5 Pillars of Sustainable Home Design

As more individuals prioritize sustainability in their daily lives, how can we borrow from the world of commercial design to meet the demands at home?

Sustainable design, also known as green design or eco-friendly design, emerged in the commercial design sector with the introduction of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification in 1998. This certification system was created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to encourage the design, construction, and operation of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.

Photo by Alexander Abero on Unsplash.

LEED certification quickly gained traction in the commercial design sector due to its clear guidelines and benefits, such as lower operating costs, improved indoor air quality, and reduced environmental impact. As a result, many companies began to prioritize sustainable design in their building projects, leading to a significant increase in the number of LEED-certified commercial buildings around the country.

In recent years, sustainable design has also become an increased priority in the residential design sector. With the growing awareness of climate change and environmental issues, many homeowners are now seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint and create more eco-conscious environments for their families.

Here are five simple ways you can prioritize sustainability in your home.

1. Reducing Energy Consumption

One of the simplest, yet most important aspects in creating a sustainable living environment is to reduce your energy consumption through the use of efficient lighting, appliances, and heating/cooling systems. This can also be supported through the use of renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. Evaluate the following:

• Lighting
  LED bulbs use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last much longer, so they are a cost-effective choice in the long term. If you’re renovating, consider incorporating natural light into your design through strategically placed skylights or larger windows where possible — this can substantially reduce the need for artificial lighting. Just be sure to select windows made from low-emissivity (commonly “Low-E”) glass!

• Insulation
  Proper insulation is essential for maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home and reducing energy usage. Ensure that your walls, floors, and ceilings are properly insulated to prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. This can be achieved through the use of materials such as fiberglass, or spray foam insulation. You can also consider using a variety of more eco-friendly insulation materials such as recycled denim, cellulose, hemp, cork, or Aerogel.

• Appliances
  Choose energy-efficient appliances for your kitchen, laundry room, home office, and TV room. When researching, look for those that carry an Energy Star rating. These appliances use less energy and/or water than their standard counterparts.

• HVAC
  Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are major contributors to energy usage in our homes. Choose a system with a high SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) to ensure maximum efficiency. Additionally, consider using a programmable thermostat that learns your preferences and automatically adjusts the temperature when you are away from home or asleep, reducing energy usage when it is not needed.

By incorporating these energy-efficient design strategies into your home, you can reduce your energy usage and create a more sustainable living space. Not only does this benefit the environment, but it can also save you money on your utility bills in the long run!

2. Improving Air Quality

Air quality is another important aspect to consider when trying to create a sustainable home. It can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing, in addition to our comfort. Fortunately, there are several ways to leverage design to improve air quality throughout your home.

One approach is to incorporate houseplants into your space. Plants are natural air purifiers, absorbing toxins and releasing oxygen into the air. Some plants, such as spider plants, peace lilies, and rubber plants, are particularly effective at removing harmful chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

PROJECT: Warm + Welcoming Foyer

Another way to improve air quality is to choose low-emitting materials for furniture, flooring, and other interior finishes such as paint. Many building materials contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can off-gas into the air and contribute to poor indoor air quality. By selecting materials that meet low-VOC standards, such as those certified by Greenguard or Cradle to Cradle, you can help reduce these emissions.

Additionally, proper ventilation is an essential factor in maintaining good air quality. Ensure that your space has adequate ventilation, whether through natural or mechanical means, to allow for the exchange of indoor and outdoor air. This can help reduce the concentration of indoor pollutants and improve overall air quality.

3. Utilizing Biophilic Design Principles

Biophilic design is an approach to architecture and interior design that seeks to connect people more closely to nature. By incorporating elements of nature into living spaces, we can stimulate our parasympathetic, or “rest and digest” systems, reducing stress, and improving overall health and well-being. In some instances, utilizing biophilic design can even shorten healing times, or increase productivity.

• Add More Plants
  Are you seeing the trend here? Piggybacking off of our previous section, houseplants can not only help to purify indoor air, but reduce stress, and improve cognitive function. If you don’t possess a particularly green thumb, choose plants that are easy to care for and thrive indoors, such as snake plants, pothos, aloe, cacti, or ferns.

• Let the Light In
  Maximizing natural sunlight in your home can help improve mood and increase energy levels. Consider using light-colored curtains or shades that allow light to come in where appropriate. If possible, try to position large or bulky furniture away from your windows and doors to maximize natural light.

