Green Design:

Green design & building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building’s life cycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.

Wikipedia.org/wiki/green_building

Design for sustainable living using the principles of green design aims to:

• maximise natural lighting and ventilation in buildings
• minimise the need for mechanical heating and cooling appliances by using the principles of passive and low energy design to create thermally comfortable spaces
• design for energy efficiency
• use natural, non-toxic and locally available materials as far as possible
• ‘cradle to cradle’ design philosophy, designing for re-use of resources = reduction of waste
• incorporate renewable energy technologies
• incorporate water harvesting/recycling/conserving systems
• minimise the daily life cycle demands of buildings through creative design solutions
• consider local climate, geology and plant life in design and siting of buildings
• design loving living spaces which encourage connection with mother earth and conscious living