Eco-friendly designs provide important benefits for the homeowner. Besides allowing you to manage your environmental footprint through reduced emissions and lowered air pollution, green architecture offers an environment that can be healthier for people: both physically and mentally through natural and peaceful ambiance. Costs of maintaining homes with eco-friendly designs can be lower through efficient use of energy and more. 

So, when longing for eco-conscious luxury living—such as in one of the incredible oceanfront homes on Amelia Island— here are five elements of sustainable beach houses.

#1 Maintain the Natural Habitat

Work with your architect or remodeling professional to have your home blend in well with the surroundings, including trees and greenery on the property. Trees protect your beachfront home from sun and extreme winds, naturally reducing your environmental footprint while protecting the flora, fauna, and biodiversity of the region. Greenery that is native to the area won’t need excess watering or special care. When more interior space is desired in energy-efficient coastal homes, consider building up with another story rather than outwardly, which could require uprooting trees.

#2 Choose the Right Materials

Two intriguing building materials used in green architecture are bamboo and cork. Although people have used bamboo in construction for centuries, its eco-friendly qualities are causing an uptick in popularity. This is a strong building material (with a greater tensile strength than steel!) with a unique appearance, which can make your beachfront house stand out from other energy-efficient coastal homes. Because bamboo is one of the world’s fastest growing plants, it’s a truly sustainable material. 

Cork, meanwhile, has been used in Europe as a lightweight building material, but this is a fairly new trend in the United States. Cork comes from a tree called the cork oak tree, among others, and its bark—which is the substance that creates the building material—can be removed without harming the tree itself. Cork is one of the world’s best insulation materials and is mold and mildew resistant. 

As far as paint, look for types with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or, if you don’t mind paying more, with zero VOCs. As another appealing option, use biodegradable natural/organic paints. For walls, you can find drywall panels made out of 80 percent recycled materials. For wood, consider lumber with Forest Management Certification (FMC) for construction and woodwork. You can also find roof shingles made of FMC wood, or you could choose slate, clay, or recycled metal materials. Glazed windows and doors allow you to enjoy stunning views of the ocean or other waterfront while naturally keeping the inside of your home cooler.

#3 Focus on Energy Choices

When you live where there’s plenty of sunshine, you can decrease how much grid energy you consume by installing solar panels on your roof to generate your energy; you can store any excess energy in solar batteries. If you ever decide to sell your eco-friendly designed home, solar panels attract other buyers interested in eco-conscious luxury living. You can also take advantage of the wind’s energy by building a residential wind turbine.

Having a smart home that seamlessly and digitally manages your household systems—such as lighting, temperature controls, security, home appliance usage, irrigation, and more—decreases both electrical and water usage (and the associated costs). 

A rainwater harvesting system that collects rainwater and stores it for gardening, washing, and other uses is another key element of eco-friendly design. 

#4 Design an Outdoor Space

When you spend time outdoors in a sustainable beach house, the sun provides the lighting throughout the day and you can use screens (which also protect you from insects), awnings, pergolas, and umbrellas to provide cooling shade. Trees and other greenery can do the same. You can capture the sunlight with solar lighting for evening illumination or use LED lanterns or candles with eco-friendly wax. Choose outdoor furniture made of environmentally friendly materials, such as teak, or recycled furniture. When you pick classic designs, they’re timeless, which means that they won’t have to be replaced when the next fad arrives. 

#5 Enjoy Eco-Conscious Luxury Living

Once the eco-friendly design of your beachfront home is completed, you can enjoy life in an environmentally friendly way. Strategies can range from using eco-friendly cleaning products to a bamboo toothbrush, hemp washcloths—and even recycled toilet paper. When shopping for clothes, choose good quality pieces that will last and are manufactured by eco-conscious brands or enjoy finding treasures at vintage clothing shops. When children outgrow clothes, donate them to people who can use them or to thrift shops.

Limit food waste and, when you’ll be leaving for a trip, unplug appliances. Although the amount of energy that they’ll use is small, collectively, this can make a difference in the impact of your eco-conscious luxury living. Also, before leaving, give away food that can perish while you’re gone.

When enjoying a day at the beach and otherwise going out, use environmentally friendly sunscreen; they may say “Reef Friendly” or have a Reef Safe symbol. Fill a reusable water bottle and take that with you. Watch sea turtle sightings from an appropriate distance; to further protect them, fill in holes in the sand before leaving and take whatever you brought with you back. Find out what catch and release policies exist for fishing and what species are protected. Don’t pick up live animals such as a starfish and avoid lifting up rocks where aquatic species may be living. Throw away any trash. By making your corner of the world more eco-friendly, you can help to protect the health of the entire ocean.

Eco-Living in Oceanfront Homes on Amelia Island 

When you’d like to explore energy-efficient coastal homes on Amelia Island to find the one of your dreams, Amelia Island Real Estate would love to help! Here are high-end oceanfront homes on Amelia Island that are currently available as well as in-demand intracoastal properties. 

Our energetic real estate team has intimate knowledge of Amelia Island and are devoted to building client relationships. So, contact us!