One of the major problems I am having of late is the AMAZING amount of greenwashing that many architectural designers are doing to their product so people think they are getting green design when in fact, there's nothing green about it.
I will fight against this practice, and I'll give you tips and tricks to avoid it yourself.
First and foremost, let ZERO-E die. These houses start at $225 per square foot and they are NOT well designed. They work as long as they stay sealed. If you like the feel of a fresh breeze against your skin, forget about it.. these houses don't work with the windows open.
Second, if your designer cannot get beyond a double-frame wall and/or rigid insulation board, walk away. A double frame wall requires so much wood and the attachments to make it all stay together that you use up to 4x the amount of material than a simple vernacular designed house.There are simple earth-friendly walls that don't rely on rigid insulation (a petroleum product) or extensive materials. GO NATURAL!!!
And, finally... a sidenote - most houses don't take into account sound transmission, or STC Its something worth knowing about. And there's a cheap way to accomplish it - start saving anything cotton or denim for the walls around your bathroom, and for the walls around bedrooms. Stuff the fabric between these frame in these places for better insulation and sound reduction.
