Ecohouse

An Eco-house (or Eco-home) is an environmentally low-impact home designed and built using materials and technology that reduces its carbon footprint and lowers its energy needs.

Such pollution could be caused by toxic chemicals and mold and could lead to asthma induced illnesses.

By installing insulation not only are you paying less money for heating bills, but you are also reducing exposure to toxic materials such as the carcinogen formaldehyde found in manufactured wood.

It is not always possible to do this but there will usually be an opportunity to take advantage of the passive solar gain by having more glazing on either the front or the back of the building.

An added benefit is that filters can be fitted on the air intake to provide a barrier to pollen or other irritants.

In practice, heat loss inevitably occurs as the inhabitants open the home's doors and windows for various reasons.

Lime has been used as a building material for thousands of years and although energy and CO2 are used in its production it gently returns to limestone in time, taking in CO2 in the process.

Load bearing internal walls are minimised to allow rearrangements of the interior spaces, and the build technology is such that local trades can carry out alterations and easy maintenance.

For the health of the householder, and the planet, an Eco-house should be built with materials that are free, wherever possible, from toxins or harmful products of the petro-chemical industry.

[2] The better indoor environmental quality of Eco-houses has also improved health and satisfaction among occupants by reducing exposure to pollutants, allergens, and other contaminants.

Chan School of Public Health, this leads to inhabitants of Eco-houses suffering less from sick building syndrome while maintaining positive mental and physical stability.

The Ecohome Network successfully built Canada's first LEED Platinum V4 home, the Edelweiss House, in the harsh climate of Quebec for around the same cost as a code-built home - Canada Green Building Council President Thomas Mueller called[4] Ecohome's Edelweiss House "A phenomenal achievement".

For example, in Colorado, US, Eco-builders were able to eliminate costs by building on cheap land in an absent location while using reclaimed materials.