New Home Designs that Maximize Efficiency

Today, energy is more precious than ever and homeowners around the country are doing everything they can to maximize their home efficiency through new home designs. From futuristic roofs to south-facing windows and other simple alterations, today’s new home designs are all about helping the house function simply, efficiently, and beautifully throughout the year.

New Home Designs Meant for Efficiency

While new home designs are often on-trend and modern, these five designs have something else in mind: efficiency. Ideal for places where heating or cooling is critical or where resources are scarce, these efficient home designs are the wave of the future:

1. Passive solar

Passive solar isn’t necessarily a “new” home design, but it’s one that’s being used more and more in home design across the country. In a home designed for passive solar, the house is positioned to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Through conscious home design, it’s possible to take full advantage of the home site conditions to limit heating and cooling expenses throughout the year.

2. Reflective roofing

Known as “cool roofs” in many circles, reflective roofing uses highly reflective cover materials to reflect light away from the roof and absorb as little heat as possible. This keeps the home cool, even in hot temperatures, and is popular in areas where the sun is intense, like Arizona.

3. Waste-free framing

Today’s most efficient builders are taking to advanced house framing, a technique that utilizes the principals of optimum value engineering to reduce lumber needed to frame a house. Ideal for the job-site that doesn’t want to waste any product but wants to turn out the best possible results, this simple framing method is ideal for the eco-minded builder or homeowner.

4. Earth-sheltered homes

Earth-sheltered homes are built into the earth, usually a hillside, and use the soil as a form of insulation. Because soil is such an effective insulator, these homes tend to stay very cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Efficient New Home Designs: Coming to a Town Near You

While efficient home design may sound new-age, it’s actually a common practice that’s popping up all around the country. From rural outskirts to big cities, these new home designs are on a mission to consume less energy, create more intelligent buildings, and help every home be as efficient as possible.