30 Jul Striking A Balance Of Classical Architecture And Sustainable Design

It might surprise you that there are a lot of LEED and Earthcraft certified homes out there that manage to encompass traditional architectural elements. In fact, experts say that the classical architecture of some Southern homes is as green as it gets. Where most would consider the big wrap-around porches and tall shutters of classic Southern architecture to be aesthetically pleasing, the truth is that these features were designed to enable passive heating and cooling without mechanical help.

Developers, architects, and builders are building homes that are not only sustainable environmentally but also with floorplans that provide comfort and utility suiting consumers in multiple life stages.

A recent Builderonline.com article talks about a project in Washington, D.C. that has successfully designed and built a product that has earned a LEED for homes certification and has also established a strong architectural similarity with the historic Capitol Hill district nearby.

The goal of homebuilders now is to strike a successful balance between energy efficiency and classical design, resulting in a more sustainable product. Up until recently we have seen LEED and Earthcraft certified homes incorporating very contemporary designs. These home designs also aggressively showcase the sustainable features incorporated. These new homes in Washington, D.C. do the opposite. They tastefully mask their sustainable features allowing more classical and sustainable aesthetics to shine.

If builders are able to successfully strike the balance of sustainability and age-proof design we are going to see a lot of meaningful and efficient communities in the future. It’s going to be interesting to see how far the modern designs can go in comparison to the more traditional ones that still successfully incorporate energy efficient features.