5 most exciting and echo friendly housing ideas

Are you looking for alternative housing inspiration? Check out our list of unique eco-friendly housing ideas.

Housing prices have been on the rise since the start of civilisation but more so lately. This is because of the increase in number of people living in our planet and the desire to live in better housing and better conditions. Most of the houses that are being built today are eco-friendly meaning they use the structural materials and they pay great attention to detail on the usage of energy in the design.

Many countries are investing in sustainable energy such as: air source heat pumps, electric combi boilers, uPVC windows and so on. Eco-friendly housing can be constructed in many different ways such as using materials that dont seem to be appropriate at first sight like old wood, straw and clay.

Below are some examples of eco-friendly homes:

Earth Houses

Earth houses are one of the most eco-friendly houses you could find. By the name, in some ways they are in some way made of earth itself. Houses built with the use of the earth beneath our feet are a perfect example of sustainable construction. The longest lasting buildings still standing are in close contact with earth.

Wood House

One of the most versatile and common building materials is wood. Wood houses tend to be very expensive as long timbers or logs are needed. The over-harvesting and deforestation can exceed the ability of the forests to regenerate themselves and now-days there are certified harvested trees that can be used for such purposes. Wood houses tend to be very warm in the winter and very cool in the summer.

Straw Houses

If you want to build a cheaper version of wood house, but with the same properties then build a straw house. Straw houses provide excellent insulation and because straw bales are a byproduct of grain farming, are a great way of reusing something that would normally go to waste. Because of its nature, dry straw, it is very flammable and need to be very careful of using any open fires in the house.

Bamboo Houses

Bamboo houses are an even more eco-friendly alternative to building with timber. Bamboo is a very strong material to build with and well-constructed bamboo homes are said to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes.

Stone houses

Stone houses are about as sustainable as it can get. Build with rocks, stone houses have their natural beauty and dont require additional painting. They can be built with the use of local materials and are very comfortable. With the use of a passive house design, stone homes can store heat within its walls. And although stone homes may seem like an idea from the Dark Ages, it is certainly a bright, sustainable idea.