What is the best way to build ecologically?
The easiest way to answer this is to not build at all. All construction has ecological consequences and there is no single solution other than careful and thoughtful observation about the impacts that construction has on people, place and planet. The first best thing you can do regardless of material choice is to build SMALL! Less is more! The smaller and more efficient your house footprint, the smaller your ecological footprint will be. The second best way is to design ecologically and design for the LONG TERM. Design the house with your great-great grand children in mind. Think regeneratively. What will this building contribute over its lifespan: will it capture water, is it passive solar enough to not require supplemental heating, does it increase human and wildlife habitat, is it modular, recyclable, compostable or a burden on the ecosystem when its inhabitants are long gone? All good buildings are the answers to good questions.
