8 Sustainable Buildings to Inspire Your New Home

Looking to build a new home? Why not make it as sustainable as possible?

By building a sustainable home, you’re not only doing your part to protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint, but you’re also going to save tons of money on your utility bills. It’s a no-brainer.

But knowing where to start can be tough. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of eight impressive sustainable buildings around the world to inspire you and get your creative juices flowing.

Land Port of Entry

This sustainable building, located on the border between the U.S. and Canada, is a great example of locally focused sustainability. The building is located in a heavily wooded area, known for its lumber industry, and so the designers took great pains to use local, sustainably harvested lumber. A full 98% of the building’s wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

In addition, the designers worked to restore the wetlands which surround the building and planted native plants throughout the property

Before you make any decisions about your new home, consider your surroundings.

Rammed Earth House

This house in Hanoi is a great example of how you can use rammed earth in your home design. Rammed earth, which is basically compressed dirt, is a phenomenal building material. It has a high thermal mass which means it absorbs heat during the day, keeping your house cool, and then releases that heat slowly throughout the night.

These architects took the rammed earth concept to the next level by planting trees in the house’s roof. The house is a beautiful extension of its natural surroundings.

Off-Grid Living House

This off-grid house in Scotland is a masterpiece of self-sufficiency. It’s well insulated and has large solar panels, of course, but it also has something most other sustainable buildings on this list don’t: a composting toilet.

A composting toilet is a lot like an outhouse, but once it’s full, you use the contents as compost in your garden. I know that sounds gross, but you’ll be adding a lot of sawdust to the mix so it doesn’t smell. And you let it sit for a year before you use it, so the nasty bits have time to decompose.

If you want to be self-sufficient and are okay with the idea of using your own feces as compost, then a composting toilet is a perfect addition to your new home.

Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building

The Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland is loaded with sustainability technology. Its elevators generate power as they descend, and it has smart lighting which reduces light energy by 40%.

But for our purposes, its most exciting feature is its solar water heating system. The sun heats up special water tanks located on the building’s roof, and these tanks are used to provide hot water to the entire building.

Solar water heating is the perfect way to make sure you and your family can have a luxurious hot shower without using any electricity at all.

Recycled Materials-Based House

This house in East Sussex, England uses a variety of recycled, natural materials in impressively creative ways. The roof is made of zinc, the kitchen surfaces are made of recycled glass, the insulation is made of hemp and wood fiber, and the paints are partially made from limes.

The house is also designed to efficiently use the sunlight for heat: a strategy known as passive solar heating. And it employs a smart rainwater harvesting system to cut down on water use.

It goes to show that maximizing your house’s sustainability is all about using a variety of techniques and strategies.

Insulation Masterpiece

This house, also in England, takes insulation to the next level. The walls are all made of wood and filled with wool. And as anyone who’s into performance clothing knows, wool is an amazing natural insulator.

Just like your wool sweater keeps you warm in the winter, so will the wool insulation around your house. But the insulation innovation doesn’t end there.

The architects used high-performance, vapor-resistant tape to seal off the house’s frame. This airtight seal provides yet another layer of insulation to this marvelously designed house.

High-quality insulation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save big on your heating bill and conserve energy.

John & Frances Angelo Law Center

The John & Frances Angelos Law Center in Baltimore is a marvel of architectural creativity. Its most innovative feature is a giant empty cavity running from bottom to top in its center.

This cavity provides ventilation for the entire building. Depending on the time of day, the air either circulates due to the heat of the sunlight or due to mechanical fans. There are even indicators in the offices that tell workers when its time to open their windows and increase circulation.

In addition to providing fresh air, this system keeps the building at a comfortable temperature at a relatively low energy cost.

Sustainability Treehouse

We put the sustainability treehouse, located in West Virginia, on the list to remind you to have fun and be creative with your new home. The treehouse serves as an educational center where people can learn about forestry and sustainability. And, in addition to being fun and educational, it also has a very sustainable design.

It has a rainwater processing and cleaning system along with a large array of solar panels. And, it even has its own set of wind turbines. These technologies provide all of the treehouse’s energy and water needs: no municipal source necessary.

From Sustainable Buildings to Your Sustainable Home

We hope this list of sustainable buildings has inspired you. Building a sustainable house takes time and energy, so get started today.

We’d love to help you make your dream house a reality. Contact us today and let’s set up a consultation.

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Are you looking to build a sustainable home?  You’ve landed in the right place. Peak One Builders specializes in residential green construction in Scottsdale AZ. Contact us to set up a free consultation so we can discuss all of your options! Call 480-378-0611 today.

