energy efficient home designs - "Design for Value and Energy Efficiency" By: Roselind Hejl "Two story

bric traditional with ! bedrooms" #$% baths" island itchen" and large dec &" 'ound familiar( )e often tal about houses in terms of room count" along with a list of finishes" such as tile floors" granite counters" or fau* +aint$ )hile this ,ocabulary con,eys certain facts" it does not +ro,ide the tools to thin about how to re-design a house in a fabulous way$ -t is ,aluable to be able to ma e the decisions that transform a +oor design into a house that is memorable" enduring" and widely a++ealing$ To do this we need to go dee+er than sim+ly u+dating finishes or increasing s.uare footage$ )e must thin about how the structure sha+es the feelings and e*+erience of its inhabitants$ -n the words of )inston /hurchill" ")e sha+e our buildings" and afterwards our buildings sha+e us$" )hen a house has design flaws" we now intuiti,ely that it does not feel right$ 0n the other hand" a well designed house can ma e us feel ins+ired" enriched" and touched by a sense of order$ )e often see houses that ha,e some elements in the structure and site that a++eal to us" but cannot be li,ed in without remodeling$ 0ften our clients say that they want to find a house with good bones 1meaning good basic design2" that they can u+date$ The truth is that most houses ha,e some good design and some bad design$ 3ainting walls and u+dating fi*tures will not co,er bad design$ 4ou will need to thin about the house in a dee+er way$ 5se these design +rocesses to hel+ you ma e the difficult decisions that will result in a house that many +eo+le would lo,e to li,e in$ 6$ Relate the house to the site$ Thin about how the house integrates and interacts with the land around it$ This awareness is a basic" but often ignored" beginning$ The connection and inter+lay between interior and e*terior s+aces enhances both in a +owerful way$ 7anage the ,iews from each window$ -s there an undesirable ,iew into a neighbor8s home or yard( -s there a nice ,iew that is bloc ed by a wall or fire+lace( 9otice how the wal way leads to the street" where +ri,acy is needed" where noise buffering is needed" how drainage will wor $ : side area could be a +ri,ate garden" accessible from the main bedroom$ : front +orch o,erloo ing the street could bring the house into a relationshi+ with the neighborhood$ #$ Bring in natural light$ Houses can be transformed by adding windows and other light sources$ ;enerous light feels safe and u+lifting" and attracts +eo+le toward it$ 9atural light raises the le,el of im+ortance and the beauty of rooms$ <ight all main rooms from two sides" if +ossible" to reduce glare and balance the light$ 5se glass doors" windows" s ylights" transoms" or light tunnels$ =ee+ +assi,e solar techni.ues in mind as you add windows and shading de,ices$ The control of solar energy for light and heat is fundamental for an efficient and comfortable home$

>$ Brea down hard barriers between indoor and outdoor s+aces$ ;lass doors" screens" and walls that slide o+en can create semi-trans+arent walls" forming indoor?outdoor s+aces that ha,e enormous a++eal$ Bree@eways" garden rooms" bay windows" and screened +orches are s+aces that +eo+le lo,e$ These bring +eo+le into contact with the outdoors" yet may be furnished in a comfortable way$ !$ Thin of outdoor s+aces as large rooms$ )hen all areas of the site are thought of as li,ing s+aces" new ideas o+en u+$ These outdoor s+aces e*+and the house by creating a sense of semi-enclosure in ,arious ways$ Their edges can be defined by trees" fences" wings of the house or other buildings$ Aor e*am+le" an outdoor room may be a shady natural s+ace on the site enclosed by a line of trees and shrubs$ 0utdoor li,ing s+aces can be courtyards" walled gardens" trellis co,ered bree@eways" stone +atios" or outdoor showers$ Thin about their use and connectedness to the house$ 0ften" we see an e*terior s+ace that is built as an isolated destination +lace - a second floor dec " for e*am+le$ -f you ha,e to ma e an effort to go there" the s+ace will not be used$ 0utdoor s+aces are most used when they are on +aths used by +eo+le coming and going$ This is why a front +orch is a ,ery a++ealing design element$ 3eo+le naturally meet here" and the +orch connects with neighbors wal ing by$ : +o+ular outdoor li,ing area is the bac yard dec $ This is often seems to be an afterthought" tac ed onto the house$ /an it be co,ered and screened( %$ /onsider widening roof o,erhangs or adding +ro++ed shutters o,er windows$ This is a green building techni.ue in warm climates" bloc ing solar +enetration$ The ,iew of the outside roof structure seen from inside the house e,o es a sense of shelter and +rotection$ -f +ossible" e*tend the roof in some areas to create co,ered +orches or bree@eways$ Rooms that are simultaneously o+en and +rotected are ,ery a++ealing$ -nside the house" e*+osed rafters" rustic beams" or wood surfaces on the ceiling create feelings of strength and character in the home$ B$ Re,iew traffic flow - a crucial" but often ignored" design element$ )al down the +aths that bring you inside the front door" then lead you to ,arious rooms through the house" and again to the outdoors$ Do they cut through the middle of li,ing areas( )hen this ha++ens the li,ing area will ne,er feel com+lete and comfortable$

/irculation +aths should lead along the edges of main rooms" and efficiently to +ri,ate rooms$ : ma@e li e floor+lan creates a sense of wasted energy and confusion$ Aew e*terior doors may result in a subtle feeling of being tra++ed$ Bring multi+le uses to hallways and connecting s+aces with boo shel,es" windows or window seats$ 'et a+art the main entrance with details such as a co,ered +lace to stand" s+ecial doors" benches" or +otted +lants$ C$ /om+are the si@es of rooms in +ro+ortion to each other$ 3eo+le ha,e an intuiti,e sense of the correct hierarchy of s+aces$ 'mall li,ing s+aces will seem wrong when combined with large bedrooms$ Homes with aw ward design can often be im+ro,ed by remo,ing walls to ma e one large s+ace from se,eral smaller ones$ /onsider the use and function of each room$ -s the room to be used +ri,ately" such as a bedroom" study" or library( 0r" will the family gather here to coo and eat informally( 'ome houses include formal areas" others do not$ 'ome ha,e many rooms" others are ,ery o+en$ There is no right or wrong decision here$ Houses that ha,e a true and intuiti,e a++eal ha,e a clarity as to the function of each room$ D$ /hoose materials as an integral +art of the design - not as decorator selections made at the end$ Aor e*am+le" structural materials can be e*+osed" or flooring can be used to connect and unify s+aces$ Bring in the beauty and te*ture of natural materials$ 5se materials that offset each other - warm and cool colors" rough and smooth te*tures" solid and delicate walls$ 5se materials to connect the house to the site - for e*am+le" a wood clad house surrounded by woods" or a stone house ne*t to outcro++ings of stone$ 0r" connect the house to the neighborhood with historic colors and siding$ Re+eat materials and colors to unify the interior and e*terior