Green Housing

Green living is an attempt to reduce greenhouse gases in our environment.

"The tendency today is towards changes in behaviour. It has become necessary for new and renovated homes to consume less energy and release less harmful gas. The High Environmental Quality (HQE) standard has been set up as a reference.

A home becomes green through its choices of energy for heating or electricity (heat pumps, wind, thermal or solar power), means of control of water consumption (low flow systems, use of rainwater), and materials, such as wood for interior walls and hemp as insulation. It is important not to confuse natural materials and eco-friendly or green ones. 'Asbestos is a natural material but far from an eco-friendly one,' warns the French Building Federation (FFB).

Homes can also be sensible or passive in their designs, notably by readiness for bioclimatic energy. It is possible to combine an extremely low consumption of energy (less than 15kWh/m²/year) with a pleasant room temperature throughout the year, all without the use of conventional heating." (Source: http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/21596/the-green-housing-boom.html)

The housing project 'Dockside Green' in Victoria, BC, received PLATINUM LEED status for their mixed housing complex. They achieved this by using mostly recycled, reusable or alternatives to conventional materials. For example, instead of using wood – which would take up to 100 years to replenish, flooring and façade fixtures used bamboo and recycled wood that was buried below the ground. Most of the material is found locally. Bamboo takes around 3 years to replenish making this a better alternative to trees. When you see the floors, you would never notice the difference. Other features include using cement that used materials from older buildings that have been grinded down and mixed with non-gas producing materials. This not only recycled existing material but also cost less to produce and did not add any additional gases into the environment. There is no air conditioning in these units. All of the appliances are high energy saving European appliances. The windows have temperature controlling blinds. In the common area, all the carpeting is made of recycled carpeting that has been re-processed to remove harmful gases. The rooftop garden offers a wonderful view of the nearby mountains while tending to the herb and vegetables grow alongside wild flowers that help the environment and encourage a natural outdoor living experience. The housing project also plays a part in how people travel – offering a $40,000 discount if you don't own a car (thereby not needing a parking spot), using one of 10 hybrid vehicles purchased for the residents to use, discounts on transit passes for the first 3 years.

"In Freiburg (Germany), the project follows the model of the 'garden-city' conceived in Britain at the end of the 19th century. This urban project brings together social housing, gardens, and landscaping improvements. The Vauban and Riesenfeld neighbourhoods - home to 15 000 inhabitants 4 km from the centre of Freiburg - were built according to the following principles: low-consumption housing, use of rainwater, and priority to public
transport, pedestrians and cyclists. All of the buildings are low-consumption thanks to innovations in insulation and ventilation. Many rely on solar power for heating and electricity generation." (Source: Cafebabel, link above)