Q & A: Should I Renovate or Build a New Green Home?

Q: Should I renovate my current home to be more green, or is it better to start from scratch and build a brand new eco-friendly house?

A: That's a tough question. On one hand, renovations are disruptive, expensive and time-consuming, and you're limited by the envelope of your existing home. However, buying a new home and moving is a huge commitment. You must examine the issue from the perspective of your budget and lifestyle, but if your aim is to be more sustainable, that presents another set of issues.

In general, renovating is more green than constructing a new home. By adapting existing housing stock, we preserve more natural habitat and use less building materials. Another option, of course, is to sell your current home and purchase another existing home that is a better fit for you and your family. However, some people happen to own land or dream of constructing their own new home, and it does provide an opportunity to start with a blank slate and do everything 'right' in terms of sustainable design.

Lifestyle

If your family has expanded or contracted, or other circumstances changed since you purchased your home, it might make sense to move. If adding on to your current home is out of the question, building your own home allows you the opportunity to determine exactly what types of spaces best support your lifestyle, and you'll end up with just the right amount of square footage.

Energy Efficiency

Old homes, especially, can be leaky and therefore cause high energy bills. There are a lot of upgrades you can make to improve the situation, but certain homes are just too far gone to justify the investment. By building a new home, you can ensure that the walls are well-insulated and air tight, and that you install the most efficient building systems out there.

Budget

Renovating is expensive. Building a new home is even more expensive. What can you afford? What types of loans are available for green renovations and construction? Are there any tax incentives? What is the resale value of your current home? These are all factors you must consider before you make your final decision. In many cases, renovating is the greener option, but there is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution.

How to Choose the Right Plan for Your New Home

1. Choose a House Plan That Suits Your Land
Choose a plan that fits the characteristics of your land. It can be very expensive to haul in dirt or grade a lot to make it suitable for a plan. It's better to make the house fit the land rather than try to make the land fit the house. Also, the size and shape of your lot affects the type of home you can build on the lot.

2. Be Open-minded
It's important to be open-minded when looking at houses. By doing this, you'll learn things you never realized. Over time, your 'ideal' home will evolve and change. If you are like most people, you will probably buy a home that is different from what you thought you wanted. Don't quickly discard houses. You will have a better understanding of what you want by taking a close look at many houses.

3. Exteriors Are Easy to Change
Some people will only look at a house if they like its appearance. However, usually the house's exterior can easily be changed. The changes to an exterior can be so dramatic that you won't realize you are looking at the same house. To change the exterior, you can use different windows, modify roof lines, and change exterior details. Don't judge a home by its appearance. It's the inside that really counts. After all, you'll spend 90% of your time on the inside of your home.

4. Hidden Potential
You might discard the right home because you don't see its hidden potential. For example, say you don't like living rooms and you avoid houses that have living rooms. However, a living room could serve another purpose. It could become a den, a nursery, or an additional bedroom. It could also be an excellent dining room. Changing the location of a doorway or adding a wall may convert a room into something you would really love. Sometimes all you need to do is rename a room. When looking at houses, look for the hidden potential.

5. Perfect Homes Don't Exist
Some people spend years searching for the perfect home. However, they never find it because their perfect home is a fantasy. It doesn't really exist. Be realistic when shopping for a home. Ask yourself what are features you must have and what are features you want to have. When you find a house that meets your requirements, it may not have all of your wants. However, if you hold on to your dream of a perfect home, you might pass up the right house and regret it later.

6. Blueprints Can Be Changed
Almost everyone who buys stock house plans makes changes to them. Try to find something close to what you want and make changes to suit your needs. Common changes include doing a mirror reversal of the plan, moving walls, changing the location of the garage door (to make the garage a side garage or a front garage), and changing the size of the garage (such as lengthening a 2-car garage into a 3-car garage). Also you can usually add features to a home. For example most home plans can have a fireplace added.

7. Square Footage May Change
If you use a stock plan, you will probably make changes to the floor plan. Changes to a plan often increase or decrease the size of the house. Because of this, you should also look at plans that are smaller and larger than what you think you want. After changes are made, the plan may be close to the size you desire.

How To Find an Architect

 

Every architect has an individual style and approach. Here's how to find the right architect for your project.

1. Ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers about their architects. Also check with Realtors and builders in your area. Find the names of architects who designed projects similar to the one you plan.
2. For restoration projects, check with your local historical society or historic zoning board.
3. Search through online directories. Most will let you search for architects by location and by speciality. (For the best architect directories, scroll down this page to our resources list.)
4. Call prospective architects. Find out whether they would be interested in your project.
5. Ask whether there is a fee for an interview.
6. Request literature that describes the firm's qualifications and experience.
7. Meet with several prospective architects.
8. Confirm that the architect you are meeting is the person who will actually work on your project.
9. Determine your architect's design philosophy.
10. Ask how long the project will take.
11. Discuss fees and anticipated construction costs.
12. Ask for references from past clients. Find out how past clients feel about their new home.
13. Visit at least one project by your prospective architect. Ask the owners about any problems that may have been encountered during the design and construction of the project.
14. Verify your architect's licensing and other credentials. A licensed, registered architect (RA) will have different education and training than a certified building designer (CPBD).
15. Find out the professional affiliations of your prospective architect. An architect who joins an organization is not necessarily more highly qualified than a non-member. However, by joining a group such as the IAI (Indonesian Insitute of Architects), the pro indicates indicates a committment to the values and standards of that organization.

More Tips:

1. You may be working closely with your architect for many months. Choose someone you can communicate with. Understand each other.
2. Interview prospective architects at their offices, if possible.
3. Plan to spend at least one hour on your first meeting with a prospective architect.
4. Be sure to scroll down this page for more resources to help you find the right architect for your project.

How To Add Character to Your Home

Does your house seem bland and uninteresting? Here are some ways to add charm and character. Be creative... and have fun!

1. For an inexpensive solution, give that blah house a fresh coat of paint using several accent colors.
2. Remove outdated aluminum or vinyl siding. Wonderful features may be hidden beneath.
3. Consider using a new exterior surface treatment such as stucco or stone relief.
4. Place new windows in existing openings. Or, fill in some windows and enlarge others.
5. Add window and door moldings, cornices and other details.
6. Transform the landscaping. Plant new trees or hedges.
7. Add interest with shutters, awnings and arches.
8. Build a covered entry way.
9. Build a deck, covered patio, porch or other outdoor living space.
10. Open interior ceilings to create vaulting heights.
11. Change the entire profile with a raised roof or gabled dormers.
12. Build a new addition to the front or side of your existing home. Add a porch. Enclose a porch.
13. Add character through elimination. Change the entire profile of your house by removing something already there -- a tree or shrubbery that hides a charming exterior; an addition that throws off the symmetry; a modern skylight or metal door that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tips:

1. Keep it simple: Too many ornaments or an oversized addition will overwhelm your house.
2. Preserve light and space: Make sure that new additions don't fill your entire lot.
3. Consider resale value: Costly additions won't raise your home's price above neighborhood standards.
4. and last is Go slow - Style cannot be rushed!

CBZ Resort - A Hidden Village in Myanmar

Luxury hotel of 12 individual chalet rooms, 8 suites, and 5 three to four bedroom private villas set within a largely natural woodland of Teakwood.

Much of the site will be reafforested with single species groups of plants located at stategic locations.  An existing marsh has been extended and rehabilitated as a lagoon with marsh planting around the edges

Design Architecture of Luxury House in Surabaya, Period 2013

Another solution of Sustainable Architecture for Luxury Residential in Surabaya from Yulianto Maliang is a combination tropical and contemporer design on 2013.

An interesting facade design combination of line and colour

A big open space to give a natural light inside the room

A spacious sense for each of the room, and given detail attention on each room and room layout.

Each of project value is above USD 200,000.- with built up area above 350 sqm
Design and built quality is a priority.

Best regards,

Yulianto Maliang

(081 216 10178)

New Carnoustie Villa Series

The architecture of Kerala tells many stories. The way its architecture has been designed not only speaks about the artistic and technical capabilities of the craftsmen, but also about the progression and evolution of its society. 

Kerala has an abundance of architectural styles. Places of worship have been reworked over centuries, the styles differing according to the period of renovation, resulting in a vivid representation of an eventful political and cultural life. 

The new villa for carnoustie resort is has architecture designs that radiate warmth and an aura of timelessness

designs which are the realization of a desire to integrate the natural Kerala element.