Seeking Sustainable homes- A new lifestyle

There are so many insights on recyclable, eco-friendly products but what if there were smart, sustainable homes? There have been many new innovative ideas of what a sustainable home entails; enunciating an energy-efficient blueprint, passive heating optimization, use of recycled material (for the architectural aspects), and even Smart lighting techniques. Keeping this in mind, there are numerous factors that come into play while analysing the sustainability potential of a household i.e., the location, climate, orientation, budget, available materials, energy sources, and type of design. In the hopes of reducing the consequences of energy consumption, many homeowners are consistently finding ways to lower their gas and electricity expenditure, while also reducing their carbon footprint.

Sustainable energy sources can be used like solar energy from roof installed solar panels.

Majority of the population prefers to use solar panels to absorb and use solar energy (energy emitted from the sun) and Trombe walls which are quintessentially dark masonry structures trapping heat energy and slowly releasing it inside the household, to moderate the temperature. Some of the other energy efficient tactics include double-glazed windows, in-slab heating for concrete floors, and energy meters. Passive design is a modern, optimistic ideology for sustainable homes as it emphasizes shading and insulation to keep the heat out and reduce energy consumption for cooling.

There are overall seven elements to a passive design:

- Orientation: feasible blueprint of the house

- Spatial zoning: determining size (height, depth, width)

- Thermal mass: ability of a material to absorb, store and release heat - Ventilation: provision of fresh air to a room, building

– Shading: blocking the direct rays of the sun

- Glazing: the type of windows in your home Recyclable material is the core component of sustainable, eco-friendly homes.

In the past decade, there have been miscellaneous inventions advocating this framework e.g., Straw bale, Earthships, Hempcrete, and even plastic homes! Straw bale houses use a fast growing and renewable agricultural by-product that is otherwise wasted. They have fewer toxic waste materials than our normal brick/cement households and have a high insulation element that factors in the cost of heating and cooling as well. These homes are supported with the strength of the bale and are quite customizable as well. What a practical, yet creative solution to sustainability! Earthships are made out of all recycled material, hook, line, and sinker! They consist of self-sustaining systems and heat the home naturally. All energy is created from sources such as wind and solar power, with small-scale windmills, etc. All food is produced either in or around the home and water is harvested naturally from rain or nearby rivers and streams. Earthships really do take “reducing your carbon footprint” to the next level.

Hempcrete homes follow quite a simple concept, it's in the name; Hempcrete is a bio-composite made of the inner woody core of the hemp plant mixed with a lime-based binder. The hemp core has a high silica content which allows it to bind very well with lime. This property is individualistic to hemp among all natural fibres. The result is a lightweight cementitious insulating material weighing about a seventh or an eighth of the weight of concrete. Moreover, Hemp plants grow back at rapid rates so this natural fibre is a renewable source as well. Hempcrete can also maintain its integrity in humid conditions, which makes it an excellent material for moisture maintenance and even controlling the resistance!

Last but never in the least, the homes that are made out of plastic. A staggering estimate of over 9 billion tons of plastic has been manufactured since the 1950s. Only 9% of that gets recycled, the rest accumulates in landfills, fills our oceans, litters our natural environments. Studies predict that if governments fail to address the plastic crisis, the yearly movement of plastic into the ocean will triple by 2040. By 2050, there will be more plastic than the number of fish! House Shortage and Plastic pollution are two of the most critical problems the world is facing today. Researchers have found out a way to address the situation by combining the two and finding the ultimate solution: plastic homes! These homes are basically made up of concrete that consists of recyclable plastic materials. It is very affordable and without a doubt, pollution free!

A house made entirely of recycled plastic.

There are so many other housing options to choose from today and needless to say, our environmental crisis is on the rise. The question is, how are you going to reduce your carbon footprint as the Earth progresses towards a sustainable housing framework?

By Smahi Vijay