Some people find it frustrating to bother about a potential climatic catastrophe as they think family life is too little drop in an ocean to make sensible impact on such a global issue, but there are more and more people who realize that all the little drops together make the ocean, and small things that individuals can do are just as much important as the ones that multinational companies or governments can do. As architects and engineers we can give you tips and idea for selecting and operating your homes in an environmentally mindful way.
Starting from the basics finding a location with good facilities helps a lot to create a natural home. Having big, old trees on the plot is not only an advantage because you do not have to wait for the trees to grow big enough for providing shadow while enjoying a garden but also because it makes it possible to design a house that uses this shadow for the living areas and potentially limiting the need for air-conditioning. Existing trees are just one of the many parameters that environmentally conscious architects and engineers can take into consideration, that is why it is worth to consult us even before buying the plot itself.
Once the plot is given there is still a lot to do about placing a house on the plot so as to be environmentally cautious: considering the wind direction, the movement of the Sun and many other can have an impact on designing the energy usage need of a house. Equinox designs homes with the most innovative digital tools to compute all environmental factors of any specific plot.
In case you ended up with a home designed and built by Equinox you already made a big step towards being environmentally friendly, but to make the most out of your home you need to use it in a conscious way. Here are some tips to follow:
- Make sure you follow the instruction guide for your heat pump provided by our team.
- Check regularly that the digital set-up of the shutters are correct.
- If your home is designed and built by us you will not have an air-conditioner because we use more innovative and energy-conscious engeneering solutions for ensuring the right temperature for your home, but if you are not so lucky to have an Equinox home then you can still pay attention to limit the use of air-conditioner by using window shutters during the day and maximizing natural ventillation during the night.
- In case you did not ask for lights with automatic sensors watch out for turning of the lights in those rooms that are not in use.
- In case you did not ask for rain-water re-use in your home you can still watch out to make short (about 5-8 minutes) showers instead of a tub filled up with 120-130 liter of water. Long showers that take more than 10 minutes use more water than an average sized tub. If you love to relax in a hot tub, consider selecting a smaller one that requires less water to fill it up and consider using it only when you really have the time to relax in it not just filling it up and quickly wash yourself in it and drain it off.
- Select an induction cooker instead of a ceramic cooker because on long term the price will pay back due to its more efficient energy usage. We do not design homes that use gas, so you don't even have to think about that.
- Use dish-washer instead of washing dishes by hand since it does not only uses less water but also uses less energy to heat up the water to remove oil and grease stains. At the beginning you have to invest in the machine, but it will pay back just as the induction cooker.
- From spring to autumn dry your clothes outside of your house. Not only your clothes will have a wonderful fresh smell but you will prevent the building from extra moisture. During cold whether conditions when clothes will not dry outside it is still better to dry them naturally with zero energy-usage but make sure to open the window regularly so as to avoid too high humidity. In case you insist on having a dryer make sure to buy a heat pump dryer instead of the old condensation dryer so as to save energy.
- By now you will know yourself that we recommend you to choose an A+++ fridge and consider the right size - remember that you only need a certain amount of food and an oversized fridge leads more often to wasting food.
- For cleaning your home consider using natural ingredients like vinegar, lemon, baking soda, pharmaceutical alcohol instead of chemical detergents.
- Finally, plant plants in your home! Not only because they generate oxygen and improve the air quality but also creates a visually pleasing living area that improves well-being of your family. If you select your plants according to the light conditions of its future living space and you even consider how often will you have time to water them they will provide a lot of joy with little effort. And if you are ready to go for the maximum, you can consider learning compost production from your household veggie waste instead of using artificial fertilizers. Your plants will be grateful and some of the ceramic compost containers are so nice that they actually more look like a decoration than a functional pot.
