Due to a change in employment, we're in the process of buying some land in Bothwell, Utah. You can see it from the sky here, although it's a little tricky determining where the lot boundaries are on the map. It wasn't that much easier in person. When Jen and I went to pick out the lot, the snow was coming at us hard and fast and horizontal.
So we've been giving some thought to what we want to build. I'm hoping that this will be the last time we move for a very long time...
Last summer as I listened to our air conditioners drone it occurred to me that there might be an ideal direction to orient your house. It had crossed my mind before -- but I'd never really pursued it -- and this is the fourth home we've owned.
In our current home we'd had difficulty keeping the house cool on summer afternoons and early evenings. Most of our windows are on the long side of the back of our home. Which faces west. It turns out this isn't ideal.
The more I learned about building and positioning a home properly for decreased solar gains in the Summer and increased solar gains in the Winter, the more surprised I was how few people seemed aware of it either. It doesn't seem to be something that most builders/developers consider at all. The most I'd ever heard about the subject was the suggestion that we have our backyard on the East side of the house so as to enjoy afternoon shade in the back of the home. But what about making the house the most comfortable inside?
So we're learning. One website that's been very helpful is: Sunlight Homes.
So we've been giving some thought to what we want to build. I'm hoping that this will be the last time we move for a very long time...
Last summer as I listened to our air conditioners drone it occurred to me that there might be an ideal direction to orient your house. It had crossed my mind before -- but I'd never really pursued it -- and this is the fourth home we've owned.
In our current home we'd had difficulty keeping the house cool on summer afternoons and early evenings. Most of our windows are on the long side of the back of our home. Which faces west. It turns out this isn't ideal.
The more I learned about building and positioning a home properly for decreased solar gains in the Summer and increased solar gains in the Winter, the more surprised I was how few people seemed aware of it either. It doesn't seem to be something that most builders/developers consider at all. The most I'd ever heard about the subject was the suggestion that we have our backyard on the East side of the house so as to enjoy afternoon shade in the back of the home. But what about making the house the most comfortable inside?
So we're learning. One website that's been very helpful is: Sunlight Homes.
Jen's mom pointed us in the direction of the Utah House.
The ideals we want to incorporate are, in no particular order:
- Comfort (warm in Winter, cool in Summer)
- An abundance of natural light and windows
- Energy efficient -- energy is just going to get scarcer and thus more expensive every year, baring some new and incredible discovery
- Low maintenance
- Not a "FLH" aka funny looking house
We're also interested in some of the alternative building techniques, which I hope to explore a bit here as we go through the design and building process.
I think that rising energy costs coupled with an increased awareness of the effects of energy consumption (global warming) will encourage (force?) more people to attempt to decrease their energy footprint. And why not have a home that is naturally more comfortable, functionally beautiful, and less expensive to own?
