As green building principles become more mainstream more people are looking at issues of energy efficincy in existing homes as well. Frank Lloyd Wright's "United States of North America" houses were built to take into account the principle we are now rediscovering.
- Orientation-- the siting of a home can make it a great house for passive solar heating. Properly sized windows and overhangs as well as shade trees can save families hundreds of dollars on heating and cooling. It really does matter where the windows are located to facilitate natural ventilation. While you may not be able to change the location of an existing home, it is often possible to add windows, overhangs and landscaping.
- Radiant floor heat--this is not a new technique. Many of Wrights houses had underfloor hydronic heat--he picked up the idea when he experienced the comfort of it in Asia where the techique had been used for many, many yeaqrs.
- Insulation -- Wright did not use insulation the way we do today but he did incorporate a lot of thermal mass and expanses of glass walls into his open floor plans. This enabled the homes to absorb heat into the brick, stone, or concrete that were his favorite materials besides wood.
- Light -- The use of clerestory windows gave both privacy and natural loight. The public areas of the house were open and well lit; the private areas such as bedrooms were most often small and cozy with softer, more indirect lighting. Natural light means less electricity used.
- Landscaping -- Wright tried very hard to give a feeling of the inside continuing outside and the outside coming in. The experience of nature was always part of his plan from covered verandas. patios and porches. Landscaping is a good place to start with existing homes because it can be done in small segments as the homeowner can afford it. Xeriscape projects save water and provide natural habitat while beautifying the property. Trees can provide fruit as well as shade.
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