Posts Tagged ‘architecture’

Make Your Home Living Easy With Universal Design

October 25th, 2011

Home designing is pleasurable for most homeowners. Through design, self-expression can be accomplished by the arrangement, decoration and even remodeling of a home. The thoughtful design of a home can have a large influence on how well family members live inside the residential building. Careful planning and decision-making about a creative interior plan can achieve results that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Most homeowners want an atmosphere in their residence that centers on family and friends. Such an atmosphere can be created through a variety of design concepts. Following are some tips to consider when integrating a universal concept to make a home more comfortable and functional.

Explaining a Universal Concept

The principle of applying a universal concept to a house is to reduce any physical stress on the occupants. Builders should carefully identify the details of the architecture and focus on accessories that can help relieve the occupants from any stress. For example, kitchen cabinets can be installed with a feature that allows shelves to be pulled out to facilitate reach for the contents contained inside of them. The overall space of the house and the accessories should emphasize comfort and convenience, since this is what ergonomic features should bring to all family members.

Design Characteristics

Those who understand the characteristics of a universal concept know that the way these concepts are fulfilled throughout an entire house is with architecture. This concept revolves around work efficiency. As an example, a kitchen layout can be created to allow for tasks to be accomplished more easily by eliminating unnecessary movement and steps within the kitchen.

In a living space with pre-existing great architecture and a welcoming atmosphere for family members and friends, the design focus should rest on accommodating the various needs of all household residents. The design should be receptive to changes over the years and be easily adaptable to lifestyle changes that occur as family members grow older; it is important that the family always feel a sense of togetherness regardless of age and ability.

Ergonomic Architecture

Cost efficiency, effectiveness and comfort are the major reasons why people consider incorporating ergonomic architecture into their next building or house renovation. The principle of this type of architecture includes balance and rhythm, with an emphasis on harmony, scale and proportion which are good tools for evaluating and identifying the positive energy or flow of any desired home plan.

When considering ergonomic architecture, it would be beneficial to become familiar with what this involves. Research should begin by looking at interior design books and magazines, evaluating the pictures using these principles and hunting for features that might work well with existing blueprints and personality. Attending seminars or informal classes to learn the various aspects of home blueprints using this type of architecture would be beneficial.

It is important to have detailed information about family requirements before selecting any blueprints for the intended project; this information would include the size and number of rooms needed, living and dining room styles, etc. It is also helpful to observe the architecture of other houses in the neighborhood and surrounding areas and make notes about any interesting details observed that might be included in the house design.

Universal design is a new concept for most people and will require a familiarization process before incorporating this plan for efficiency and simplicity into a home design. The main principle of this concept is to make any living space better for each family member and allow for easier living together under the same roof!

Environmentally Friendly Architecture Design

August 5th, 2011

There once was a day where one someone was speaking about the word green, it was obvious they were referring to a color formed by mixing yellow and blue. That assumption is no longer true; with our society leaning toward a healthier environment and ways we can help save the earth, the term green now takes on a whole new meaning. One way to support an environmentally conscious lifestyle is with green architecture.

‘Green Architecture’ is a form of environmentally sensitive design and construction. Energy-saving, sustainable development and natural materials are all hallmarks of this form of construction. Green Architecture is also sensitive to the impact of the construction on the environment in the years and decades after the construction is complete. It explores a relationship between architecture and ecology.

One of the key points to green architecture is to create synchrony with the surrounding environment. Everything about a green building should easily transition from the natural landscape, including the building materials. The best material to use for green construction is materials that have been recycled or come from easily restored resources.

Advantages of Green Architecture:

  1. Optimizes the use of resources, especially energy and water. At the design and construction stage, it incorporates resource recycling during construction, and later when the building is being used.
  2. It causes minimal impact on the environment during the entire building life cycle of siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal.
  3. Where possible, the natural topography is used to optimize energy usage.
  4. It leads to reduced operating costs by optimizing resource usage. Green Architecture focuses on recycling resources – especially water. Wherever possible, it focuses on using building materials from the building site itself. Well-insulated doors, windows and walls reduce energy usage and loss.
  5. Green Architecture promotes improved health of the occupants of the building, due to better natural air circulation and use of natural light.
  6. Provides onsite facilities for recycling, thereby minimizing waste being sent to landfills.

Materials Commonly Used in Green Architecture

  1. Recycled materials such as wood, tiles and bricks that are available at the building site or in/near the surrounding area.
  2. Where new materials are used, the focus is on material that can be rapidly replenished, such as bamboo, which can be harvested for commercial use in just 6 years.
  3. Insulation made from low volatile organic compounds that use materials such as recycled denim as opposed to fiberglass insulation – which has long-term adverse effects. Insulation may be treated with boric acid to retard insect damage. Organic or milk-based paints also afford protection.
  4. Solar energy is an abundant resource that is used through passive solar, active solar and photovoltaic techniques.
  5. Packed gravel in parking lots and driveways instead of concrete reduces rainwater run-off and replenishes ground water resources.

Many countries have developed their own standards of Green Architecture for energy-efficient and sustainable building. Given below are some common standards:

  1. Code for Sustainable Homes – United Kingdom
  2. EnerGuide for New Houses – Canada
  3. House Energy Rating – Australia
  4. Green Globes – USA, Canada and UK

Practitioners of Green Architecture and sustainable development seek to achieve ecological and aesthetic harmony between structures and their surrounding natural environments.