Table Of ContentUS/CAN $39.99 DIY / SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
Design your own sustainable home
essential
MANY PEOPLE DREAM of building a beautiful,
environmentally friendly home. But until now there
has been no systematic guide to help potential
It’s all here. Everything you need to know
S U S TA I N A B L E
builders work through the complete process of
about designing a sustainable home, for
imagining, planning, designing, and building their you, your family and the planet. Easy to
ideal, sustainable home. read and understand while tackling a
myriad of complex subjects.
Essential Sustainable Home Design walks potential homebuilders through S H O M E D E S I G N
the process starting with key concepts, principles, and a project vision — Martin Hammer, architect, co-author of U
the Straw Bale, Light Straw-Clay and Tiny
that will guide the house to completion. Coverage includes: Houses appendices in the International S
Residential Code
• How to clarify your ideas and create a practical pathway to achieving T
A
your dream • • • • • • • • • •
I
• A criteria matrix to guide design, material, and systems decisions N
Finally! An up-to-date overview of the
• Creating a strong, integrated design team and working with profession- A
most important approaches and ques-
als and code officials to keep the project on track from start to finish. tions to address when making a more B
• Key building science concepts that make for a high-performance, sustainable home. L
durable building E
— Ben Falk, MALD, author,
• Primer on building logistics, material sourcing, and protocols to en- The Resilient Farm and Homestead and H
Whole Systems Design, LLC
sure that the initial vision for the project comes to fruition. O
• One-page summaries and ratings of popular sustainable building
• • • • • • • • • • M
materials and system options.
An intelligent synthesis of all things E
Ideal for owner-builders and sustainable building contractors working
“green,” presented in an easy-to-un-
D
with clients aiming to design and build a sustainable home.
derstand format to help future home
E
owners make the best choices for every
S
Chris Magwood has designed and built some of the most innovative, sustainable stage in creating their new home.
I
buildings in North America, including the first off-grid, straw bale home in Ontario. He G
— Paula Baker-Laporte FAIA co-author,
is co-founder and director the Endeavour Centre for Innovative Building and Living and Prescriptions for a Healthy House N
co-editor of the Sustainable Building Essentials series. Chris is the author of Essential Pre- and The EcoNest Home
fab Straw Bale Construction, Essential Hempcrete Construction, Straw Bale Details, More
Straw Bale Building, and Making Better Buildings. • • • • • • • • • •
Both comprehensive and concise.
— David Eisenberg, Director, Development
Center for Appropriate Technology
• • • • • • • • • •
New Society’s Sustainable Building Essentials Series aims to
I will be referring prospective clients and
provide the highest quality information on sustainable building methods
and materials. Editors Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin have scoured the colleagues alike to Essential Sustainable
world of sustainable building to bring you the techniques and systems that Home Design.
deliver measureable benefits in terms of greater energy efficiency and reduced
environmental impact. Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders, — Tim Krahn, LEED AP, P. Eng.
designers, and engineers, these succinct, user-friendly handbooks are
indispensable tools for any project.
a complete guide to goals, options,
and the design process
www.newsociety.com
Chris Magwood
Praise for
Essential Sustainable Home Design
It’s all here. Everything you need to know about designing a sustainable home,
for you, your family and the planet. Easy to read and understand while tackling a myriad
of complex subjects. Well illustrated and filled with useful information.
—Martin Hammer, architect, co-author of the Strawbale, Light Straw-Clay and
Tiny Houses appendices in the International Residential Code
Chris has given us a wonderful gift in this book. The rational approach to
design criteria is excellent and thorough, measured with humour and honesty based on
his experience building sustainably over the past 20 plus years. I will be referring
prospective clients and colleagues alike to Essential Sustainable Home Design.
—Tim Krahn, LEED AP, P. Eng.
Once again, Chris Magwood has put his deep and broad experience
to excellent use in creating this book. The book is both comprehensive and concise,
covering in a highly useful format, all the important aspects of the process of seeking sustainable
goals in designing a house. Chris couples his extensive and rigorous approach to research,
experimentation, and learning, with his gift for teaching and communicating what he’s learned.
The result is another terrific addition to the sustainable design and building literature.
—David Eisenberg, Director, Development Center for Appropriate Technology
Finally! An up-to-date overview of the most important approaches and questions
to address when making a more sustainable home. This book is essential in navigating the over-
whelming field of sustainable house design and distills it down to its basics,
allowing one to make informed decisions about creating their home.
