Smart Design in Sustainable Construction by Carmel Building and Design

Before spending any money on materials and labor, it is important to develop a building design that works well on your site, and whose systems complement one another. This minimizes costs and use of resources, and maximizes the benefits that a green home can offer.

Smart design takes advantage of or mitigates existing conditions, such as climate, plants, soil, topography, and surrounding land use. Passive solar design is a good example of this; positioning a house correctly and incorporating thermal mass into the walls and floor are excellent ways to heat a home naturally and save energy. Along with passive heating, smart solar design includes shading by overhangs and deciduous trees during the hot summer months.

Smart design also creates systems that work well together, and prevents potential problems. For example, having a well-designed gutter and drainage system can effectively move rainwater away from the house, eliminating problems associated with accumulated moisture. But where does that water go? Some of it will seep into the ground, but much of it will run off of the property. To keep valuable rainwater onsite for future use and to minimize problems associated with erosion and runoff, we can install simple water catchment systems. We can also help you choose landscaping materials with permeable surfaces to maximize rainwater percolation.

There are many ways that we can incorporate smart design into your building project—doing so early on in the planning process is vital to achieving the best possible result.

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