Green Building Design: A Conscious Way To Conserve Energy & Other Resources In Costa Rica

With increasing efforts being made all over the world to reduce ones carbon footprint

in the environment and to conserve energy, it should come as a no surprise to see significant development of green building designs in Costa Rica.

Green building designs are eco-friendly designs that help sustain natural resources while reducing ones carbon footprint on the environment. Typically, a green home is a home designed which uses less energy by means of incorporating greater insulation in the house, use of LED energy conserving lights as well as maximizing natural ventilation so as not to depend on Air conditioning. A typical green house is also designed to collect all grey and black water from toilets, showers and washing machines to feed into a recycling tank where hard solids are naturally broken down and purified water is the end product. This recycled purified water can be reused back into the garden or back into the house for flushing toilets.

Green building designs also make use of sustainable building materials. Sustainable building materials are those that are composed of renewable resources or the ones that are manufactured with environmentally friendly processes and use recycled or recyclable products, all the while reducing admittance to greenhouse gases. Typically in Costa Rica, green homes are constructed using locally manufactured cement block as well as fast growing hardwoods such as teak that have been farmed for construction purposes.

The architectural designs of green houses are generally wide-open spaces with tall ceilings and large, over-sized windows to let natural light stream into the house and allow for maximum cross ventilation. The windows and doors when left open allow homeowners to enjoy fresh, natural air thus reducing their dependence on air conditioners 24/7.

Green houses that are located in warmer regions such as Costa Rica have heavily insulated attics or roofs to prevent any heat from entering inside the house. The placement of windows is key in living in the tropics as the majority of sun exposure during the day is on the southern and western walls, thereby typically south facing walls receive minimal window coverage. Typical green houses in Costa Rica are designed to have covered terraces, porches, and patios as to maximize shade and take advantage of outdoor living.

Green building designs even incorporate a variety of plants and trees in courtyards and even sometimes inside a house. Trees help reduce the temperature around the house by several degrees thus ultimately making the house more energy efficient.

It would not be wrong to say that the benefits of green building design go beyond the eco-friendly aspect. Green homes have very practical economical benefits as well as enhanced lifestyle rewards. Free-flowing natural air, ample use of natural light and unobstructed views to the outdoors offered by green home building designs actually improve an individual's health and productivity.

To know more about green buildings and houses in Costa Rica, Costa Rica Real Estate, Costa Rica Vacation Rentals, or Montezuma Real Estate, you may visit nativa-costarica.com

by: Kristine Cook

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