Editor’s note from Deb

As people become more and more aware of the environmental impact of home building and the resulting growth in individual carbon foot prints, the need for smaller and or more ecological homes has become prevalent. We at Drummond House Plans have been doing our part, whether with our tiny house plans or the ES concept in which environmentally superior homes include details of every step of the project from creating environmentally friendly ways to manage the construction materials and inherent waste, local sourcing to reduce the cost of transportation and consumption of fossil fuels and the use of recycled or re-purposed materials to the proper orientation of the home to make the most of passive energy with regards to heating the home during cooler months and cooling it during the summer. This is achieved in part through the strategic use of vegetation as trees with leaves provide shade from the hot summer sun to reduce cooling costs and loose their leaves in winter to increase the sun’s passive heat and thus reduce home heating costs. Energy efficient appliances and appropriate HVAC systems are a large part of the ES concept but the superiority of the environment also lies in the aging in place capacity of these designs. By creating well thought out floor plans our designers have foreseen any future mobility issues of the occupants thus permitting them to enjoy their home even longer.

Megan Weaver generously shared this blog with our readers which gives an overview of trends in the tiny house movement