Green Design

Green Design Philosophy

Design professional protecting the environment by using sustainable resources whenever possible. For the porous of improving the quality of life, protecting health and environment, wonderful solutions are developed. Our days a lot of design professionals use this solutions to promote environmental considerations by using and specifying products that are recyclable or good for your health and well-been of the planet. The development of environmentally sensitive interiors is called Green Design.


One of the finest examples of Green Design is the preservation and reuse of historic structures. Green design and preservation of American heritage began in the 1800 and continues today.

One of the most important aspects of a green design is the physical layout of the building. Several design criteria assist in the conservative use of materials and energy.

1. The more square the shape of the exterior walls, the less the cost per square foot. Cost does not in-crease in direct proportion to a structure's square footage - jogs and angles drive construction costs higher. Two stories cost proportionally less than a low, rambling plan, because the roof and foundation can serve twice the space, and the second story provides extra insulation against summer heat and winter cold.

2. Adequate insulation reduces heating costs, as do wood- or coal-burning fireplaces that meet strict EPA requirements.



3. Locating the structure to take the best advantage of the climate saves on heating and air conditioning bills. The winter sun should strike long walls and large windows, but in the summer large areas of glass should be screened from the afternoon sun. Positioning the house wisely also reduces the cost of connecting other utilities from the road to the house.


5. Centralized plumbing saves energy. Bathrooms can be placed back to back, or one above the other. Kitchen and utility room plumbing can be located to take advantage of the same major drains.

6. Fireplaces can be planned to take advantage of a common chimney

7. Materials found on-site in the construction area, called indigenous materials, offer great savings. Flawed materials may cost less and character can be gained by making a feature out of a fault.

8. Consider the cost of upkeep of building materials over a long period of time. This is called life-cycle costing. Some items that are more costly initially are the most economical in the long run. For example, brick may cost more than frame facades, but it never needs painting and the building's resale value is usually higher than for one made of wood. Hardwood balusters are more expensive than pine, but pine balusters are easily broken and replacement may soon add up to more than the cost of the hardwood.

Increasing Thermal Performances of Your House

Ample quantities of the precious natural resources are taking from earth and depleted on home heating, impacting an environment an putting our health and the future of our planet in danger. That is why finding solutions and thinking about how to minimize the amount of heat used to create a necessary comfort level is important part of green design. By increasing insulation, improving your windows, doors, floor surfaces and by using solar energy you can conserve energy and implement green design in your home. There is a lot of things you can do for home energy conservation that will save you many and improve quality of life.


In Green Design orientation and basic constriction of the house largely impacts the thermal performances of the home. Even though in most cases orientation and basic construction are already given denominators you still can significantly reduce fuel and energy costs while creating a comfortable home environment:

- Reduce the heating in your home by couple degrees. You will not only reduce your heating bill but you will feel better as well

- Energy demands can be reduced by increasing insulation in your home

- Retain as much energy as possible by sealing your home, but you also have to be sure that your home is adequately ventilated as well.

- Control your heat consumption, co you use it where and when it's needed

- Use the most efficient fuel, heat source, and method of heat distribution available

- Take advantage from the free heat from the sun. By letting sun in you will not only increase a thermal performances of your home, in addition your home will look more attractive and bright, filled with rejuvenating energy.

Keep your home warm by minimizing the loss of warm air through drafts. There are two ways of doing this:

1. Seal gaps around doors and windows with rubber gaskets or or nylon brush weather stripping;

2. Make a vestibule at each external door. These can make attractive entrance areas that are also useful for storing coats and shoes or displaying plants.

When sealing your home, make sure that you create adequate ventilation to keep the internal air healthy. The ideal is a warm house that stays at a reasonably constant temperature and has adequate and controllable levels of ventilation—a principle described by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "seal tight, ventilate right".

Green Flooring and Air Quality

Flooring is one of the most important factor in establishing the feeling and quality of a home. Usually, when designing your home flooring is the first thing you choose. Not like wall color, changing your flooring material can be very difficult, inconvenient, and costly. For that reason you have to be sure that flooring you choose will meet not only aesthetic needs but your practical requirements as well. If you will get your floor right from the first time it will bring you endless pleasures; if you get it wrong and it could be a daily headache.


Indoor air quality in the home is enormously affected by the conditions and type of flooring. The floor surfaces are the largest dirt-collecting surface. Floors also can become a source of dirt: walking on the floor's surface degrades it and adds to the amount of particulates in the air. These particulars are settling on the floor and are stirred up in the air every time you walk though your home.

In general, the harder the floors then easier to keep them clean, therefore they are better for your health. It does not really so important what your floors are made of, the act is - a healthy floor is a clean floor. In terms of Green Design manufacturing of the most green flooring materials require substantial amount of natural resources, so it is important to look for flooring that is made from recyclable materials.

Like sunshine and clean water, fresh air is vital for healthy body processes, and access to it has been taken as a right. Today, we tend to forget its importance and have almost managed to eliminate fresh air from our lives. We need fresh air in our homes, not only for the body's metabolic functions but also to remove mold spores and viruses from the home and prevent the accumulation of chemical off gassing, dust, and uncompensated gases from home appliances. In addition, it cools us when interiors become too warm.

Green Furniture

On today's market you can fined a large variety of furniture manufacturing of which does not causes harmful pollutions, and does not impacts negatively indoor air quality. When looking for green furniture, remember the "3R" and reduce, repair, and recycle as much as possible. When building your furniture collection, you will want to pay special attention to acquiring at least some antique pieces. Not only do these old pieces tend to be beautiful in their artistry, they have soul that turns inanimate objects into living artistic expressions of life's value. Furniture from a quieter, gentler era balances out the high-speed machines of today. If you have a passion for antiques, try to add one new piece to your collection each year. Rooms breathe with energy and truth if you give them "gifts" of old furniture.



Why do antiques bring so much emotional comfort? What is it about an old piece of furniture that energizes a space? The answers to these questions all stem from the rare beauty and craftsmanship that have been treasured by generations. Antiques take you back to an earlier age, a time of handmade artistry long before the dawn of the information age. When an artist puts his heart, hands, and soul into his work, the object is infused with his spirit. Over the years, this piece of furniture has been rubbed, polished, mended and tended, sewn and restored. Antiques are more than mere possessions scattered around the house; they are indeed your friends, physically and viscerally adored. As you move these lovable objects from place to place, room to room, or house to house, they bring warmth and continuity wherever you live. They share your life with you.

As with so much else today, you have the option of following older traditions that have little impact on the environment or choosing items made by new, clean production methods. In order to help protect the environment, you should ask manufacturers for their policies and statistics on sustainable forestry and about their compliance with the Clean Air Act before buying their products. Traditionally hand-crafted furniture used natural materials in simple, economic, efficient ways. This approach has produced some of the world's finest furniture—from primitive items to the more sophisticated simplicity of Shaker furniture—and it's still equally valid today.