How to Build Sustainably

Building Sustainably is all about making effective use of resources and energy flows available to
the site. A Positive Footprints home is designed to:

• Use the sun to keep the house warm in the winter, heat the water and produce the power.
• Utilize breeze paths to channel prevailing winds to cool in summer.
• Collect the rain that falls, to be used efficiently throughout the house and garden.
• Harness the mass of the earth on which it sits to maintain stability of temperature.
• Utilize the land to provide native habitat and human nourishment.

More broadly environmental impact is minimised by:

• Choosing materials that avoid habitat destruction and limited resources.
• Selecting materials that are low in embodied energy.
• Implementing technology that uses electricity and water efficiently.

And lastly, a Sustainable House is one that has a sense of sanctuary,

is light and warm, connects the user to the environment

and is a healthy place in which to live and grow...