Architecture Laid Bare Review and Home Improvement Resolutions

It’s a Sunday in January, so I am contemplating our home and garden resolutions for 2013. As I think about what we would like to tackle around the house, I have a resource at hand.

Architecture Laid Bare!: In Shades of Green by Robert Brown is a new book that helps homeowners to determine which green changes are the most efficient and affordable to make for their homes. Robert Brown is a veteran architect and author of seven books. In this book, Brown has great details as to the how and why certain architectural decisions are green. It also helps the average homeowner understand what a contractor is talking about so that you are on the same page. The book is a legitimate tome at 444 pages and is one of those books that is great to have on the shelf to peruse when needed. With sections on design, structure, lighting, electrical, plumbing, climate and acoustics, I feel like this will be a great go to book for us in the years to come.

So, how can we use the book to help us set our home goals for 2013? Well, for one thing, Brown confirms my knowledge that as much as I would love to have solar panels, our house does not face the right direction to make them worthwhile. So, for now I will gaze at those on south-facing homes and be happy that some folks in the neighborhood are making that change.

Our main goals around the house are thinking about how our lighting and space can be most efficiently used. We are contemplating built-in bookshelves for storing books and the Tomato’s toys. We are also trying to think about what type of lighting is the most energy efficient, but still attractive to use in our bedroom and living room. I’m excited to read through Architecture Laid Bare!: In Shades of Green in order to learn more about the ins and outs of those decisions. I’m one of those folks who watches the plumber or repairman fix things so that I can understand how to fix it without them the next time. So, Brown’s writing is perfect for me. If you are a DIYer or just want to know more about what your repairmen are doing, I would highly recommend it for your home library.

Do you have any home repair or improvement goals for the New Year?

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the above book for review and affiliate links are used in this piece to help us make some of those green improvements.