More affordable and sustainable?
According to this article by Sanctuary magazine, the research shows that any additional costs for a sustainable design typically pay themselves off pretty quickly, if the design is well considered, flexible to accommodate the changing needs of its occupants and incorporates technologies that will offset the cost of utilities.
More Affordable and More Sustainable? also explains that central to making homes more affordable is designing them efficiently and flexibly on smaller footprints. Changing expectations about how much space you really need is part of the challenge. The article also talks about the need for ‘affordable living’ rather than ‘affordable housing’.
The tips from Jenny at the end about how to keep your building costs down without compromising on design, sum up the key points of the article quite nicely.