The housing recession has led to the loss of many qualified building employees and the closure of many manufacturing facilities. Now that the market is rebounding, those who survived the recession are experiencing labor shortages and increasing building material costs. Rising concerns about these issues are starting to affect the market as builder confidence experienced a two-point drop in April*. Read more

An Earthship is a home that is a radically sustainable building. Constructed of recycled materials, Earthships can be built in any climate and are made to produce their own power, potable water and sustainable food while dealing with waste onsite. Earthships are the brainchild of architect savant Michael Reynolds whose life’s mission it has been to help others to design and construct Earthships of their own.
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Green building is becoming an international phenomenon and many home plans now come standard with energy efficient building envelope features that were once an added cost. As building codes change to improve efficiency, designers push the envelope of what it means to have a green home. We take a look at homes that expand the boundaries of green buildings with these extraordinary eco-friendly homes.

Orchid House, Cotswolds

This green building masterpiece has the distinction of also being the most expensive green home in in the world having sold for $14.2 million. The Orchid House produces more energy than it uses through geothermal heating, solar and wind power. The home is designed by Sarah Featherstone who was also responsible for part of the London Olympic Village.
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Creating energy is a complex and surprisingly inefficient process. This process is especially inefficient when we use fossil fuels to generate electricity like natural gas and coal. When these fossil fuels are burned, large amounts of heat energy is lost. We then send electricity through miles of cables where further losses occur. This means that when you save 1kw of energy in your homes, you’re actually saving three or four; now that’s a great return on investment.

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US builders breathed a collective sigh of relief this month as they hailed the end of the housing slump. While some areas are experiencing a slow increase in new builds, others are seeing a sharper improvement with November 2012 seeing as many new single-family homes and apartments being built as July 2008; an increase of 3.6% from the previous month. This increase in activity has caused a labor shortage that innovative builders are overcoming by using tablet computers to streamline their builds.

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Efficient building envelopes can lead to poor indoor air quality

Having an effective green envelope is the most important aspect of an energy efficient building. While insulating and caulking may keep your indoor air in, reduced airflow can result in a build-up of pollutants and a reduction in your indoor air quality. While concern for indoor air quality is well founded, reducing the efficacy of your building envelope is not the right solution.

The EPA lists poor indoor air quality as one of the top five health hazards. There are a number of culprits that contribute to poor air quality from the cleaning products you use to the air fresheners in your bathroom. These harmful chemicals combine with off-gassing from paints, furniture, carpets, and building materials which include formaldehyde and petroleum distillates.

Poor indoor air quality is responsible for a range of symptoms including nausea, fatigue, respiratory illnesses, headaches, irritation of the eyes, skin, nose and throat and allergy symptoms.
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