Design guide book for single family homes?
Submitted by Chris Lindberg on Thu, 13/04/2006 - 17:15.
Are there any home design books people can purchase to use as a blueprint for building their own home? For example, a set of architectural plans for building a green single family residence?
Topics:
Jennifer Roberts
Written for homeowners, remodelers, renters, architects, builders, and interior designers, Good Green Homes* lays out the fundamental principles of green building, providing a wealth of inspiration and practical advice. Also by the same author, Redux** offers a host of solutions for creating a green home with recycled, reused, and environmentally healthy materials.
* http://www.jenniferroberts.com/goodgreenhomes_GGH.htm
** http://www.jenniferroberts.com/goodgreenhomes_Redux.htm
How about R-2000?
I'm not sure there is such a thing as a generic blueprint or architectural plan for a sustainable home. Pretty much any design can be made sustainable by considering the orientation and massing in relation to passive solar heating; careful attention to material selection; and including measures to reduce energy and water use.
The R-2000 standard offers a good starting point that can be applied to pretty much any home design.
NR Can also has a booklet called Keeping the Heat In that provides user-friendly information on how to make your home more energy efficient.
Green Blue prints...
I would have to agree with Jorge - but I'm not sure about his choice of books - while Keeping the Heat In is a great publication there are many others on the local bookshelves or your public library that are more applicable to sustainable building. That said - they are books - and the experience is always the next step.
NRCan and CMHC have a slew of pamphlets, books and resources to draw upon to build a great sustainable house - other things to keep in mind Indoor Air Quality, Sustainable building materials and overall energy efficiency. And again the trick really is to understand what your objectives are for your sustainable house. Knowing this will help you focus. Good luck!