TRANSITIONS - A New Approach

At Stearns Design-Build we have developed a design theory that deviates a bit from traditional green design. Traditionally, green design has focused almost entirely on a building's relationship to the natural environment, in an effort to minimize the home's energy consumption. While we recognize the importance of the relationship of a building to its environment, we feel that the inhabitant's relationship to the natural environment is more at issue. Home energy consumption is only part of the overall picture of sustainability.

Transitions to the natural environment

Traditional green design creates ultra-insulated, airtight boxes that tend to isolate people from the natural environment. Our designs invite people into their natural environment . While this may not be the most dramatic way to limit a building's energy transfer, it does help encourage people to be better connected to the environment and to their community. We call this theory of design, Transitions.

Modern home design is a study in isolation. We once had walkable neighborhoods, and homes with large windows and big porches. Now neighborhoods are often built without sidewalks and homes are built without usable porches. A typical homeowner drives up to their home, pushes a button to drive inside the house (garage,) then closes the garage door, shutting out community and nature before even getting out of the car. Their time at home is not spent on the porch listening to birds and in conversation with neighbors; it is spent in front of the television or computer, shut off from community and natural environment. This may be a good way to conserve home energy but it does not create a sustainable lifestyle.

Green Materials

The construction of our homes consumes huge amounts of natural resources. We should be very mindful of the environmental impact of the materials we choose. Issues like the distance those materials must travel, their renewably, and their refining processes are crucial criteria in the design process. We are grateful that our culture has become more attuned to the need for green building.

We must also be aware of “green-washing.” There are many products marketed as "green" that do not necessarily meet a rigorous consideration of what that means. An example of this is bamboo products. Bamboo grows very fast and is very hard which makes it potentially a green product. Unfortunately, at this time every bit of the bamboo building material sold in this country is shipped across the Pacific Ocean. While we have yet to find a quantifiable means of considering the full effect of transportation, we have to ask, is shipping material across the Pacific Ocean really green? Additionally, most of the bamboo sold has no quality control standards placed on it, meaning that it may contain toxic adhesives and finishes, and it may not be durable. There are also issues of local economies, environmental and labor practices where the material is harvested and manufactured. It is not easy to create an equation for what is and what is not green. We try to weigh a wide range of considerations, including health and durability, when recommending products that fit into a Transitions design.