Green Home Plans

We realize that everyone is "going green" today. But we like to think that we've been green without even trying for a long time. How's that you say? Well, because being green means more than just the latest energy efficient gadget or using the most recycled content in your construction. We started as affordable housing designers. We are all about making our plans as efficient as possible – from construction costs through to long term maintenance costs.

Why Our Plans Are Green

Our main house volumes are based on 4′ increments, sometimes 2′, this equals less waste during construction and less material overall. We keep bump outs to a minimum. Extra corners are expensive, energy inefficient, and time consuming to build. While we have some cantilevered window seats in our plans, they are optional and not integral to the functioning of rooms. We generally keep our roof lines very simple. Less waste and complication means faster build times. Those savings can be put into extra energy efficient appliances, solar power, and/or insulation. Smaller, but well functioning, living spaces mean less energy is needed over the long haul. Smaller utility bills will convince banks to loan or qualify more. A smaller home footprint mean less valuable land is needed. Cost savings can be invested into sustainable energy and insulating systems. More compact housing encourages walking and mixed use neighborhoods. This translates into less need for a car and healthier living.

Learning Green Techniques

Q: "What can I do to make more sustainable community?"
A: "Hmmmm, well, it's just too complicated to work out. Maybe if I wait a little bit longer, a simple solution will present itself."

Sustainability is usually discussed in futuristic terms – e.g. "One day we'll have this all figured out affordably." Often, actions are thwarted not because of a lack of will, but lack of knowledge. We've created a home plan package that allows Average Joe Builder to build a first class energy efficient and sustainable home. To make things more palatable to Average Joe Home Buyer we have included all of this green goodness in a traditional bungalow style that Americans love. A little arts and craft honey to make the green medicine go down smoothly. Both builders and consumers have misperceptions of green costs – often overestimating the price by 30-40%. We can show a builder how to create a green craftsman home with hardly any difference in price to a "normal home". It's the building process as well as the products. Our plan package is presented as a "normal home" with energy efficient, green details called out separately on our Green Sheets. Why? So that a builder can learn incrementally and not be forced to bite off more than they can chew at one time. Think of our plan package as an introduction to sustainable design. The builder can learn the details but he might not have the time or inclination to do everything at once. At Home Patterns, we are taking the complication out of creating energy efficient home plans and communities. It's an incremental process that builders do not have to be afraid of.