Which Building Is Better?

MKamis

Just curious to see what you guys think makes a better green building. Is it more important to use recycled materials and use the minimum amount of materials needed?

Or is it more important to build something that will last as long as possible so that the energy/resources are only used once over a long period of time?

I know you can have the best of both, just wondering which you see as a better way to make a home or building green.

paintr56

The second is the only real chose. Green is only going to make it if the value is there. After the hype people will quickly turn away if they don't feel good about their investment long term. Both would be great but don't give up quality.

Jim Bunton

woodmagman

As with all choices, the best choice is the one we make at that moment. That is how we learn from our mistakes. Building homes of stone in an earth quake zone gives me pause, and a house of glass on a busy freeway is just asking for the occasional stone or two.
Building something the conserves energy and is from a renewable resource, what the heck can't hurt can it?

MKamis

The reason I posed the question is because building green is about building responsibly. I personally feel that some of the "green" homes I've seen are built like matchstick houses, and while energy effecient and low impact environmentally, if they don't last 100 years, are they worth it? I feel there is a balance between overkill and effeciency that would optimize a house meant to be green. It would require more resources to construct, but would last so long, that no more resources would be needed down the road.

dougchips

MK, I would pick a long lasting material over an easy to produce material. For example the new steel shingles over straw. I need to look into bamboo a little more it is getting 2 thumbs up.

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woodmagman

You can build a house out of concrete 20 inches thick. Home built with styrofoam as a form for that concrete, a house mad of straw bales and stucco, dual studded walls with oversized eaves all constitute a green home providing it use the resources most efficiently and does not impact the environment negatively.

Boogga

like mkamis mentioned, " energy efficient and low impacting the environment". Basically building a home that requires a low input of enviromental forces. And a low ouput of horrible emmisions.

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