People who are looking to buy a home should demand that the building is energy efficient, American architect Vincent Pieri believes.
“Be a good consumer. When shopping for a home ask the real estate guy what the building offers in terms of energy efficiency, the type of plumbing fixtures, water conservation and landscaping in the area,” explained Mr Pieri, who specialises in green architecture.
Once the home deal has been sealed, the environmental concerns do not stop there, he stressed.
In Malta to deliver two lectures on green architecture concepts, which he is applying to the new US Embassy in Ta’ Qali, Mr Pieri said selecting materials to finish the house and choosing furniture also came with environmental responsibility.
“Pick paints that do not contain toxic chemicals and furniture made from trees coming from sustainable forests... There’s also a social aspect to sustainability. You have to treat people good in faraway places.
“You can make intelligent, informed choices about the materials that you’re buying since they’re going to be there for a long time,” the Puerto Rico based architect said adding that his trip to Malta was organised by the US Embassy, environmental NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and the University of Malta.
As he pointed towards a wooden coffee table in front of him he said: “Everything has its story... this was a tree.
It gave up its life. We should honour this. There is a life force in all this.”
Mr Pieri’s work involves the integration of green and sustainable strategies into the built environment at every level, through design and project management principles.
“Green architecture is not about buildings but about people coming together to live in a way that is less wasteful,” he said, adding this required the cooperation of architects, homeowners and the government.
While government incentives were positive to kick start a green mentality, people had to learn how to “think glocal: think global, act local.”
This did not mean people had to rebuild their homes or cover their roofs in solar panels.
Greening a home need not be “something as sexy as solar panels” but might include something as simple as replacing a valve that gets more efficiency out of a water tank.
“That way, somebody on a budget – and everybody is on a budget, especially these days – can choose those things that will make the best changes in their lives,” he said.
So is there something else homeowners can do, other than change their bulbs to energy efficient ones and maximising the use of water?
“Flying in to Malta and looking out of the window what struck me is there aren’t any trees. I’d say, plant a shade tree. Get with your neighbours and plant them,” he said, adding that strategically placed trees would block off sun resulting in a cooler home and a better landscaping.