City Green Building
Design Strategies

Design is a powerful tool, and the more you understand the design implications of your decisions, the more likely you'll be happy with the final result. Just as energy efficiency, inconvenience, and poor indoor environmental quality can be inadvertently built into a building, careful design can  reduce the likelihood these problems will surface in a home.

Aim for designs that exhibit the following characteristics, as well as any you consider beneficial for your project:

Healthy
Designs that allow appropriate ventilation, control for moisture and reduce the likelihood of mold, and provide access to daylight and views are not only more pleasant experience, they also help protect the health of occupants. Additional healthy home design strategies include minimizing the use of carpet, specifying easy-to-clean surfaces, and installing dirt-catching walk-off mats at entries. Encouraging a shoe-free household by providing shoe storage and a shoe doffing area near the most commonly used entry is another healthy home design element.

Websites on healthy design:

Books on healthy design:

  • The New Natural House Book by David Pearson
  • Healthy House Building for the New Millennium by John Bower

Efficient
Energy, water, and materials efficiency are all essential parts of green design. You’ll find plenty of resources specific to particular remodeling projects in our Green Home Remodel Guides.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy: Energy conserving appliances and lighting, locating ductwork within heated space, enhanced insulation and high-performance windows are all strategies for reducing energy use in a home. To further reduce the use of non-renewable energy sources, homeowners can install solar electric (photovoltaic) and solar hot water systems.

Water conservation: Saving water in the home and landscape reduces bills and helps keep water in our local streams for fish. High-efficiency fixtures, clothes washers and dishwashers all contribute to water savings. Natural Lawn and Garden practices further reduce water use. And finally, rainwater harvest systems can capture this precious resource on site and put it to use in the landscape or even for flushing toilets.

Efficient materials use: A hallmark of green design is using materials for multiple purposes. A concrete slab that acts as structure as well as the finish floor is an example, as would a guest room that serves as a study. Additionally, advanced framing techniques reduce the amount of materials needed for structural purposes.

Barrier-Free
Designs that work for users of a wide variety of ages and abilities are more welcoming and allow us to continue functioning well in the space as our own abilities change over time. Often called universal design, accessibility is impacted by both materials choices and design strategies. Curb-free shower entries, varying the height of kitchen countertops, lever handles, and minimizing floor height transitions and/or making transitions clear with color changes help make spaces accessible.

Durable
A home that lasts longer will amortize its environmental impact over a longer period, delaying replacement and the associated environmental impacts. Durability is affected by both design choices and materials selection.

Durable design elements include sufficient roof overhangs (24 inches is recommended in the rainy Pacific Northwest), "rain screen" siding approaches that include a drainage plane behind the siding to allow moisture and wind-driven rain to escape, appropriate drainage around the home, keeping landscape plants at least 12 inches from the home, and providing adequate ventilation, both spot and whole-house.

Materials selection and specification are also key to durability. Warranties often provide a good window into the expected life span of a product. Pair materials in an assembly with similar life spans so that one element doesn't wear out before the rest. For example, pair stainless steel deck screws with recycled plastic composite lumber. Also opt for designs that allow replacement and reconfiguration of adjoining materials.

Also, match a material's durability to the expected life of the installation. For example, if a kitchen is expected to be remodeled every 20 years, avoid installing materials with a 100-year life span, unless the component is designed to be easily removed and reused. Designing for easy disassembly and reuse helps keep long-lived materials in use even as spaces change.

Timeless
A design often becomes passé before it physically wears out. Identifying designs with staying power can help reduce the likelihood your remodel becomes dated before its time. Designs that respect the era of your home’s original architecture and integrate with existing elements tend to stand the test of time, although contrasting elements can be tastefully done as well. Designs that are able to weather changes in use patterns are greener in that they don’t require as many costly and resource-intensive modifications over time.

Books on timeless design:

  • Patterns of Home by Max Jacobson et al.
  • A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
  • How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand
Last Updated: October, 2007