When building a forever home, many environmentally savvy people will take the surrounding environment into consideration when introducing a new structure to the area. As each choice you make during the build can affect both your personal experience and the surrounding land, considering the existing ecosystem is important. At Ecosmith Architecture and Consulting, our friendly staff can help you learn more about how to go about building a forever home if you also find these things to be important.

When building a forever home, one of the first things that you may want to think about is using healthy materials during the construction phase. In traditional builds, paint on your walls, adhesives, clear finishes on your woodwork or floors, and other materials can affect the air you breathe. Products in particle boards and carpeting can also do this. Typically referred to as VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, these can sometimes lead to allergic reactions, headaches, or other types of irritations.

Fortunately, there is an alternative when building a forever home. As you and your builder begin choosing materials for your new residence, being mindful of VOC content is a great place to start. Looking for low to no VOC and asking your contractor what they're using are two great ways to begin changing your practices. As for what you could inquire about, asking about primers, caulks, sealants, and construction adhesives are all great questions to ask.

As for the type of wood you could use, looking for the FSC trademark label is something you may want to keep in mind when building a forever home. In 1993, the FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council, created a certification program that promoted responsible management of the world's forests. As a result, 10 principles and 57 criteria were created. By paying attention to these guidelines, you can ensure that the wood you're looking at came from a certified forest.

By deciding to utilize our service, we can help you begin envisioning what building a forever home could look like. We specialize in architectural design, which includes custom homes, commercial, residential architecture, and more. As this also includes green buildings and environmentally sustainable designs, we can offer useful information as you begin thinking about your upcoming project. With over 30 years of experience, we are confident that we are the right partner as you start thinking about creating new and healthy living spaces. 

If you would like to find out more about how you can begin building a forever home, we would like to invite you to reach out. We are located at 353 Wallace Way NE #5 in Bainbridge Island, WA. However, if you would prefer to communicate in other ways, we can also be reached by email at chris@ecosmithdesign.com and by phone at 206-380-4910. Our service area includes Bainbridge Island, Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Bremerton, Shoreline, WA, so we can help you wherever you may be located. Contact us today to begin discussing your vision. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to create your ideal healthy home.