—Ben Falk, MALD, author, The Resilient Farm and Homestead and Whole Systems Design, LLC
I found this to be a useful and comprehensive guide to the entire process of creating a sustainable
and resilient home by a leading exponent of sustainable building practices. The author correctly
stresses the importance of process — determining the objectives of the project up front, specifying
clear project goals, and putting together an appropriate team to realise these goals. Also stressed are
the decision-making processes and the importance of understanding the big picture implications of
decisions. These are essential but often overlooked aspects of creating a sustainable home.
—Dr. Mark Gorgolewski, Chair of the Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University, Toronto.
This wonderful book by Chris Magwood offers a wealth of knowledge about
the materials, systems and processes needed to design better homes. Two things set this
book apart from other “green” guides: The Approach section gives you the tools you need
to create your own set of goals and criteria, and the section on Materials and Systems offers
a comprehensive and unbiased review of both “green” and mainstream materials.
—Larry Strain, FAIA LEED AP, SIEGEL & STRAIN Architects
Creating a home from scratch is a rare opportunity to express our deepest values.
If those values include health and planetary ecology the process can be especially daunting
because these are not the primary values of the conventional housing market, and the “Green”
building world is multifaceted with information that often seems contradictory.
In Essential Sustainable Home Design, Chris has written an intelligent synthesis of
all things “green”, presented in an easy-to-understand format to help future
home owners make the best choices for every stage in creating their new home.
—Paula Baker-Laporte FAIA co-author,
Prescriptions for a Healthy House and The EcoNest Home
Copyright © 2017 by Chris Magwood. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
House plans: Cindy McCaugherty of RainCoast Homes Drafting and Design.
Section 1 illustrations by Dale Brownson. Section 2 illustrations by Chris Magwood.
Background photo AdobeStock_95944284.
Printed in Canada. First printing July 2017.
This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide.
The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated
with the application of any of the contents of this book.
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Essential Sustainable Home Design should be addressed
to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers,
please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
(250) 247-9737
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Magwood, Chris, author
Essential sustainable home design : a complete guide to goals,
options, and the design process / Chris Magwood.
(Sustainable building essentials)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-86571-850-0 (softcover).—ISBN 978-1-55092-645-3
(PDF).—ISBN 978-1-77142-240-6 (EPUB)
1. Ecological houses—Design and construction. 2. Sustainable design.
3. Dwellings—Environmental engineering. I. Title. II.
Series: Sustainable building essentials
TH4860.M27 2017 690’.8047 C2017-904262-9
C2017-904263-7
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways
to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible
impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.
New Society
Sustainable Building Essentials Series
Series editors
Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin
Title list
Essential Hempcrete Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Building Science, Jacob Deva Racusin
Essential Light Straw Clay Construction, Lydia Doleman
See www.newsociety.com/SBES for a complete list of new and forthcoming series titles.
THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ESSENTIALS SERIES covers the full range of natural and
green building techniques with a focus on sustainable materials and methods and code compliance.
Firmly rooted in sound building science and drawing on decades of experience, these large-format,
highly illustrated manuals deliver comprehensive, practical guidance from leading experts using a
well-organized step-by-step approach. Whether your interest is foundations, walls, insulation,
mechanical systems, or final finishes, these unique books present the essential information on each
topic including:
• Material specifications, testing, and building code references
• Plan drawings for all common applications
• Tool lists and complete installation instructions
• Finishing, maintenance, and renovation techniques
• Budgeting and labor estimates
• Additional resources
Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders, designers, and engineers, these succinct,
user-friendly handbooks are indispensable tools for any project where accurate and reliable informa-
tion is key to success. GET THE ESSENTIALS!
Contents
Acknowledgments ................................................................ xi
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................ 1
Section 1: Developing a New Approach .......................................... 3
Chapter 2: Decision-Making .................................................... 5
Chapter 3: Defining Goals and Criteria .......................................... 15
Chapter 4: Rating Systems and Product Guides ................................... 43
Chapter 5: Criteria Matrix ...................................................... 57
Chapter 6: Building Science Basics .............................................. 61
Chapter 7: The Design Game .................................................... 87
Chapter 8: Creating a Design/Build Team ........................................ 93
Chapter 9: The Regulatory System ............................................... 99
Section 2: Materials and Systems ................................................ 105
Chapter 10: Structural Materials ................................................. 107
Structural Materials: Foundations .............................................. 108
Structural Materials: Walls ..................................................... 121
Structural Wall Systems .................................................... 122
Wall Insulation ............................................................ 130
Wall Cladding ............................................................. 137
Roofing ...................................................................... 143
Flooring ...................................................................... 152
Surface finishes ................................................................ 157
Chapter 11: Mechanical Systems ................................................ 165
Mechanical Systems: Water .................................................... 166
Mechanical Systems: Wastewater ............................................... 171
ix
