THE CONCEPT OF GREEN HOME IN HOUSING AREAS (FUTURE OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE)

Abstract

The concept of green home is a part of green architecture having the objective of harmonizing the inhabitants and the environment. In the context of real estate housing areas, various housing products having natural themes, such as, green city, green garden, city with natural insights, natural city, and so on, are offered to the customers frequently. Most of those housing areas have put their concerns on customers' needs especially those that have natural themes. The problems are that, those housing areas are mainly aimed to customers with middle to high income. The question is that, how about the customers with middle to low income; don't they have the same rights to live in the housing areas with natural themes? Basically, green home concept may be implemented in the housing areas for customers with middle to low income especially those that are located in suburb areas where the availability of land area is still vast enough and inexpensive. Besides that, the structure and area of the houses are not always made in large size. Green home implementation is not always related to big-structured and spacious hoses. Basically, green home concept is an environmentally friendly house harmonized with the tropical climate of Indonesian nature. Green home concept prioritizes land area optimization, optimizing natural energy utilization efficiently, utilizing environmentally friendly building materials, efficiency in water utilization by using independent wasted water recycling system, good land absorption system, and also the provision of sufficient green open space and vegetation. The implementation of green home concept becomes an opportunity because it will create a convenient and cool micro climate and, at the same time, it becomes a challenge viewed from designing aspects to minimize the budget.