"And the rains fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:25
The Goal of Sustainable Design
- Maximum use of renewable building materials.
- Minimum use of non-renewable, energy intensive building materials.
- Catch the energy falling on the house and latch onto the geothermal reserve in the earth underneath it. Go with nature instead of fighting or isolating from it.
- Design and build for long useful service life spread over many generations.
- Home must be sturdy and disaster resistant.
- No life-threatening or building-threatening dependencies on electricity.
- The house must be adaptable for future modification, with access channels all around the structure to easily upgrade and add future technology. Make it convenient to run new cables, pipes and wires.
- Capable of being “stand alone” without connection to the gas mains or electric utility grid.
- Building must be low maintenance and forgiving if repairs are put off.
- More comfortable and less costly life cycle than a conventional house.
