Treehouse Design Green Building Strategy

Air, daylight, views, green vegetation, materials, and color, are vital factors in creating environments that are healthy and enjoyable to live in.   At Treehouse Design, we believe that buildings should be designed and constructed with these considerations in mind.  We also believe it is critical that we develop building strategies that reduce the environmental impacts associated with construction.

“Green strategies” integrate principles of environmental stewardship into the design process to create homes that are built in an ecological and resource-efficient manner, improve and protect occupant health, and enhance indoor air quality.

Green building standards, such as those adopted the U.S. Green Building Council, include the following strategies: 

Energy Conservation
Design and build energy efficient buildings:

• Use higher levels of insulation carefully detailed to reduce infiltration
• Use passive solar heating, ventilation and natural lighting as possible
• Install energy efficient mechanical equipment, lighting and appliances.

Selection of Materials
Specify low environmental impact, resource-efficient materials:  

• Avoid materials that generate a lot of pollution during manufacture or use.
• Specify materials produced from waste or recycled materials.
• Specify materials that are natural and sustainable.

Maximize Longevity
Design for durability and adaptability:

• Specify durable materials.
• Assure quality installation, thereby enhancing service life.
• Design with low maintenance materials.

Make Healthy Buildings
Provide a safe and comfortable indoor environment.

• Control moisture to minimize mold and mildew
• Avoid materials with high rates of off gassing.
• Provide systems for adequate ventilation.

Minimize Waste
Return, reuse and recycle job-site waste:

• Sort construction and demolition waste for recycling.
• Donate re-useable materials to community groups who can make use of them.
• Design buildings and renovations to minimize waste.