super High efficiency hvac systems such as heat pumps and geothermal.
Sustainable building materials.
Insulation with r-values well in excess of code requirements.
Fresh air intake and make up air systems.
Highly efficient and stylish appliances and fixtures.
High-efficiency yet beautiful lighting.
Building orientation and passive solar design features with large energy efficient windows.
Here at Riverside Design and Build, LLC, we have experience in eco-home design. One of our past projects that highlight these eco-home features is American Summer. This design has Geo-thermal heating/cooling systems, extensive insulation, stone sourced from the property, and passive solar design elements. These are some of the environmentally aware features that minimize the carbon footprint of this 7,000 square foot house. Interior spaces flow seamlessly outdoors onto terraces and an exquisitely landscaped property. A shallow toddler’s pool, which mimics a rock spring, appears to supply the larger pool’s water. An adjacent rock garden features a recirculating stream, creating soothing sounds of running water. Salvaged architectural artifacts give a unique character to a hot tub spa with a waterfall and a wall fountain built with an early 19th-century copper lion’s head.
Whether you're building a new house or just want to make your present one more eco-friendly, going green is a win-win situation for everyone.
When it comes to Eco houses, Riverside Design and Build, LLC is the leader! Call us now at 914-764-1094 to learn more.