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Systems Thinking
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| Systems thinking means to design every aspect of the house together,
because doing so often involved either tradeoffs or synergies. We
start by asking how the building will actually be used by understanding
human behavior, not how it is conceptually or traditionally used. We
build only those spaces that are actually regularly used and look
for ways we can use rooms for multiple functions, all while trying for
some flexibility in lifestyles. We also accept that different family
have different requirements and don't try to make a "one size fits
all" solution.
Once we know what we need, we examine the climate of the building site
and design with it in mind, taking advantage of solar energy, shading and
natural cooling. Given these constraints we design so that
materials, energy and water are used efficiently over the lifetime of the
building. Finally in each decision, we give consideration to what
will become of the house when its lifetime is over.
When we are done we have a building that works with its environment,
rather than against it; has minimized its impact on the planet in some
way; its healthier for it occupants and is designed to "feel
good".
In systems thinking we often find synergies: for example by taking
advantage of solar energy and super-insulating, we can dramatically
downsize the size of our heating and cooling equipment, resulting in
little or no up-front costs AND reduced operating costs. These
kinds of possibilities are often limited more by not looking for them,
than being hard to do.
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Next: Life Cycle Analysis
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