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8 Sustainable Buildings to Inspire Your New Home

What Makes a Luxury Bathroom? 5 Luxurious Elements You Need

Imagine being locked in your bathroom for a year and a half. Well, that’s how much time you’ll spend in the bathroom over the course of your life. If you’re spending it in a luxury bathroom, it might not feel so long given the comfort you’d be in.

There are few investments in your home that will add to its value. A renovated bathroom will pay off almost 50 cents to the dollar, a pretty good ratio as far as renovations go.

While painting the walls might go unnoticed by a potential buyer, a renovated bathroom might just end up being the selling point.

If you’re thinking about adding some luxury bathroom elements to your commode, you might be surprised how much one or two elements can change the room.

Try one or more of these 5 tips for a bathroom that really does feel like a restroom.

1. A Great Bathtub

After a long day at work, whether you do white- or blue-collar work, there are very few things that can compare to taking a long relaxing bath. If you’ve been crammed in city apartments with tight little showers, a bathtub could be an incredible luxury.

For taller people, just finding the right bathtub can feel luxurious.

Bathtubs can be outfitted with the latest in water circulation technology to really give you a nice massage while you kick back. You can also find great old rehabbed clawfoot tubs at lots of outlets around the country. No matter what your style is, there’s a bathtub to fit it.

If that’s not really your thing, there are also some great options for showers. Building a nice glass and slate showering area can be a nice way to take a steamy relaxing break from your day.

Make it spacious and easy to clean and you can build a lovely shower that gets you excited to kick off your workday.

2. Go European

So many of our contemporary home design concepts are coming from luxury bathroom designs in Europe. Along with different toilet designs, they’re also fond of the bidet.

If you haven’t ever tried a bidet, you should use one and see if you enjoy it. Many Americans are finding that it’s the right choice for them in the bathroom. There are some lovely designs that add to the luxuriousness of a bathroom.

They’re also better for the environment than all of that toilet paper that’s made from virgin trees and pulp. You’ll have a cleaner time in the bathroom and be able to spare a few extra trees from being cut down.

Another innovation we’re starting to import from Europe is the efficiency toilet. With two separate levers for liquid and solid waste, they ensure you don’t waste a full flush when you don’t have much to get rid of.

It also keeps you from having to institute the old “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule in your home.

3. The Perfect Mirror Setup

No luxury bathroom would be complete without a beautiful and dramatic mirror and sink setup. If you’ll be spending your time putting on makeup and doing your skincare routine in the bathroom, you might want to add a second mirror apart from your sink.

Here you can add a small stool or bench. Install a large vanity mirror with lights all around it. Add a small section of countertop for placing your makeup and gear.

Ensure you can get nice and close to the mirror in case you’ve got an eyebrow hair to pluck while you’re sitting there.

A bright, easy to clean, and well-lit mirror will allow you to make the most of yourself before you head out for the day. It can also aid you in your evening dental care routine. Leave no plaque behind when you can see clearly what’s going on in your mouth.

4. Staying Warm

A bathroom can be a cold place to spend time disrobed in during winter months. Innovations in luxury bathroom technology have veered toward ways to make it a little more bearable.

Overhead heat lamps are a great way to help dry your hair while you’re doing your makeup or dental care routine. They heat you from the top down and save you from having to use a blowdryer, which can damage your hair and give you split ends.

Another element being added to luxury homes around the country is heating under the floor. By adding some heating under the floor, walking around the bathroom is a little easier to handle during those early morning hours.

Rather than having to wear socks while you’re in the bathroom, you can let the heating system warm you up and make it more comfortable.

5. The Details You Need

The missing element for any luxury bathroom is going to be whatever personal touches you decide to add to it. This can be anything from decor ideas to candles placed around the room.

Find a scent you like and use it to ward off any bad smells that might emerge from your bathroom.

No luxury bathroom would be complete without a luxurious set of towels. Make sure you’ve got great towels, bathmats, and a robe. Drying off with big fluffy clean towels feels like nothing else on this earth.

Whatever you need in the bathroom, this is the time to add it to the list.

A Luxury Bathroom Doesn’t Have To Break The Bank

You can do lots of bathroom renovation without having to dig into your savings account. Several of the tactics could involve finding store models, rehabbed or refurbished items, or even waiting until the January white sales to pick things up.

If you want even more luxury bathroom ideas, check out our guide to building a custom bathroom.

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Are you looking to create the luxury bathroom of your dreams?  Contact Peak One Builders, a premier professional home remodeling contractor in Scottsdale, to set up a free consultation! Call 480-378-0611 today.

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What Makes a Luxury Bathroom? 5 Luxurious Elements You Need