Izzy+Alexa+Sydney

Zero Impact Home Honolulu, Hawaii 21.20N, 157.56W

Why build "Zero" Impact Homes?

 * A zero impact home is a home that has zero impact on the environment and reduces harm on nature. **** Fossil fuel source electricity and heating is bad for the environment. This is because it's generated by the turning of turbines from pressurized steam which is using/releasing steam/smoke by burning fossil fuels. This burning of this causes carbon dioxide to rise into the atmosphere. The extra carbon dioxide adds to the greenhouse effect and helps to the cause of global warming. They create greenhouse gases which rise up into earths atmosphere and magnify the suns heat which can cause (for example) sea level rising which can cause flooding. By reducing the fossil fuel sourced electricity and heating we can help the harm it would have on nature ** **because there would be less greenhouse gases emitted, and less global warming.** **Overuse of water resources is not good for our environment because it could result in us not having as much water for drinking and industrial use, and can effect animals, plants, and more. We get the vast majority of our water from groundwater. By not having enough water, humans and animals would have a very hard time staying healthy. The animals that depend on fresh water, such as fish and insects that live in it, would soon die and become very rare or even extinct. Us humans and (most) animals need fresh water to survive. As for plants, we have coconut palm trees, pineapple tree, beach hibiscus. The palm trees are salt tolerant, which makes it easy for them to grow by the ocean, which is where we live. Also, if the coconuts fall, they can dissolve in the salt water. Our second plant is the pineapple trees.**

**By allowing the sun as a source for energy in our house, we can use solar panels on the roof of our house to absorb the light and energy the sun gives off. By having the windows facing South, that will decrease the amount of electricity we would use for lighting. This would decrease not only the pricing of the electricity bills, but would allow for more natural light and energy to be used in our zero impact home.**

Site Considerations
The average temperature in Honolulu is 77.0ºF, the yearly temperature is 9ºF, the hottest month is August, and the coldest month is February. The average rainfall is 3.4 inches. The rainiest month is January (3.9 inches) and the driest is June (.5 inches)

During the Summer, the sunrises from ENE. During the Winter the sunrises from ESE. During the Summer the Sun is above the horizen at 64 degrees, and during the Winter the Sun rises

Design Features
For starters, inside our house we have bamboo flooring. This flooring takes longer to ware out making there much more time for it to be replaced. It comes from a renewable source and always grows back once cut out from it's source. (bamboo)

We also have fluorescent light bulbs inside our house. These lightbulbs are energy efficient because they don't use as much energy to produce light than normal lightbulbs do which can cause harm to the environment.

Since we live in Honolulu, it's going to get pretty hot. Instead of having A.C which would use up unneeded electricity, we would open our windows and let in fresh air.

Our homes walls are made of concrete. Concrete is a very strong material and will protect us from possible earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. On top of our house we have Geloy roofing. This material is highly weather-able, strong, light weight, reflects heat back into the atmosphere and is 100% recyclable.

We also have solar panels on top of our geloy roofing. Solar panels keep energy demands up which also keeps them from burning fossil fuels.

Another feature to our house is our downspout filters. These filters are capable of removing trash and debris, sediments, nutrients, metals, and oils and grease. With the clean water seperated from dirty sediment, the soil is kept moist, therefore the trees and plants surrounding it are kept healthy.

Our cement is painted a light beige because light colors don't absorb as much sun rays and heat. This would reduce the amount of AC we would need to use.

The well in our house is used to collect water that we can use for washing dishes, clothes, and is basically used for anything that needs water (besides showers, drinking, water, etc.) The roof prevents leaves, and other sediments that could pollute the water from falling into the well.

Windmills are good for the enviorment because it uses wind to create energy instead burning fossils fuels, which release carbon which pollutes the air. Wind is also a renuable source.

This is porous pavement. SInce it has holes in it, the water can seep through to the soil. This keeps the soil nice and moist, which helps trees and plants grow healthier. Another effect of porous pavement is how it can help prevent floods. With out this type of pavement, the rain water would just flow right off, which is called runoff, and with enough runoff, you get floods.

A clothes line is good for the environment because it uses natural resources alike wind and the sun to dry out clothes instead of machines.

A coal grill doesn't need electricity or burn fossil fuels, and this is a hand lit grill that only requires coal and fire!

In this picture you can see out windmill as well as our sign pointing to the evacuation route in case of a volcano. You can also see our solar panels very clearly, because this picture was taken from the South side of the house, which is the direction the solar panels are facing to obtain maximum sunlight. from this view of the hosue you can see our porous pavement driveway, and the windows. This picture was taken from the East. Taken from the north, you should be able to see the clothes line, but the picket fence which is unporportional to the house) is in front of it. You can also see our water well, which collects water from teh ground for us to use instead of faucet water. This is the back of our house, facing the west. It shows you the screened in porch, which allows a breeze and sunlight to come in, so we can use as little air conditioning as possible.

From the birds eye view, you can see mostly everything. (first floor plans, rough draft)