A home is more than just a momentary structure. A custom home built right is a structure that will stand the test of time, stand tall as families shift and change within it, and one that welcomes the future with open doors. The modern connotations of the word ‘home’ imply that it is a place to which we retreat. Home is where we go to relax, to enjoy our families, to entertain the people we love. This is where our families grow, learn, and flourish.
Any home’s architecture and design are directly related to its function, and a home is a structure that needs to see beyond the immediate and look towards the possibilities of the future. If you’re planning on having a new home built, you need to be aware of these common misconceptions.
A Brief Etymology of the Word “Sustainable“
The word sustainability is often misunderstood, but here at Heartwood Builders, it is central to the way we build and why we build. Sustainability, as a term, is often thrown around to mean something that is simply environmentally friendly. While this is often accurate, there is a lot more to unpack from the term. Today, this term is inextricably tied to the idea of being environmentally sustainable, but this didn’t begin until about the 1960s. It was during this time that social movements concerned about the abuse of resources and the state of the environment became a more wide-spread concept. The idea of considering future resources, however, has been present for much longer than that and is part of the survival instinct. Before the mid 20th century, however, the word sustainability was taken to mean in its original sense—from the Latin— to ‘keep going.’ And this definition is still very much central to how Heartwood Homes approaches their home building.
Custom Homes That Endure and Live On
Heartwood Homes has been building custom homes for two generations. During that time, the world has changed tremendously. We went from fearing the Y2K fiasco (which never happened), using Blackberries to highly-sophisticated smartphones, sporadic dial-up internet to a ubiquitous indispensable need for wifi connection. Let us not forget the return to space, electric cars,the delivery of any good you can imagine to your front door in 2 days or less. Throughout all that time, we have been building homes created through a collaborative process with homeowners with the best design, materials, and architecture adaptive for the Northwest region.
Sustainability Heartwood Homes Style
For us, a sustainable home is one that is created with the surrounding environment in mind. A home that doesn’t so much as shut out the environment but rather works in harmony with it. For a long time, homes were built as a way to almost escape the natural environment but sustainable building is finding comfort, style, and design that complements the surrounding land and space. Some home builders have been apt at finding the materials that worked best in a particular region and using that to their advantage. Take for example the history of using adobe and rammed earth homes in the Southwestern United States.
By the very nature that we are a custom home builder, we naturally gravitate to more sustainable and energy-efficient modes of homebuilding. And because this is high on the consumer demand list, we know that people are seeking homes that provide them more than a conventional home on the market.
We are committed to taking sustainable building to the new level. Because of this, we are always learning, improving our building techniques, and staying on top of the latest sustainable materials and energy-efficient features and appliances.
Underlying and foundational features we focus on include:
Insulation. It doesn’t sound very exciting, but truly understanding the different insulations and where they fare better helps us know what kind of insulation in what areas of the house will increase the overall energy efficiency in your home. We often use a mixture of blow foam or spray foam insulation.
Roof. Regardless of the home your building, the roof is not only a practical and necessary consideration but one that will have a lot to say to the final aesthetics of your home. “Cool roofs” are known to deflect more sunlight away and insulate the home more effectively.
Orientation. Another great example of working with the environment is the way that we orient and face our homes. The focus on natural light is not just a stylistic and aesthetic preference but also a practical one. Utilizing the sun’s natural rays throughout the day will make use of the sun’s natural light.
Home design and architecture. The way a home is designed and distributed will also have an impact on how the home uses and conserves energy. Sustainability is also important when it comes to water usage. We have efficient plumbing that reduces waste, energy-efficient appliances, and advanced irrigation systems.
Heartwood Homes Takes Your Dream and Builds it to Last
Thanks to sophisticated research and use of advanced sustainable features and building techniques, our custom homes are equipped to last. The use of advanced framing techniques and the use of durable and long-lasting recycled material often requires less maintenance and replacement.
Heartwood Homes approaches custom home building and remodeling differently than the rest. We build homes that last and adapt to the ever-changing world. In addition to sustainable features, high-quality raw materials, and careful construction, our homes never sacrifice style or ingenuity. You work with Heartwood Homes design specialists and architects to flesh out your dream home. We take your dream and make it last.
