4.2 million deaths occur every year in the world due to air pollution. China alone witnesses 1.08 million deaths because of it. 91% of the global population breathes in air that is more polluted than the prescribed WTO limit. Globally, humans have never been more technologically advanced. At the same time, we have never been this threatened by the deteriorating environmental conditions. Environmental pollution is causing climate change, and instances of tsunami and wildfires.
We might not realize it, but all of us are playing a role in polluting the environment. Even when you are building your dream home, you are contributing to it. Did you know that the construction industry contributes 23% to air pollution?
Does this mean you shouldn’t build your dream home? No. it just means that you must do so in an environmentally sustainable way. Here is how you can do so.
Construction and Building type
The material that you use to build your house should be green. This means including material like clay or smart bricks that are made from clay. There is no denying the fact that you will need steel, blocks, and cement as well. However, to reduce the environmental impact, try to get these items from a local supplier. The shorter the distance is, the better. This makes sure that the transportation footprint of supplying the material to your home is reduced.
Rather than opting for artificial shades, you can plant trees to provide your house with natural shading. You can have your own crop field and hence play a role in adding oxygen to the environment to mitigate the effects of air pollution.
You also need to take into account the geographical orientation of your house. This plays an integral role in keeping your home warm or cold. Which of the two you want depends on the climate of the country you live in. For instance, to keep the house cold, you can opt for having large facades in the north and south side of the house.
During intense summers, you can make use of overhangs and skylights to reduce the heat load of your house.
Air and Lighting
Your dream home will need ventilation and enough lighting. The difference between a conventional house and a green dream home is that the latter is made such to utilize natural lighting fully. This doesn’t mean your house won’t have artificial lights at all. It just means that you won’t be using it much due to the natural light that would shine through your house in the daytime.
Adding skylights to the roof of common rooms, dining halls and study rooms help in reducing the dependence on artificial lights. Even if you are using artificial lights, make sure you use CFL and energy-saving lamps.
To do so, windows and doors of the building must be appropriately sized and placed in places that ensures maximum entry of light. You will also need proper ventilation in the building. Make sure that air passes through in at least two of the four directions so that the house doesn’t feel too stuffy.
It is easy to take water for granted. However, we live at a time when water pollution has made a lot of water in the world to be unusable. Therefore, there is a need to conserve it and manage it properly. Your dream house too should be equipped with a proper water management system. This includes greywater recycling and harvesting and using rainwater. Select water tap and shower placement based on flow rate and need.
You will need to use paint and other chemicals for the interior of your house. After all, no one should expect you to let go of your aesthetic needs. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you must contribute to environmental pollution when doing so.
Instead, you can opt for paints and other chemicals that are equipped with low volatile organic carbon content. Such chemicals have no or little carcinogenic fume. Therefore, they play a significantly lower part of pollution.
Make a point of including a greenhouse garden in your home. The terramera company has excellent solutions that deliver environmentally friendly vegetations and crops. While you are at it, make sure you use ecologically friendly fertilizers as well. Keep it organic if possible. Having a greenhouse garden has various advantages. It reduces the heat and therefore keeps your house cool. At the same time, it reduces the chances of storm water run-offs. Not to mention that landscaping and gardens are less costly to make than cemented pavements.
How to reduce air pollution once you are settled in?
Your fight against environmental pollution isn’t over after your dream home has been built. Instead, it has just started. You might not realize it, but even within your house, there are various ways air pollution occurs. To combat it here is what you can do:
- Keep your windows open to improve circulation of air, especially during cooking
- Avoid using candles or smoking indoors. This causes an increase in carbon monoxide levels that are known to be a cause of deaths.
- Pick hard-floorings without carpets since they are easier to clean and ensure that pet hair doesn’t escape back into the air
- Reduce your dependence on air fresheners and cleaning products
- Put some houseplants inside your house to reduce the level of formaldehyde in your home
What we mentioned are the basics of building a sustainable dream house. Various other things go into actually building a house. Since you can’t do so yourself, you will need to take help from designers and architects. However, knowing that you want a greenhouse would allow you to make decisions accordingly.
Make sure you build your house as sustainably as possible. Reduce your contribution to environmental pollution in every step you take. It can be something as small as giving up smoking or as big as building a house in an eco-friendly way. Give back to Earth.