Making a Plan

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Creating a smart, healthy and sustainable space begins with a plan.  A sustainable design approach looks at the whole picture, and how space affects its’ users, other people across the globe and our planet.  But before you can choose energy-efficient systems, zero-VOC flooring and fair trade hand-made accessories, you need to start with some goals – specific goals about what you hope to accomplish and how you can measure success.  It won’t work to begin designing based on a vague notion of a green, healthy, or eco-friendly home.  These terms are all interchangeably used to describe a better kind of home, but they aren’t clearly defined.  Deciding on definitive goals with measureable outcomes is key to successful results.

 

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Deciding on your goals

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There are many possible goals you may have for your home and what you want it to be – healthy, energy-efficient, low-carbon, affordable, zero-waste, long-lasting, beautiful …  But there is no one-size-fits-all solution and no design method that will address all of these goals equally.  It’s about prioritizing, and using the design strategies that work for you and your space.  There are also many factors that are out of your control that can impact the design strategies you use: climate, site conditions, local regulations, available resources and services, and budget. 

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