A Guide in Creating Sustainable Homes in 2023

As more people find the importance of doing their part to combat climate change, sustainability has become a guiding principle in their lives. From sustainably sourced clothing and food to practicing more recycling and repurposing, everyone is doing their small part in becoming more sustainable.

But individuals with a flair for luxury living can take it one step further and set out to build a sustainable home. By building a sustainable home in a luxury community like Forresta Villar Land, you help decrease your negative impact on the environment while creating sustainable homes that are energy-efficient and long-lasting.

What is a sustainable home?

There are many kinds of sustainable homes, including tiny homes, Earthships, straw bale homes, and zero-carbon homes. But in general, sustainable home architecture is a home that is designed and built through sustainable and eco friendly practices. In every step of the building process, sustainability is prioritized. Sustainable homes require low to zero energy to build, and requires low energy to heat and cool.

A sustainable home takes into account the materials used, the method of construction, the natural environment, and the native flora and fauna present in the home’s location. Each of these factors plays a part in sustainable house design plans.

What are the two types of sustainable home design?

There are many ways to practice sustainable home architecture, but they are generally classified into two types: active sustainable design or passive sustainable design. These are different methods that are used to achieve the same goal of creating sustainable homes that are luxurious, comfortable, environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient.

Active Sustainable Homes

An active sustainable design makes use of energy sources like gas or electricity to optimize energy consumption. Active sustainable home architecture strategies include using smart home automation, Energy Star appliances, solar panels for electrical input, heated flooring, and high-efficiency HVAC systems.

Passive Sustainable Homes

On the other end of the scale sits passive sustainable design. This strategy of sustainable home design plans makes use of natural elements to make a home eco-conscious and sustainable. During the design process, factors like wind direction and sun orientation on the luxury lot are taken into account. Other passive sustainability strategies include cross-ventilation, higher-efficiency windows, using recycled materials, and creating rainwater collection systems.

How to Create Sustainable Home Design Plans

Sustainable homes can be your next dream luxury home project! If you want to get started on planning your sustainable home design plans, then this is a complete guide to everything you need to build your very own luxury sustainable home.

Location

Location is everything when it comes to your dream luxury home, and there is no better choice than Forresta Villar Land. This luxury community is located in a breathable environment that retains its connection to nature and green spaces.

Aside from a green and open luxury location, consider notable weather patterns like flooding or earthquakes. Building a home in places prone to these phenomena may not be the best sustainable choice. Also look for locations with ample sunlight or wind movement as a suitable option for renewable energy.

Transportation

Lowering your carbon footprint also includes transportation. If you build your sustainable home in an area that is close to your workplace or your children’s school, then you can decrease your carbon footprint. Access to mass public transit can also help you lower your overall environmental impact.

House Size

The size of your home can also affect how eco friendly and energy efficient your sustainable home is. In building a smaller home, you use fewer materials and energy. And when your sustainable home is finished, it would also consume less electricity and energy for heating and cooling, leading to lower energy costs for you.

House Orientation

Sustainable housing highlights being an energy efficient home. To maximize your energy consumption, be mindful of your house orientation when you develop your sustainable home design plans. Placing windows in key directions in your home can help you naturally heat and cool your home during the change from dry season to wet season. South-facing windows will give your home ample sunlight throughout the day, lowering the need for electric lighting.

Too many west-facing windows, however, will bring in too much light during the summer.  This excess in sunlight will heat up your house which may mean higher AC usage and higher electrical bills.

Recycled Materials

Using recycled materials for a sustainable home is another design strategy you can use. Using recycled materials and building blocks reduces the waste that ends up in landfills, and it can also lower construction costs for you. Some example of recycled materials you can use include reclaimed wood, bricks, stones, recycled glass, reused steel, and plastic products in the form of eco bricks.

Efficient Windows and Doors

Efficient windows and doors are an important addition to your sustainable house. When your windows and doors have proper weather stripping, they become very efficient at keeping the elements from entering and damaging your house. Good windows and doors also offer airtight seals that prevent air-conditioned air from escaping your home.

Double-paned windows are the popular choice when it comes to energy efficient windows, but there are also triple-paned windows that offer an even better airtight seal for your home.

LED Lights

LED lights have long been known to reduce your energy consumption because they use less power compared to other types of bulbs. They are also more durable and last longer, which means you replace them less often which saves you money.

In using LED lights for your home, you make it more sustainable because you will be consuming less energy in the long run. LED technology has also evolved to now include an array of colored LED lighting. If you want to design your home with colorful mood lighting but still wish to be sustainable, LED lights are the way to go.

Energy Star Appliances

Electric appliances can be another way for you to be more efficient. When appliances, devices, and electronics are rated under Energy Star, they have been tested and certified to use less energy compared to typical models on the market. By swapping your old and outdated appliances with more energy efficient Energy Star replacements, you make your home more sustainable.

Renewable Energy

If your home environment has ample supplies of renewable energy, then make full use of it. Solar panels are but one way to utilize renewable energy. You can also check for the viability of using wind or even geothermal energy in your area. These renewable energy sources will produce less carbon emissions, making your home a green space that has a good impact on the environment.

Rainwater Collection

Rainwater collection is another way to make your house design more sustainable. Rainwater collection involves collecting the excess water from rain, either through spouts and gutters, for future use. To do this, you can install spouts that redirect your run-off water to a collection tank. You can then use this collected water to water your garden and houseplants or flush the toilets so you lessen your demand for fresh water.

Create Your Dream Sustainable Luxury Home at Forresta

Luxury homes can be sustainable and eco friendly, especially when you build your dream home on a luxury lot in Forresta Villar Land. This sprawling 5.1 hectare luxury community is the perfect place to build a sustainable luxury home for you and your family.

At Forresta, nature is preserved and celebrated. Build a home in an exclusive luxury community that gives you access to a beautiful and calm natural environment while also connecting you to the best amenities that will complete your luxury lifestyle.

Green spaces will be highlighted in this beautiful community, but Forresta will also be in a prime location in the next central business district to rise in Daang Hari. Sustainability, natural environment, technology, and business will coexist beautifully in this new development by Brittany Corporation.

Build a future you deserve at Forresta with Brittany Corporation. As onne of the biggest names in luxury real estate, Brittany Corporation takes care of every detail so your dream luxury home lives up to your high standards. For more information on Forresta and Brittany Corporation, feel free to check our website. And don’t forget to follow us on Youtube and LinkedIn so you don’t miss the latest updates from us!