Sustainable design in architecture

From Wikiversity

Fundamentally, sustainability in architecture is three-fold: environmental sustainability (the most familiar), economic sustainablity and social sustainability. There are many types of sustainable designs in architecture, and many ways of designing sustainably.

Some sustainable designs for residential construction include Straw-bale housing, Earth-bag housing, Micro housing, Earth Sheltered homes, Sod houses, and Hybrid homes.

Straw-bale housing is typically a house that is utilizing the construction qualities of Hay, or straw bales. They are a natural insulator, don't burn well due to absense of oxygen in the strawbale, and no insect, or vermin voluntarily eat straw. Often, People building strawbale homes plaster the outside of the straw bale, and build the walls on the inside by sectioning the straw bales, and attaching OSB, or Drywall to the inside.

The Earth-bag design technique has been utilized for hundreds of years. It typically consists of filling Berlap, or polypropolene sacks with sand, or earth. It doesn't work well as an insulator, but if covered with an adequate roofing system, will be good for years. If the walls are angled, and covered with earth, sod can be grown on the walls, which will give the walls natural protection form the elements. Earthen bag houses are also generally resistant to bombs, and bullets, which is a good trait for developing countries, or countries at war.

A popular method of green building is the usage of locally produced materials, or renewable resources such as bamboo, and cordwood. Earth has even taken to the walls of various homes across the country, through the usage of Cob walls, adobe, stucco, and waddle & daub. Dirt, or plaster don't serve as great insulators, but the heat-retentive walls help cool the house during the day and warm it during the night.