Building Placements, Designs & Materials Protect Landscape & Investments
Your dream of owning a home in the West is about to come
true. You've bought the land, you're choosing a homesite, and you're
looking for the perfect house plan. Building a new home is probably
one of the most expensive projects you'll ever undertake, and whether
you stay in the West for a season or a lifetime, your choices will
leave a mark that could last for centuries.
To ensure you make the best decisions for your landscape and your
investment, carefully consider the homesite, building design and
materials you use. At the end of the project, you'll be glad you
did, because what's best for nature is often best for your bottom
line.
Below are some suggestions to help you make "nature friendly" homesite,
building design and materials choices.
Homesite Considerations
- Do I really need a new homesite?
If a residence already exists on the property, can it be used,
remodeled or replaced by a new home? If a new landowner locates
a residence near an existing development, he or she significantly
reduces the impact to the natural surroundings-and to his/her
pocketbook. Wildlife living in a developed area is already
accustomed to human activity and will adapt more readily than
wildlife in a pristine area. Developed areas already have expensive
roads, utility corridors and services in place.
- Is there an acceptable homesite near a county road, utility
corridor or other public service?
Extension of utilities and other public services creates added
financial burden on you and on local governments. Studies have
found that for every dollar of revenue raised from rural residential
property taxes, the county government spends $1.45 to provide
public services. Also, each time the soil is disturbed, there
is increased potential for erosion, sedimentation of surface
water and invasion of noxious weeds-all expensive problems to
solve. By building near areas with existing services, you may
reduce the construction costs of new roads and utilities for
both you and area taxpayers.
- How can I reduce the size of the disturbed area?
Establish a perimeter of impact before construction to significantly
reduce the area disturbed. A landowner can consult with a landscape
architect to determine which vegetation to keep, what access
route to use, and where to stockpile topsoil-a valuable commodity
in the Northern Rockies. The landowner can then discuss the
perimeter with the contractor and negotiate its size to accommodate
construction needs and minimize expenses. Be sure to place
the perimeter of impact in the construction contract to ensure
compliance.
- Am I building away from important wildlife habitat?
Wildlife requires space away from human activity for security.
Riparian zones, forested foothills, and wetlands provide some
of the most important habitat. Buyers may think that a new
home on a seemingly large expanse of land will have little
effect on wildlife. In fact, wildlife is constantly accommodating
encroaching development. When a new home springs up in their
historic territory, wildlife often become a nuisance, destroying
landscape plantings and gardens. Prey such as deer and elk
attract predators, which may also prey on family pets.
- Does my homesite location affect the viewshed?
Often we build to capture the best view, but we may not consider
our effect on scenic values in the area. The view from a ridgeline
house can be great-but from the valley floor a ridge top house
looks intrusive and out of place. Because ridgelines are remote
and dry, houses built there are often more expensive to serve
with water and sewer utilities and can be impossible to access
in winter.
- Am I building in a flood plain?
Counties are not always successful in preventing construction
on flood-prone land. Flooded septic systems pollute rivers
and aquifers with sewage. Flooded ponds containing stocked
fish can contaminate a native fishery with non-native diseases
and genes. Not only do these disasters cost the homeowner,
they also cost the taxpayer.
- Are the soils appropriate for homesite construction?
Consult the Natural Resource Conservation Service to determine
the capability of your site's soils to support a dwelling,
a septic tank absorption field, or an access road. A little
soil assessment now can prevent big headaches later on.
- Do I really need a home this large?
Two new terms have cropped up in the Western vernacular: "Starter
Castle" and "Trophy Home". They are used to describe
large, highly visible homes. While decisions regarding the size
and style of a home rest entirely with the landowners, lavish
dwellings engender resentment among many regional residents.
This can affect a landowner's ability to get help if an access
road is snowed in or to feel welcome in a local community. Such
dwellings also can affect the resale value of property, driving
up the price and making it difficult to sell if the dream of
living in the country turns into a nightmare.
These are but a few of the questions to consider when selecting
a homesite. Being sensitive to neighbors and the creatures that
share our land can pay dividends in savings, good will and long-term
satisfaction. It is one of the most important ways to leave a lasting
conservation legacy.
Sensitive Building Designs Preserve Landscape Aesthetics
If you're building a new home, using nature-friendly building
designs and materials can help you live lightly upon the land.
Sensitive designs preserve landscape aesthetics while sustainable
building materials are beautiful, functional and efficient.
Sustainable Building Materials: Beautiful, Functional,
And Efficient
Once you've decided on a sensitive and sensible home site and house
design, why not complete your "nature friendly" plans
with sustainable building materials? No longer the stuff of "alternative
lifestyles," building materials made of recycled or recovered
products can suit the needs of the staunchest traditionalist.
Steve Loken, a nationally recognized innovative developer of recycled
building materials, wanted to make sure of this. His Missoula,
Montana, house is made and outfitted almost entirely of recycled
materials that are beautiful, functional and extremely energy-efficient.
His house also looks as traditional as an Arts and Crafts style
bungalow. "I wanted to show that you could use recycled building
materials without making any compromises on the type of house most
Americans want," says Loken. "This meant that the place
had to look like any other house if the ideas behind it were going
to catch on."
Another thing he did to promote recycled building products is
found the Center for Resourceful Building Technology in 1990. The
center serves as a clearinghouse for new ideas about building materials,
complete with samples of everything from "strawboard" (a
plywood substitute made from straw) to a paintable, wood-like material
made from soybeans. Tracy Mumma, research coordinator at the center,
keeps close track of changes in the use of materials by the construction
industry. "Recycled carpets are really catching on, " she
says, "as are some of the lumber products made from recycled
plastics."
Loken, who is interested in cutting down on waste altogether and
making more intelligent use of our resources, says that building
materials made from recycled products are becoming more available
and affordable all the time.
