Expect green building design to take the world by storm in the coming years. States like North Carolina and California are pioneering the way, mandating that office complexes, hospitals, schools and other buildings use 30% less energy and 20% less water, while also meeting at least the minimum level of LEED certification standards. Outfitting homes to be more environmentally friendly and safer is one of the quickest growing areas of interior design services.

Green interior design lighting is important because light sucks up electricity, generates heat and costs us money. A green lighting designer would tell you that compact fluorescent lamps are much more efficient than incandescent lamps, using 80% less energy. "CFLs last 10 times longer than incandescents and normally pay for themselves," explains David Lee, a 23-year lighting designer with The Lighting Source. Each bulb replaced with a CFL could save you $30 on utility costs, experts say. Of course, since these bulbs contain mercury, disposing of them is just as critical when it comes to green building design. Home Depot stores have orange bins to collect and recycle these bulbs. For those who wish for sunnier lighting color, halogen lights still offer 30-40% energy savings, compared to incandescents, although they are not as good as CFLs.

Many eco-friendly consumers are also looking for green interior design furniture and furnishings too. As you may know, indoor air quality can be affected by mold, moisture, organic compound emissions from paints, and formaldehyde emissions from cabinets and ventilation systems. Some building design materials collect contaminants and dirt as well. When shopping, you will want to avoid phenolic resin derived plastic laminate found on inexpensive furniture. Make sure your wood products are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure the harvesters followed sustainable building practices. Wool that has not been treated with moth-proofing chemicals is preferable to polyester. Beware of polyurethane foam padding that contains polybrominated diphenol ethers, which are flame retardants.

According to Tucson-based green building consultant Jerry Yudelson, green building design will grow more than 60% in 2009. "We've seen cumulative growth in new LEED projects over 60 per cent per year since 2006 -- in fact, 80 per cent in 2008 -- and there's no sign that the green wave has crested," he says. With Barack Obama's presidency, he anticipates more environment-friendly building practices and home designs.

What Are The Latest Building Design Trends?

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Landscape and Building Design for Bushfire Areas $14.49 Shortlisted in TAFE Vocational Education category in the 2004 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing. The devastation wreaked by bushfires on Australian homes and landscapes is an all too familiar scenario. Yet, why do we often see one house burn, whilst an apparently similar house on an adjacent block can endure? Research has shown that many factors affect the chances of a building surviving a bushfire. If you are designing landscapes and buildings in bushfire areas you need to be aware of these factors so that the chances of losses to life and property can be minimised. Landscape & Building Design for Bushfire Areas integrates the latest scientific knowledge about buildings and bushfires with a flexible design approach. The book contains two main sections: 1) Provides a clear description of what happens in a bushfire. It describes the environment in which bushfires occur, how a fire attacks, and how buildings are ignited and destroyed. 2) Sets out a practical design approach to the design of buildings and their immediate surroundings. It presents a range of options for designing the various elements of both landscapes and buildings in bushfire-prone areas. This book encourages design for bushfire to be included as a normal part of designing in bushfire-prone areas, rather than as an undesirable add-on. It will assist planning and building regulatory authorities to improve and administer regulatory requirements and guidelines.

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