Environmentally
responsible construction
Eco design principles
- Keep buildings small and compact so they need less energy to heat (or cool) and use fewer materials.
- Build in a modular style so building components can be reused if the building is damaged or dismantled.
- Use pre-fabricated sections that are made off-site to save energy of transporting equipment and people to site.
- Place large double or triple glazed windows toward the sun (south in the northern hemisphere).
- Have fewer, smaller windows on the side of the building that gets less light and heat (north in the northern hemisphere).
- Consider the direction of winds and place a low pitched (rising) roof on the side of the building that is likely to get cold winds or use trees or walls carefully to direct the wind over the building.
- Incorporate rainwater harvesting.