From global economics to household features these practices minimize our impact on the environment and produce healthier living places. A deeper meaning of these terms involves what we can do to heal, augment and regenerate the Earth's ability to bear Life. This can be done while still maintaining efficiency, beauty, layouts and cost effectiveness. There are five basic areas of an environmentally oriented design. They are Building Ecology, Energy Efficiency, Materials, Building Form and plain Good Design.
Some examples are as follows.
Building Ecology Many of the products and systems used to build the your home or workplace may be toxic. They may emit unhealthy gases and substances into the air for years after construction. This can be greatly diminished if, during the design process, adjustments and substitutions are made in the materials used. Additionally, HVAC systems can be designed to provide maximum levels of fresh air and minimum levels of mildew and mold build up. By employing proven solar technologies and solar heating methods, thermal massing and insulation systems, energy can potentially be returned to the local power utility during even the hottest or coldest days.