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More
than two millennia ago, Socrates observed: "In
houses that face toward the south, the sun penetrates
the portico in winter, while in summer the path of the
sun is right over our heads and above the roof so that
there is shade." More recently, when Mexican settlers
arrived in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and wondered
how thick to make the walls of their adobe homes in
the new climate, they measured the depth of the burrows
of the local ground squirrels and built to those exact
specifications.
For
a culture that takes pride in its scientific advances
and the resulting technological, efficiency, and economic
gains, we're way behind the ancients and even those
of more recent centuries when it comes to building in
concert with local climatic conditions, a limited supply
of natural resources, and our environment.
For
example, buildings in the US use 40% of the nation's
total energy and 16% of its total water. Energy use
associated with U.S. buildings contributes 35% of the
country's carbon emissions and 9% of global carbon emissions,
the major cause of climate change. According to the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, each
year in the US, about $13 billion worth of energy -
in the form of heated or cooled air - escapes through
holes or cracks in residential buildings. Meanwhile,
20 days worth of solar radiation that reaches the earth
equals the capacity of all our stored fossil fuel from
gas, coal, and oil resources combined. Yet our addiction
to fossil fuels and the lifestyles fed by an energy-intensive
economy blind us to the finite nature of these reserves,
the scale of our energy expenditures, and the availability
of renewable energy supplies.
The
good news is that globally and locally, people are using
principles of sustainability to make lifestyle choices
that feel best for their pocketbooks, health, environment,
and our global future.
Sustainable
design is design that considers environmental and human
health and well-being and resource efficiency, in addition
to the traditional criteria of function, cost, and aesthetics.
This exhibit seeks to illustrate and celebrate the many
ways that local people have explored more sensible,
energy-efficient design models for their homes. By examining
the site design, materials, methods, and spaces owners'
have used when making building and design choices, we
can appreciate how these beautiful homes conserve energy
and natural resources, while also creating comfortable
and inspiring places to live.
Facts
and terms from: Green Building: Project Planning
& Cost Estimating, RS Means, 2002.
Photos
by Marya Gendron,
except where noted.
EXHIBIT
The exhibit, held during the Weekend
at the Galleries, showcased photographs by GRIP staff
member Marya Gendron of innovative strategies locals
have used to build green homes, including site and building
design, energy efficiency and green and recycled materials.
View the entire exhibit by choosing from the following
categories:
Sustainable
Building Principles :
Sustainably Built Homes:
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