3 Ways to Utilize Construction Site Surroundings to Optimize Design

Home design isn’t just about color swatches and backsplashes. While those are important details when building a new home a client will love, there are other things to consider that non-builders may not think of.

Architecturally, building professionals can look toward climate responsive design and ambient design, both of which involve using the elements around a home to the client’s advantage.

Natural and free energy can refer to anything around us – or a construction site – that is free of monetary cost. Also called “ambient energy,” this includes the sun, air, sky and the ground. It is wise when selecting a site to consider regionally specific characteristics and think about what can be used to passively heat or cool the home you’re building.

Examples include:

Taking advantage of natural heating, shading and ventilation through window placement and roofing. These practices have been used for generations, but there are some new considerations like solar thermal (heating water using solar energy) and phase change materials (which can store energy so that it can be used at a later point in time), which custom home builder and NAHB Healthier Homes and Communities Subcommitttee Chair John Barrows explained in a recent Design Bites episode.

This ambient energy can save up to 90% of a building’s energy needs, reduces electrical demands on the building’s grid, and improves a building’s resilience, making it an important component of any overall energy strategy.

Decreasing energy consumption by orienting homes to the sun. In another recent Design Bites episode, architect Peter Pfeiffer urged designers to conduct studies on sun angles because they are essential in mitigating excessive energy consumption. Knowing how the sun will orient to the home throughout the day will allow designers to naturally light and shade the home. The more a home is designed in accordance with the climate, the more resilient and livable it will be during extreme weather events, too.

Avoiding dark exteriors. Clients may want to choose darker colors because they’re trendy, but they might not realize how those colors could eventually impact their comfort levels as well as utility bills. Pfeiffer compared the temperature of two neighboring homes – one with light exteriors and one with dark – and the lighter home was 30 degrees cooler than the darker home. The home owners of the lighter house will typically spend less money on air conditioning during the warmer months because they will need to utilize less energy to cool it.

Considering where the home is located and working with its surroundings is a proven path to a more energy-efficient home. Taking additional time to learn more about the site location during the planning stages can have significant benefits for both the client and the environment.

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