Sustainable Homes

A sustainable home is one that maximizes its social, environmental and economic advantages, enabling home-owners to live comfortably and to accommodate for changes in the future, all the while minimizing harm to the environment.

Social sustainability aims to create the best possible impact on people's lives. By considering the home owner or community's future needs as well as their current situation, a house that will be suitable for years to come can be established, contributing to safe and satisfying communities. Improving accessibility, design flexibility, child safety and security around the house are some elements of a "universally designed" home that can be easily adapted to suit a varying range of needs.

Environmental sustainability is primarily concerned with resource efficiency. Smart choices in placement, orientation, building materials and air flow can reduce waste and minimize greenhouse gas emissions, as well as lowering the costs of living and enhancing the comfort of the residents' lifestyle.

Economical sustainability relates to establishing a cost-efficient house that is sustainable throughout its lifetime. By balancing up-front costs of construction and long-term costs of maintenance, a clearer picture of affordability can be formed, considering costs at a community as well as individual level. Economic housing solutions save on the cost of security and insurance issues and are likely to have broad market appeal.

Hamlan Homes is committed to providing sustainable housing and recently won the 2007 Master Builders Award for Best Sustainable Energy Home.