The 3 R principle in sustainable interior design

This basic 3 R principle lies at the very heart of eco design. Its simplicity belies the complex nature of Eco Design when it is carried out in its strictest form.

When applied to the creation of housing, Eco Design becomes a fascinating but complex style. A well designed eco home will have a number of key features based around this principle:The real emphasis on any eco home is to reduce the amount of resources that it uses, making the most of the site that it sits on, having the following:

– A large amount of glazing on the south side of the building to take in the warmth from the sun.
– A reduced number of openings and windows on the north side to minimse heat loss
– Renewable energy sources such as solar water heating, photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, located on the walls or roof
– Thick walls and heavily insulated roofs and floors
– A soild section of the building made of brick, concrete or stone, which will act as a heat sink to store the suns heat (known as thermal mass)
– Double or triple glazed windows
– An extremely efficient heating system.
– A minimal number of electrical lighting fittings
– A rated energy saving appliances such as fridges or freezers.
– Reduced flow water systems.

It may well contain a number of sustainable natural materials, such as :

– A timber construction, and external cladding and fittings (such as doors, window frames and banisters)
– Sheep’s wool insulation
– Natural flooring materials such as wood wool or cork
– Non toxic natural paints
– A green turfed roof to insulate and encourage wildlife

Lastly it will consider what resources can be reused and make the most of them:

– A grey (used) water recycling system, and water butts
– Heat pumps to recycle unused warm air
– Recycling bins
– A compost bin in the kitchen and wormery or compost heap in the garden
– Recyclable elements such as stainless steel, or wood surfaces

An eco house is a super functional and efficient piece of design; a building that performs at the highest possible level, putting as lighter possible impact onto the environment is at its very core of being. It places functional efficiency before all other choices, with “style” as a possible additional benefit. After all in the face of such an enormous issue such as global warming and destruction of our living habitat why would we even consider the trivialities of style as being important?

Eco design is a noble thing for architecture and design to work towards, striving to create a pure, efficient world for us to inhabit. It is a courageous ideal for the world of design to do battle with the very wastefulness of society.