The Northwest Green Home Primer

by Kathleen Smith, Kathleen O'Brien

Overview

The essential, real-world, green home manual

Everyone can make green home decisions on a budget with this inspiring, informationpacked guide. Whether you are building, remodeling, buying, or just curious, here are real-world strategies for getting the greenest results from your budget, with hundreds of ideas for a home that is built to last, comfortable and healthy, money- and time-saving in the long term, and kind to the planet. From your home's exterior to its operating systems within, from siting to interior design, this is the basic training that has given many the confidence to proceed. Award-winning sustainable design and building consultant and teacher Kathleen O'Brien and architectural designer and sustainability consultant Kathleen Smith offer their "top picks" for each phase. They've also each faced their own green home challenges in a single-family house and a duplex, and other case studies show affordable energy-efficient green homes both old and new. Brimming with ideas, clear and logical, with tips, checklists, and resources for green home planning, construction, remodeling, and maintenance, extensively illustrated with photos and diagrams, this is the essential green home manual for novice and professional alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780881927979
Publisher:	Timber Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/15/2008
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	7.96(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

Kathleen Smith is an architectural designer who runs her own sustainable design and consulting firm.

Kathleen O'Brien is founder and president of O’Brien & Company, a nationally recognized leader in sustainable design-build consulting, education, and research.

Table of Contents

Foreword   Denis Hayes     8
Preface     10
Acknowledgments     13
The Case for Green Building     15
Starting Out with Green in Mind     29
Managing Your Green Home Project, Part 1     57
Managing Your Green Home Project, Part 2     79
Green Energy Choices for the Northwest     99
Planning a Green Remodel     111
Purchasing a New Green Home     129
Site Choices     141
The Building Enclosure     167
Operating Systems for Your Home     205
Interiors     237
Operations and Maintenance     259
Resources     273
References     288
Index     293

Editorial Reviews

"The tone of the book is targeted for lay people, to show that anyone can make ‘green home’ decisions, even on a budget. The book provides guidance and resources for people buying, building, or remodeling a green home, providing a unique perspective that includes an in-depth description of the process of getting a green home."

From the Publisher

"The tone of the book is targeted for lay people, to show that anyone can make ‘green home’ decisions, even on a budget. The book provides guidance and resources for people buying, building, or remodeling a green home, providing a unique perspective that includes an in-depth description of the process of getting a green home."

Northwest Examiner

The authors, both experienced in green design, provide an extensive handbook for newly constructing or remodeling a home following the principles of green design, defined here as build less, build to use less, build with less, and build for health. Although the focus is on construction in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, the comprehensiveness of the information needed when building green-e.g., using sustainable materials, choosing workers with environmentally sensitive work habits-and the extensive list of resource make this book valuable for any area. Case studies give real-life views of how homeowners are working with architects, designers, and builders to apply the principles of green design to suit their needs. Highly recommended for public and professional libraries.
—Gayle A. Williamson

Library Journal