Sustainable Housing: The choice for a better future

In this progressively growing world, people are increasingly becoming aware of the impact of human actions on the environment and their future generations. With the growing effects resulting in climate changes, there is a dire need to incorporate a sustainable way of living as our key to existence. But what exactly is sustainable living? Sustainable living means to live in a synchronized way without upsetting the course of nature. It leads to the decreased consumption and extraction of Earth’s natural resources. It is of high priority that development in the present takes place without harnessing the future assets and harming the future of the generations to come.

However, is it possible to amalgamate sustainable living into how we plan our housing? Of course it is! There are four essential principles of Sustainable living - minimizing waste, limiting the use of Earth’s natural resources, wise use of the environment, and ensuring quality working/living environments – which can be easily incorporated in way we plan our housing. These days, majority of the interior designers and architects impose tremendously emphasis on sustainability when building and designing space. This encourages the consumers to build an eco-friendly surroundings. Not only does Sustainable housing help to bring about change in our lifestyle but also attain as a better and healthy future.

So how can one make their house sustainable? What are the things that will help people move towards sustainable housing?

·         Energy Conservation & eco-efficiency

Energy conservation and a zero-waste lifestyle are key to sustainable housing. When designing a space try and incorporate elements that help reduce waste and consume only the necessary amounts of energy. Some examples of this are the use of energy saving LED lights, solar panels to generate power & electricity, organic paints that are made with natural raw materials and building materials like gypsum that’s are recyclable and have environment friendly properties.

·         Decreased environmental effect

The millennial generation want affordable functional spaces that offer comfort without compromising on design or affecting the environment. One of the big trends catching on among designers is minimalism, which not only declutters a space but also helps to project a small space look bigger and spacious. Similarly, reduce, reuse and recycle and do-it-yourself (DIY) are other trends that have propagated among young home owners. Use of multipurpose solutions like   drywalls which help in partitioning a room into two, saves not only the cost but also the materials used to build another separate room. Drywalls are also flexible in nature, faster to construct and easier to build than brick or cement walls. .

·         Durability and Flexibility

Investing in a home is typically a one-time investment as there is a lot of thinking that goes in while buying a house. The goal of designing for longevity is to create durable and timeless spaces and reduce the need to change the whole design every couple of years. The best way to achieve timelessness is to choose quality over quantity, and simplicity/functionality over embellishments. Technology and innovations have led to designs that can be modified to create bigger spaces. For example, adjustable and modular furniture like Sofa cum beds and wall mounted tables or built in shelves or mounts for TVs on drywalls. 

·         A Hale and hearty Environment

People spend most of their times indoors, be it schools, colleges, offices or homes. Consideration of the indoor health environment should be on the priority list for every designer and home owner.. Use of material which have low emission of VOC – volatile organic compounds and other air pollutants or materials like Gyproc that have moisture resistant qualities and can absorb harmful compounds help in creating a healthy living space. The right kind of ventilation also improves the air quality of a home. To increase connectivity with nature bio-phillic designs are the way to go, however more relevant for large spaces.

Industries like energy, automobile, IT and biopharmaceuticals have adopted the green concept. The construction and interiors industry too, is striding towards sustainability with ecological practices implemented while designing spaces.