Homeowners seek sustainability

As the housing market continues to struggle and energy costs remain near record highs, homeowners are looking to energy management systems and other sustainable design elements to help reduce the financial burden of high utility bills. Billings at architecture firms and inquiries for new projects are both at extremely low levels with no signs of an imminent turnaround. These findings are from the Washington D.C.-based American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey for the second quarter of 2008 that focused on emerging home features: systems, technologies and function rooms in the home. “There is strong demand for green home design features and products like solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and water reclamation systems,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “As there is more focus on making homes more energy-efficient, there is less emphasis on investing in special function rooms, such as home offices and game rooms.”