Building a new custom home is an exciting opportunity to make something amazing. From floorplans to finishings, with Glenvill you can design a home that perfectly suits your lifestyle and your vision. And with our custom Create process, you can also choose to build your home with sustainability and efficiency in mind. Careful planning and smart decision making will be required but creating your sustainable forever home will make your house better for the earth and give it long-lasting appeal.

If you’re in the process of designing your new build, here are our top five tips to help you create a sustainable home.

Planning a sustainable home

When it comes to sustainable design, a well thought out plan is key. In general, there are six elements you’ll want to consider: energy efficiency, passive heating and cooling, quality and durable materials, natural lighting, renewable energies, and water conservation.

Before you begin your home design journey, carefully consider which of these you can incorporate on your budget, doing plenty of research to ensure you know exactly what’s possible. This will help you achieve your sustainable dream home, without any hiccups or budget blowouts.

Keeping these 6 steps in mind while you’re working out your design should put you in a good position to create the perfect sustainable home for your family:

1. Consider your climate and suitable design elements.
2. Plan for your site. Take into account your preferred orientation, as well as the gradient of the block, any existing trees, and wind directions.
3. Consider which floorplan will suit your block and its natural conditions.
4. Think about how all these design elements will interact with your family and lifestyle – is a single-storey more practical? Will your family grow or shrink in the future?
5. Investigate renewable energy systems and which ones are right for your home and your family’s needs.
6. See how this plan lines up with your budget.

Passive home design

If you’re keen to go green, you will no doubt have heard of passive design. This is the practice of designing a home to suit your local climate and site conditions, ensuring your home design maximises the benefits these can offer to create a comfortable internal environment.

A big part of passive design comes down to layout. When creating your floorplan, it’s important to be strategic. For instance, living areas should face north to enjoy all day sun, while storage areas and garages can be south facing. And since east-facing rooms gain morning sun and are cool in the afternoon, this makes them ideal for bedrooms.

Another element to consider is how you can utilise the sun to heat and cool your home. This solar passive design typically involves opening up living areas to the north for all-day sun and shading certain areas in summer using eaves or trees to protect the home from harsh afternoon rays.

When designing your custom home with Glenvill, you may also want to consider using certain materials to improve efficiency. This is because some materials absorb and store heat energy more easily, making them more suitable for different areas of the home. Concrete, brick, and tiles are great for capturing warmth and are ideal for the morning sun. And if you want to keep your home cool, use timber, as this cools down quickly.

Natural light and ventilation

Working with our expert in-house Architects, you will also be able to discuss how to design your custom home to best utilise natural light and ventilation. This is an easy way to improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Skylights are a great way to bring natural light into your home and also reduce your reliance on power. And to take advantage of the breeze and create natural circulation, we’ll assess your block to ensure your floorplan has the ideal orientation. This will help to cool areas down and air out your home. Window choice will also play a factor, with the best designs able to open wide for maximum ventilation. Cross ventilation should also be considered. This is where windows are placed on adjacent walls to encourage the air to travel right through the space.

Work smarter, not harder

Smart homes are the way of the future, with homebuyers able to access an increasing range of home-automation features like keyless entry, climate control and even app-controlled smart appliances.

Intelligent home design incorporates these smart features, offering greater convenience and functionality. By including smart home technology in your custom-built home, you’ll enjoy added convenience, enhanced living and peace of mind with cutting-edge security.

At Glenvill, our team of passionate designers and highly skilled builders are here to help you create a home that’s perfect for your family and the planet!

To learn more about incorporating some of these sustainable features in your custom designed Glenvill home, speak with one of our expert Design Managers to get started today.