Self-Building Sustainability: 4 Key Aspects

The desire to build your own home is very common. Having the opportunity to create your dream build and incorporate your own designs is one that many find too good to miss. Every year, 12,000 people agree and start the journey to build their own homes.

But self-building doesn’t just give you the chance to be creative and innovative in the design. You are also able to take advantage of incorporating sustainable building methods to ensure your home is eco-friendly and energy efficient.

The world has become much more environmentally aware, so considering sustainable ways in your self-build will give you practical ways to do your bit for the earth too. Let’s look at 4 key aspects of sustainability that are important for your self-build.

1. Materials

The materials you use contribute massively to the level of sustainability of your build. These include:

• Recycled plastic – durable and cost-effective, can be used to fortify concrete.
• Recycled wood – one of the most commonly used building materials, recycled wood is a good option to help lower demand for new timber.
• Wool insulation – eco-friendly, good for damp environments as it absorbs and releases moisture, non-flammable.
• Solar roof tiles – look like regular roof tiles but work as solar panels.
• Mass timber – alternative to steel and concrete, large, solid wood panels cut from a single log.
• Cork – excellent insulator, renewable material as no trees are cut down to harvest it, affordable and easy to install.
• Ferrock – environmentally friendly alternative to concrete, made from waste steel dust and silica from ground-up glass.

2. Size of your self-build

One of the great advantages of sustainable self-building is reducing your costs. Keeping an eye on your bank balance when creating the size of your house is vital. You may be tempted to purchase land that is bigger than you thought, allowing you to design a home of larger proportions. Many people are of the opinion that if you are self-building, the bigger the better.

But remember, that the more reasonably sized your house is, the more you will be likely to afford to run it comfortably. So, focus on prioritising what you want in your home and the realistic costs that you will need to regularly pay out. There’s no point sitting in a mansion if it’s freezing because you can’t afford to heat it.

3. Building practices

The construction industry has changed. Sustainable building systems are now being used in order to reduce environmental damage. There is more awareness among the industry as to what affects their carbon footprint than ever before.

Sustainable building practices used today include:

• Solar energy – reduces the need for traditional energy sources and saves costs by the option to sell electricity back to the grid.
• Alternative building materials – using cork, recycled plastic, wood or ferrock instead of concrete.
• Automatic heating and cooling – systems can be automatically fine-tuned by engineers to accurately measure and adjust, in order to minimise energy consumption.
• Light sensors – reduced energy consumption by switching off when an area is unoccupied.

4. Architects

An architect’s role is to focus on the design and construction of a building. Sustainable architects particularly, focus on things that decrease the negative impact of urban development on the environment.

They use environmentally friendly materials and offer a wealth of knowledge on sustainable systems for your self-build, for example, how you can be more energy efficient. Architects work together with other contractors to ensure that everything comes together to create a coherent and effective building system.

Having an architect when building your own sustainable home is essential support. They will be able to advise you on everything you are unsure of and guide you through your bespoke design.

Creating your own luxury home with CODA Bespoke

It’s clear that sustainable living has many advantages. So, what are you waiting for? CODA Bespoke’s knowledgeable team can help guide you through the process of incorporating sustainable methods into your self-build.

If sustainability and long-term energy efficiency appeal to you, contact us today and let our RIBA-accredited architects support you as you create your new home.