Sustainability derives from reasonable and consistent thinking, and is becoming more and more important in every aspect of life. We can talk about the sustainabilty of a community, of nature or economy. Within sustainability, energy-consciousness could be applied from the very beginning of the design-process, and it could also be integrated into the building.

During the design-program and even the design- process it is worth thinking about the minimalizing of the project: is there something in the design that is not necessary, that could be omitted? It is also important to consider the „long-term life” of the building. Will it be able to adapt to the possible changes of lifestyle? The more flexibly it can follow these changes, the more it will be worth in the future.

Familiarizing with the characteristics of the building site can help utilizing the sun, the soil, the wind, the water and even the terrain. For example, you can use solar power to heat a building in the winter, if that building is constructed in a certain way. You can also harvest and store energy, using solar panels and collectors, all you need to do is carefully design the angle and shape of the roof.

Since summers are getting hotter every year, heat-protection is especially important nowdays. We should use „passive methods”, whenever possible, like designing a house with excellent capacity for keeping the heat. In the summer time we can simply air a building like this, through well-positioned doors and windows. The use of shades is also crucial. And we should not forget about the insulation of the facade. If we air it well, it could also help in keeping the building cool. What is more, deciduous trees around the house and water surfaces can also help in reaching the optimal inside temperature. If mechanical temperature-control is still needed, it is worth choosing something effective.

Because of possible extreme weather conditions, we should pay special attention to wind- and water – safety. While designing a building, we should avoid wasting valuable material. One way to do it is to precisely calculate the size of steel or wood building-elements. Introducing a doormat-system or a footscraper can be a good idea as well, because flooring could be kept cleaner, and will last longer while we are using them.