# 5 Design Features to Add to your Eco-Friendly Custom House

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/10/5-design-features-to-add-to-your-eco-friendly-custom-house/
- Published: 2021-10-19T10:54:20-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

An eco-friendly home is one built in a way that has little to no effect on the earth
or human nature. It is an environmentally friendly house that uses natural materials,
and the architecture is focused on using renewable energy sources. It could also
be anything that uses low-flow water features or large windows to allow in natural
light.

Essentially, an eco-friendly home is one with environmentally cautious [features](https://greenlivingguy.com/2026/06/lighter-home-design-balance-style-and-sustainability/)
and design. Because of the increasing climate change, custom home builders are not
devising ways to make their construction as eco-friendly as possible. However, if
you are also conscious of your impact on the environment and you would love to buy
an eco-friendly home, this article details five design features to add to your eco-
friendly custom house.

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/daria-nepriakhina-
fuWN-XkOkCQ-unsplash.jpg?resize=420%2C261&quality=52&ssl=1)

## **1. Solar Panels**

Solar is great for your wallet; it is also an environmentally friendly energy choice.
Installing solar panels is a fantastic way to cut down on energy costs. Interestingly,
setting up solar panels has a much lower environmental impact. Unlike traditional
power plants, professionals install [solar panels](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/08/residential-uses-for-solar-energy/)
on existing structures. For example, rooftops, parking lots, or on land fields. 
When you use solar power, you use less electricity generated from coal, oil, and
gas; this lowers your carbon footprint and helps protect the environment.

## **2. Low-Emittance Windows**

A low remittance window is another eco-friendly element that helps keep heating 
and cooling usage reasonable. Simply put, the Low-Emittance Windows (Low-E) have
had a silver coating applied to The glass. The layer helps return the heating rays
from the sun back to the source, allowing you to get much of the light you desire
while keeping the heat from entering your home. As a result, low-E windows help 
to keep the [house](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/08/12-small-changes-that-will-make-your-house-more-eco-friendly/)
cooler without making it darker. It also reflects light in abundance, so you don’t
have to keep the light bulbs on during the day.

## **3. Locally sourced Materials**

Concrete and steel releases tons of [greenhouse gases](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/05/the-role-of-greenhouse-gases-in-climate-change/)
into the atmosphere every year, contributing to air pollution and climate change.
However, using more locally sourced [sustainable](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/10/forest-festival-to-explore-gatineau-park/)
materials for construction helps reduce the threat to our environment. Some locally
sourced eco-friendly materials include wood bricks, clay, bamboo, cork, coffee husk,
newspaper wood, mycelium, plastic bricks, cob, and so on.

## **4. LED Lights**

[LED bulbs can produce the same energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2013/04/ge-acquires-albeo-led-for-energy-efficiency/)
as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs but use less power or watts, which means they
have more lumens per watt. They also have a longer rated life. On average, they 
last over 20 years. On average, only one LED bulb would be thrown away for every
five fluorescent or thirty incandescent thus reducing the amount of waste and pollution
in the [environment](https://greenlivingguy.com/2006/06/greenlands-ice-sheet-is-slip-sliding-away/).
LED lights also reduce [maintenance time and cost](https://greenlivingguy.com/2026/06/ev-maintenance-cost-comparison-that-matters/).
All of these equals saving green. For plant lovers, there are [LED grow lights](https://growace.com/collections/led-grow-lights).
These innovative and energy-efficient devices imitate the sun, giving off minimal
heat and providing both red/blue light needed for the plant. 

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMG_9949.jpg?
resize=736%2C487&quality=52&ssl=1)

## **5. Green Roofs**

When you imagine how much having a green roof installed does to the environment,
you can’t help but [ask why everyone doesn’t have a green](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/10/olympic-games-will-they-be-green-5-questions/)
roof. A green roof is more like having a [garden](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/07/7-ways-to-adapt-your-garden-between-summer-and-winter/)
hovering over your home, a kind of garden that absorbs rainwater, provides insulation,
creates a habitat for wildlife, and provides an aesthetically pleasing landscape.
The green roof also helps to increase well-being. According to a study, when people
spend time gardening, they have improved self-esteem and mood. Therefore the time
of maintenance on green roof gardens can consequently play a key role in increasing
well-being.

If you’re thinking about building a nature-friendly home, the best you need is a
custom house builder to help develop your [eco-friendly](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/09/3d-printed-soil-homes-the-future-of-housing/)
dream home. [Custom home builders](https://houseidea.com/) allow you to be involved
in the designing and building process of your home. This engagement will enable 
you to decide how your house looks while keeping the price relatively low. Instead
of selling the house to you, a custom home builder constructs your home based on
your specifications. In this case, you get to make most of the design decisions.

## **Final Words**

Custom home builders are versatile and are your best bet when thinking of building
a nature-friendly home. After rigorous efforts to develop their [dream home](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/10/downsizing-a-practical-solution-that-can-change-your-life/)
didn’t pay off, many families have been forced to accept just any home. Thankfully,
that can not be your story because you have all the information you need. Now get
building. 

Author: Bella Clarks