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Chapter 4 Sustainability and Housing
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Review & Assessment
1. Defi ne sustainability and sustainable design.
2. Explain the importance of sustainability.
3. Why is sustainable design important?
Principles of
Sustainable Design
Sustainability is incorporated into buildings
through following principles of sustainable design.
The principles that guide sustainable design include
the following:
• use less energy in the operation of buildings
• use renewable energy sources for living environments
• select materials from renewable sources
• use recycled materials and/or materials that can
be recycled
• conserve water use
• protect occupant health and safety
• produce less waste
Use Less Energy
A major principle of sustainable design is to
use less energy in the operation of buildings. The
interior designer and other building professionals
can select equipment that uses less energy. This
includes home appliances, space heating and cooling
equipment, water heating equipment, and lighting.
Specifi c energy effi cient equipment, is covered in the
appropriate sections of the text.
Energy-effi cient homes are most effective if
originally designed to use less energy. Many homes
on the market, however, have energy-effi cient
features. Figure 4.1 provides a checklist of features
of an energy-effi cient home.
After the energy-effi cient appliances and
equipment are in the home, one way occupants can
manage and control energy use is through home
automation. Dwellings with home automation have
an integrated and centrally controlled system based
on computer technology. This system controls all the
systems in the home and focuses primarily on one or
more of the following areas:
• convenience
• energy management
• entertainment
• safety
Homes built today incorporate many versions
and features of “smart” technology. The exteriors of
homes with automated systems look like any other
homes (Figure 4.2). These homes contain advanced
systems, components, and materials—all the result
of ongoing technological development.
Historically speaking, electronic houses were
something that only appeared in science fi ction
for much of the twentieth century. In the 1980s,
however, the National Research Center of the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB) helped the
advancement of home automation by initiating
The SMART HOUSE Project. The technology wired
the home with a single multiconductor cable that
included electric power wires, communications cables
for telephone and video, and other connections to
appliances and lamps. The multiconductor cable was
then linked with electronic devices to control the
supply of power throughout the home. The SMART
HOUSE was designed to respond to the resident’s
needs by adjusting lighting, temperature, and even
music. Currently, NAHB is no longer the leader in
marketing home automation, but instead private
companies are leading the way for home automation.
The basic idea of home automation, is to
employ sensors and control systems to monitor a
residence and adjust the systems according to the
user’s needs. By doing so, the home becomes a safer,
more comfortable, and more economical residence.
For example, the system can turn off the lights and
lower the thermostat after everyone has gone to bed.
It can monitor burglar and fi re alarms and optimize
the operation of the water heater by anticipating hot
water usage.
Home automation technologies require broad
changes to building construction. These changes
may impact house wiring and cabling for power
and communications. The development of a new
information infrastructure offers many possibilities.
For instance, such technology offers greater
participation in civic and community activities,
access to educational resources, as well as work and
entertainment. Higher-bandwidth communication
technologies provide the means for electronic
community town meetings, distance learning, home
shopping, and video-on-demand. Bandwidth refers
to the capacity for data transfer of an electronic
communications system.
After meeting technical and organizational
challenges, many will fi nd a fi ne line between an
intelligent house that maintains comfort levels and
an overbearing house that monitors the inhabitants
too closely. Few people object to using a thermostat