04091 Shelter Inventory

You know you have reached perfection of design not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Your existing shelter.

If you live in housing with multiple units (apartment building, dormitory, etc.) answer for your particular living space. If in a dormitory or other form of group living, try to get the energy and water use figures for your building and calculate your per capita portion of that.

• Address
• Own free and clear, own with a mortgage or rent?
• Monthly mortgage or rental payment (if any)
• Total square feet
• Number of occupants
• Square feet per occupant
• Annual energy cost.
• Annual energy cost per occupant.
• Total water consumption for the dwelling.
• Water consumption per occupant.
• List all the systems operating within your dwelling.
• Calculate the greenhouse emissions of your dwelling, as a total, and per occupant. Use this calculator or another one of your choosing: http://coolcongregations.org/calculator-login/
• List the rooms and their use.
• List any problems with the dwelling (rooms that are too cold, too hot, leaks, mold, etc.)
• List any renewable energies used in the dwelling (active or passive solar, hydro, etc.)
• List any sustainability features of the dwelling (edible landscaping, rainwater harvesting, adequate insulation, etc.)
• List any beneficial connections among the various dwelling systems, and between the dwelling, its occupants, and the surrounding community and geography.
• List any negative connections among the various dwelling systems, and between the dwelling, its occupants, and the surrounding community and geography.
• What problems does your present dwelling have?
• What hazards are risks at your dwelling?
• Do you work or study at home? Is there a dedicated place for that? If not, do you need a dedicated work space?
• Is any food produced at your dwelling? Does the household participant in any communal food production at another location, like a community garden? How does your dwelling relate to the geographies of your food supply?

Your future needs.

• What are your goals for your future dwelling?
• How long do you plan to stay at this dwelling?
• Will the number of occupants change in the future?
• If the number in the household changes, how will this change the present use of the rooms of the dwelling?
• When (if) you leave this dwelling, will you move to another dwelling in the area or migrate to another area?
• What sustainable features do you need in your dwelling that you don’t have now?
• Does the geography of your dwelling work for you over the long term? If not, what geography would work better for you?
• Are there functions not satisfied well in your present dwelling that you want to accommodate in your dwelling in the future?
• How much reduction do you aim for with your household energy use?
• How much reduction do you aim for with your household carbon emissions?
• Prioritize your needs and goals.
• What best practices are available for use in your design?

Your future wants.

Wants are different from needs. They are more optional.

• Are there aesthetic changes you'd like to make to your property?
• Changes to your furniture?
• Anything else not mentioned in the inventory?