“I recognise the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of the land; but I do not recognise the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910.
I researched sustainable homes to understand how the house for my future scenario can function, taking inspiration from present-day information. ‘Housing is at the core of both our comfort and of our political life. We are where we live.’ (Brown et al., 2004). Research states that houses made sustainably may be better for the planet and for those who inhabit them (Brown et al., 2004). This means that if we create a comfortable, functional and eco-conscious home, the residents will positively impact their mental health. There is evidence that being aware of our acts of kindness (in this instance, being kind towards the planet) can increase feelings of happiness, optimism and satisfaction (Rowland).
“There is no greater potential for personal expression than building one’s own shelter… Today, we realise that to be truly sustainable, it is not enough to imagine methods of minimising damage to the environment; instead the results must have a net positive impact…” - Dennis Wedlick, AIA (Foster et al., 2007)
Every house is a whirlpool of environmental consumption as residents consume energy and materials, producing excess waste without considering the consequences (Low et al., 2005). Buildings use 40% of all energy, not including the energy used in construction and materials (Brown et al., 2004). They also contribute 30% to 40% of all emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere and use 30% of all raw materials (Foster et al., 2007). From this, I must determine how to decrease energy consumption so that my future smart home will be considered eco-conscious.
Eco-refurbishment is when you make adaptations to an already built home. It concentrates on three areas:
It also means having energy services that use green fuels and integrating renewable energy systems. Results on such homes indicate that energy demands and CO2 emissions experience a sharp decline following the eco-refurbishment. (Mohammadpourkarbasi & Sharples, 2013)
The American Society for Testing and Materials defines green buildings as structures that are designed, renovated, operated, and reused environmentally and efficiently (Foster et al., 2007). They include: