Conservation

Conservation – The Environment

“The prevention of excessive or wasteful use of a resource.”

Conservation – Energy

“A principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be altered from one form (or phase) to another.”

It is the comprehension of these two definitions that is of vital importance, if we are to move past the current mindset and into a new one.

The first issue is one that i have struggled with for years, and have bowed to in the construction of my own house a few times, i am embarrassed to say.

It is the propaganda that is put forth that we require, certain features in our houses, or that we require our houses to be a certain size, or we will never sell them again. The reality is that we will, we will just end up selling them to someone of similar mind set. Someone who’s values are aligned with ours. Someone who is able to see past the propaganda, as we have.

A quick story:

“I once worked for a builder who had an entirely environmental focus, and it was my job to design their houses. So i got a call to go and see a customer about designing them a new house. The lot had all the attributes that an environmental designer thirsts for, and i was very excited to begin this project. So i meet with the people and they inform me of their plans that include (no word of a lie here) forty two hundred square feet developed on two levels plus full basement development and enclosed parking for seven cars. But here is the kicker. It was a two person family.”

Not to say that that is what put me over the edge, but needless to say I quit the next day.

The point i am trying to make about the first definition of conservation, is that it is very important to keep our eyes on the prize. That prize is creating a space that will adequately service our needs without excess, for now and in the future. That if we examine the reasons for the spaces we believe we need. Give some thought to how we might apply different uses to required spaces. We will find that we don’t need as much or as many spaces. That instead of building a space for every activity, we design a space that can service many activities.

Multi-purpose rooms are for more than the mud rooms and craft areas. We can and we should explore their serviceability throughout our houses. So the question that is then raised is, why? And the answer to that comes from the second definition of conservation.

If we build a house that is bigger that the one we require, we will never recoup that energy, it is gone. We will forever be “playing from behind”. All the solar panels, grey water systems and low voc paint in the world can’t make up for a single laps in judgement at the design stage.

“A well designed house, is a smaller house, that feels big.”

This is why it takes so long to design a house, properly.