Greenhouse Living

Features

• Greenhouse living involves building a house that incorporates principles of a greenhouse or attaching a greenhouse to an existing building and modifying the building to utilize the greenhouse. Greenhouse living often involves building a house that incorporates a greenhouse, because it is more efficient. Privacy is one of the main concerns in greenhouse living; portions of the house are normally built with solid walls instead of greenhouse glass panels in order to create that privacy.

Function

• Greenhouse living functions as an alternative to a traditional home. Living with a greenhouse allows individuals to grow food in their own home and have much greater control over the conditions under which the food is grown. Additionally, greenhouses trap heat, which reduces the need for heat based on burning fossil fuels.The consumption of fossil fuels for heat and food production as well as chemicals and and pesticides in food are all reduced by greenhouse living.

Types

• Some greenhouse living situations are part of a cooperative apartment or community building, in which many families share the greenhouse and the labor of planting, cleaning and maintaining it. All members of the community share in the work and the food produced. Individual greenhouse homes depend on the family that lives there for maintenance and upkeep of the crops. Both systems provide unique and energy-efficient ways of obtaining food and heat for homes.

Sustainability

• A greenhouse home is often built using sustainable wood, glass and other items to reduce environmental impact from the ground up. Sustainability is a core principle of greenhouse living, including creating a house that uses recycled and sustainable products. Most greenhouse homes hire builders who are certified in designing and building green houses. Energy sources for heating and cooling are often dependent on solar or alternative energy, instead of fossil fuels.

Considerations

• Living in a greenhouse comes with a unique set of challenges, including the initial cost of building a sustainable greenhouse home. Greenhouse living reduces the energy needed to grow food, but it also makes the process more laborious and time-intensive for the individuals who have to plant and care for the crops. Greenhouse buildings are one way in which many people choose to limit their impact on the environment.