The types of structural construction are stick framing and there are a number of viable alternatives such as straw bale, rammed or sprayed earth techniques (pneumatically impacted stabilized earth, or PISE), insulated concrete form (ICF) construction, and panelized construction (using structural insulated panels, or SIPs).
Certain materials and methods are better suited for specific geographical locations. Thick adobe walls with heavy thermal mass, for example, will help to modify the drastic changes in temperature that take place in the arid Southwest. That style of architecture suits desert climates well. The same massive style of construction would be ill advised in the humid heat of southern Florida, however. There, lightweight construction designs and screened-in porches that let in cooling breezes are more appropriate.
See: http://www.greenhomeguide.com/index.php/knowhow/entry/1155/
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/construction/gogreen.html
There are dozens of green building standards and guidelines that define how a "green" house should be built. While some programs focus on the materials used to build the home, others examine the performance of the home after completion. Still others look at occupant health, and some evaluate how the home works within the community.
Green building materials offer specific benefits to the building owner and building occupants:
- Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building.
- Energy conservation.
- Improved occupant health and productivity.
- Lower costs associated with changing space configurations.
- Greater design flexibility.
Green Depot
Dimensional lumber and sheathing sheets are the primary construction materials for most building projects. But they have long been associated with ecological and health concerns-including clear-cutting forests and the use of formaldehyde glues.
At Green Depot, all of their dimensional lumber is FSC-certified, ensuring that it comes from managed forests and that minimal pesticides are applied. All of the OSB and plywood they supply comes from manufacturers that don't add urea formaldehyde.Sourcing Green Materials
Recycled water based paint
Mosaic tiles
Water conserving products
Board type insulation
Bamboo flooring
Passive solar buildings
Every passive solar building
includes 5 design elements
1. A collector -the large glass
area where sunlight enters.
2. An absorber - the dark
surface or the storage
element that absorbs heat.
3. A thermal mass-the material
that stores the heat. This can
be masonry materials such as
concrete, stone, brick or a water
tank.
4. A distribution method
-the natural tendency of
heat to move from warmer
materials to cooler ones,
(through conduction,
convection, and radiation)
until there is no longer a
temperature difference
between the two. In some
buildings, this strictly passive
distribution method is
augmented with fans, ducts,
and blowers to circulate heat.
5. A control mechanism -
to regulate the amount of
sunlight entering the aperture.
This can be as simple as roof
overhang designed to allow more
sunlight to enter in the winter,
less in the summer.
South facing windows provide
the interior heating. Electricity
is derived from PV collectors.
The west, east and north side
windows are minimized to
manage excessive heat gain.