• Use Natural Colors & Materials
  When selecting finishes and furnishings for your home, look to natural materials such as wood, bamboo, stone, plaster, cotton, and leather. Similarly, a color palette that borrows from nature will contribute to biophilic design throughout your space. Consider calming neutral earth tones, incorporating soothing blues, greens and browns.

• Just Add Water
  While a bit more challenging to achieve — both logistically, and from a cost perspective —water is another natural element you can incorporate into your home to help foster a restorative environment. On the decorative end of the scale, try adding small water feature or a fountain. If you don’t mind the maintenance, a fish tank can also be a very calming addition to your home. For something more on the functional end of the scale, add a lap pool, hot tub, or cold plunge to your space.

While the ultimate goal of biophilic design is to create more of an all encompassing indoor environment, with links to nature that engage multiple senses, do whatever makes sense for your space and budget. Even just listening to nature sounds while you’re relaxing is a start!

Photo by Roy Zeigerman on Unsplash.

4. Focusing on Ethics & Social Responsibility
While the main goal of design is to shape the function and aesthetics of a space, it is also important to consider the ethical and social implications of the design choices we make. This is especially important in our home, where we’re free to reflect those values which are most important to us not just with our decisions, but with our dollars. So what exactly does this look like?

When possible, prioritize using materials that are sustainable, ethically sourced, have a low carbon footprint, and can eventually be recycled or reused. Be sure to avoid chemicals that have been shown to have negative effects on occupants. This includes materials that contain VOCs, which can cause respiratory issues and other health problems.

Design can have a significant social impact, and considering the implications of our choices on different groups of people is also a crucial part of fostering a sustainable environment.

When sourcing design materials for your home, look for brands that prioritize fair labor practices, worker safety, equitable pay, and diversity among their workforce. Whenever possible, shop vintage — or source from local businesses that have a positive impact on your own community.

For those instances when buying used or local doesn’t quite make sense, look for national brands that prioritize sustainable and ethical practices. Here are a few furniture and décor brands to checkout.

As design pros, our focus is on creating spaces that are inclusive and welcoming to people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. We should strive to make new environments that create opportunities for social interaction and support community-building.

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Whether in commercial or residential settings, it’s also our responsibility to prioritize the health and well-being of the people who will be occupying the space. This includes designing spaces that are accessible and accommodating for people with disabilities, and that promote both mental and physical wellness.

By taking this holistic approach to interior design, designers and homeowners alike can create spaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and socially responsible in the short- and long-term.

5. Creating Adaptive Living Spaces
Similar to single-use plastics, single-use spaces are a less sustainable approach when thinking about design. By creating a flexible and dynamic layout in your home, you can optimize your living space to meet your changing needs and lifestyle over time.

Whether you're adapting to a new work-from-home lifestyle or accommodating the needs of a growing family, there are several ways you can leverage adaptive space planning to achieve your goals.

• Focus on Creating Multi-functional Spaces
  For example, a guest bedroom can also serve as a home office, or a dining room can double as a playroom. By selecting furniture that can be easily reconfigured, such as a modular sofa, Murphy bed, or a folding table and chairs, you can adapt the space to suit your changing needs.

• Prioritize Storage & Organization
  By maximizing your storage space, you can reduce clutter and create a more functional and adaptable environment. Consider adding built-in shelving, under-bed storage, or other creative solutions to make the most of the space you have available.

• Consider Flow & Circulation
  Creating clear pathways and optimizing traffic flow will improve the functionality and adaptability of your home. This is also an important consideration for individuals with accessibility needs, or who plan to age in place. In more open plans, use furniture and decor to define different zones within a room. Sliding doors, collapsable walls, or decorative room dividers can create more privacy or separation when needed.

Designing for Your Future

To meet the growing demand, Architects and interior designers often incorporate many sustainable design principles into their residential projects by default. This includes both simple and affordable elements — like specifying eco-friendly building materials, efficient appliances, and water-saving fixtures — to more complex or costly solutions such as incorporating solar panels, green roofs, and greywater systems.

Overall, if you’re thinking about a home renovation or new construction project, consider speaking with a design professional first. They can not only help you optimize your layout for natural light and ventilation, but form a complete design plan focused on sustainability that makes sense for your lifestyle and budget.

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