The Adverse Effects of Housing: Asheville
Architectural Firm Works Towards a Solution
Asheville, NC (PRWEB) August 14, 2008 -- Recent studies are showing
that the houses we live in negatively affect our health, our environment,
and our children's future. It is architects who adopt green building
practices, who are beginning to lead us towards a greener, healthier
future.
One such architectural firm is Carlton Architecture, who states
on their website, "As architects, we are in a unique position
to shape how the buildings we design will perform."
When you begin to look at the data that surrounds housing and our
health, it becomes quite apparent how important firms like Carlton
will be to our future.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, buildings
are responsible for more that 50% of greenhouse gas emissions, and
consume more than 75% of the power that is generated in the US.
When built using more traditional designs (and materials) a home
is also more likely to cause health problems. In highly populated
areas asthma, for example, is a growing problem. Between 1980 and
1994, cases of the respiratory illness increased by 75%.
In the past this increase was linked to automobiles and overall
air quality. Although those are both contributing factors, the APHA
is also beginning to see a direct correlation between building density
and problems such as asthma and allergies. More buildings mean more
pollution, and as the problem grows so do the cases of asthma.
There is also a link between the materials used to build a home
and other health problems. Respiratory illnesses, allergies, and
a few other issues have been linked to the homes that we live in.
The adverse effects of our homes do not stop there. There are economic
effects brought on by housing as well. A recent study in Buffalo,
New York showed that housing actually contributed to poverty. Poorer
residents, who were unable to keep up with the large utility bills
of their traditional houses, often went without heat and power.
That same study led to an initiative to turn low cost housing into
green buildings, thus reducing poverty in the area.
Another study, published in the International Advances in Economic
Research Journal, showed that the price of a house was also affected
by the quality of the air in the community. As building density
increases in an area, so does pollution and particulate emissions.
This leads to a drop in the actual property values in an area.
When you look at firms like Carlton Architecture, the solution
to these problems becomes quite clear. With innovative approaches
that use natural building materials, and include green measures
like passive sustainability and energy conservation, Carlton is
becoming a leader in the green housing initiative.
With all of the recent data, it becomes quite apparent that it
is firms like Carlton that will lead us into the future. Designing
houses that blend with the environment instead of ruining it, and
homes that are healthier for those who live in them is an important
first step towards a sustainable future.
###
This press release has been reprinted from PRWEB per the terms
and conditions of the copyright notice.
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