I recently came across a forum that asked for some thoughts about some different points regarding building GREEN!
Here are the points with some thoughts you might be interested in reading!!
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR:
(1) The type of truss or frame of the roof and shape/angle of the roof.
I am a big believer in the Hybrid WOOD STEEL design… I may be biased since my Dad was the one who kinda came to that conclusion after almost 20+ years of trying to find the best bang for the buck combination. And then he put together a system that has proven to really work over the years… It pretty much uses steel where steel is needed and wood where wood serves best. Feel free to check out our system…. and you can see all kinds of pictures of them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/PERKA-BUILDINGS/254254764103; but as with everything – do your homework and ask questions.
As for the shape – it would depend on the look you want + if you are to use passive solar heating and/or solar panels. Some single sloped or offset peak designs can make for a more efficient use of the space and location of your building site…
(2) The material for building and the framework etc concrete/timber/steel.
Once your superstructure is taken care of using steel for your main structure for durability and wood for your secondaries to create advantageous thermo breaks as well as make it all a whole lot easier to work with, for your envelope, your interior finish and to insulate…. then you can use just about ANY product(s) that will meet an optimization of your overall expectations including insulation value, waste, environmentally responsible, life span, overall suitability to other points mentioned below and budget. You see, in my experience, having a GREEN building is not only about it’s energy efficiency, but of course includes the whole “closed loop” idea of what happens before, during and after construction with time, all resources including any disposal(s) thereof, money and human resource management — they all have an impact on the overall carbon footprint, and all need to be considered as much as possible with the budget and location constraints! (i.e. you may be able to get the best solar panel system on the market – but if it has to be shipped from the opposite side of the world – how much of that “efficiency” do you lose in GETTING IT THERE… –> those sort of things…)
(3) What would be the best material for the floor.
While not my specialty – again – looking for what you can get locally – in budget should probably be a primary consideration — that said I hear alot of great things about radiant floor heating – with properly insulated (using reflective EPS board) layers beneath concrete.
(4) What is the best solar energy system.
That is an area I do want to have more info on myself — as the ROI starts to come down – they are becoming more viable as a true option for alternative energy and sustainability of the overall project. Again if the total capital investment is too high for the ROI, then that kind of skews the true GREEN value of the project!! But definitely an interesting option to consider for “getting off the grid”!! 
(5) What is the water and heating system.
Geo Thermal is getting rave reviews from many of our clients – but it too has a decent initial capital cost to it… properly insulating your building should be the first priority under this category… the better you can address ALL 3 forms of heat loss/gains with the least of capital/material/labor costs the better! (Check out EPS core insulators with reflective and strong material coverings… – they easily address conduction, convection and radiant heat transfers with the most bang for the buck)
(6) What is the best ventilation system.
Another area that requires good study and knowledgeable experienced guidance … this will depend on how “tight” you insulate your building and know that there are no less than two almost opposing schools of thought there …. do your homework, ask questions, make the best choice decision for YOUR SPECIFIC system … one answer won’t necessarily apply to all systems!!
(7) Know any cool one story building designs .
If you want real cool cutting edge real outside the box designs – check these guys out: http://www.holistichouseplans.com/ While we know them fairly well – we are not affiliated and are not compensated by them!!
(8) What is the best insulation.
We prefer to use the P2000 Insulation System as the all in one application type super insulator I was referring to above!! check them out here: — > www.p2000insulation.com… Ask questions – do your homework! No two buildings are truly alike!
Feel free to follow up with any questions for clarifications! Put a post on facebook… or email us at perka@perka.com.
Cheers
M