Green Homes with Small Environmental Footprints

Posted on November 13, 2008 by Joyce Benson  
Tag(s): Green Building, Greening the Home

There’s nothing cozier than a quaint, smaller home, and nothing greener as well. Less earth is disturbed siting the home, less resources are consumed to build it, and less energy is used to heat, cool. and power it. Of course, going green doesn’t end there. Use of reclaimed, recycled, and renewable materials is also important.

There are many books dedicated to the subject, and here are some of my tips for living large in a small house: create an open floor plan with minimal use of hallways; use light paint colors (with zero-VOC paints); bring in daylight and views to the outdoors with windows, skylights, & solar tubes (look for Energy Star rated options); convert attic space to loft/living space; eliminate formal rooms that are rarely used; and pare down your possessions and live clutter-free (donate what you don’t need).

The following developers and builders specialize in small, green construction (of course your environmental footprint will be even smaller if you find an existing small home in need of renovation that you could apply green elements to):

Comments

2 Responses to “Green Homes with Small Environmental Footprints”

  1. Green Home Plan on November 14th, 2008 9:43 pm

    Very good suggestions.

    Going green doesn’t mean you have to entirely change your life or spend a lot of money. Making a few simple changes like installing low-flow faucets, power saver strips and adding Energy Star appliances to your home can have a major impact.

  2. What Are Green Buildings? | Gaiatribe on March 11th, 2009 2:50 am

    [...] types of buildings can be green.  Green homes are private residences.  In addition to using appropriate supplies, they are often smaller than [...]

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