What to consider with a eco-friendly construction project guide, Sustainable property advice, New green building design

What to Consider with Your Eco-friendly Construction Project

22 Mar 2022

Construction projects can be wasteful, but they don’t have to be! Eco-friendly and green construction is a relatively new trend in building that will get your project done like any other, without posing harm to the environment in its processes, materials, or functions of the project.

1. Design and Build

Design and build services are when you look to just one company to do both the architectural design, and the construction. Some companies also offer interior design as well so clients will only need one point of contact to communicate with the entire team. This lessens miscommunications, and decreases the chances of having to redo the work.

Design and build is the more eco-friendly way to construct your project as it takes you less time and effort to communicate, communication channels are streamlined, and the teams are all on the same page, minimizing accidents and mistakes that could churn out additional waste. You can also inform the team of your sustainability goals in your project!

2. Go Paperless

Go paperless. This practice isn’t just helpful in the office and at school, but also in construction. Construction often uses paper to deliver the information and design to the client, but there are better, more efficient ways to deliver data nowadays.

Going paperless does not remove the information dissemination, but rather streamlines it through a cloud storage system or other forms of communication to let the client know the status of the project without having to send them tons of blueprints and letters updating them about it.

There are now 3D imaging systems that will calculate how much materials are needed as well, so you can lessen the amount of construction waste left over. Talk to your contractor about these systems, and how you can go paperless in your project.

3. Choose to Be Green

Incorporate flora into your home by integrating plants in the building. Both the interior and exterior of your home can have plants, which provide sources of food for the various fauna around your area, as well as cleanse the air with their air purifying properties.

If you have a green thumb, consider having low maintenance plants all around your home. Have walls of succulents and moss instead of paintings, or make space in your living room for a mini indoor zen garden that delivers increased oxygen to your living space.

4. Use Sustainable Materials

Consider using sustainable, repurposed materials instead of new ones. For instance, if you’ve just demolished your old home to make room for a new one, consider using reclaimed wood from your previous house. As long as your home was not riddled with black mold or termites, then you can safely bring reclaimed materials into your new home!

Other sustainable materials include bamboo, which grows quick enough to harvest sustainably in place of wood, and organic fibers like coir and hemp instead of nylon or polyester carpeting. Sustainable materials can be just as durable as standard ones, but don’t destroy the environment while you’re at it.

5. Make Room for Eco-friendly Functions

Lastly, talk to your contractor about incorporating eco-friendly functions around your home. Use solar panels to provide your home with energy, and power up various appliances around your home. This will lessen your electricity consumption, and minimize your carbon footprint as well.

Same goes for water purification systems and air conditioning. Seek out eco-friendly alternatives, like using UV sterilization or eco-friendly filters to disinfect rainwater collected for your water consumption. Cool your space with breeze blocks, and you’ll decrease your air conditioning use while staying comfortable.

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