Chris d Craiker: How to stay green and stay out of the red

How to stay green and stay out of the red

I’d like to dispel some “Urban Myths” about “Green” sustainable design. Like stories of alligators in the sewer, these myths scare people from creating a better future within today’s dwindling resources.

There are four primary Urban Myths I hear over and over again:

BUILDING AND LIVING GREEN REQUIRES COMPLEX TECHNOLOGY, UNUSUAL MATERIALS, AND SPECIALIZED HARDWARE

Truth: Building Green starts with simple site orientation. Facing the house towards the sun, shielding it from the western sun, and capturing cooling breezes for natural ventilation applies to new buildings, but for those of us in existing homes what can we do? We should replace uninsulated, poor ventilating

CHRIS windows, properly seal all

CRAIKER openings and add sun-oriented, better venting windows to improve interior comfort. We can plant deciduous trees on the south and west, add evergreens on the north to dampen cold winter winds, and “window” an overgrown tree canopy to increase light and air movement. Adding skylights or solar tubes will capture sunlight in dark interior spaces. Properly amending your soil and repairing faulty drip irrigation systems improves your yard and wallet. These are simple, sensible, and not exotic.

The French Architect Le Corbusier said the history of Architecture is all about the struggle for light. I only add, today it is the struggle to control light.

BUILDING GREEN IS COSTLY, REQUIRING MATERIALS FROM EXOTIC LOCATIONS

Truth: The best way to Build and Live Green is to use local products, minimize waste, and think about recycling. Much of the lumber today is from sustainable farms. Think local, just like going to the farmers market. While at the hardware or lumber yard see how far it has traveled to get here. While much of today’s hardware comes from over sea’s sources, maybe now is the time to recycle Grandma’s buffet into a powder room lavatory. Think about it!

BUILDING GREEN IS AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY

Truth: When built with local and

The Zuk Financial Group building in Napa.

Chris d Craiker photos

A chest of drawers recycled as the front of a sink

accessible materials, using thoughtful and simple practices won’t cost more. The savings in energy consumption is forever.

Using natural light, proper interior ventilation, and today’s insulation doesn’t cost more. Photovoltaic panels on your roof can cut your electric bill, but so can proper trellises and awnings on southern or western elevations cut energy uses.

BUILDING GREEN IS A PASSING FAD

Truth: Building sustainability goes back to ancient times. Most historic buildings we revered today have materials and/or designs that made them eternal.

Had we renovated and recycled many of Napa’s Old Town’s 19th Century structures, would we have a better community today? It’s not just energy bills that are climbing: new construction cost continues to grow. Sometimes rehab works for homes as well as movie stars.

One of my favorite books, titled “YOUR SOLAR HOME”, always gives me inspiration. It doesn’t call for fancy photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, or complex mechanical systems as part of the solar solution. It describes ingredients and designs that can apply to our existing lives. Interestingly, the book was written in 1947. There is something to be said about real truths that stand the test of time.

Chris D. Craiker, AIA/NCARB, is a Napa architect with Craiker Architects & Planners. He has been designing sustainable buildings for more than 40 years.

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