1. Small is subjective. Build what makes sense.

2. Be frugal. By that I mean, be modest - not cheap. Reject second-rate building materials and choose quality. Save money by reducing your demands, not your standards. 

3. Reuse things responsibly. Using materials just because they are used or inexpensive is a lame strategy. No one is doing the world a favor by installing windows and doors that create discomfort and demand more energy. Besides, as I tell people regularly, in new construction, this sort of thing is against the law and for good reason.

4. Build wisely by researching products before using them. The building industry has along and embarrassing history of approving - and subsequently banning - products eventually proven to be criminally subpar and even toxic. Prefabricated products, for example, are often manufactured using cheap industrial waste inputs, like toxic glues and binders. In general, these products never last as functionally long as the traditional materials they are intended to replace no matter how much industry players want them to. Despite common misconception, they often require more embodied energy to manufacture and ship. That’s not to say all prefabrication is bad. Just read about your materials and know what you are choosing to bring into your house, body and the environment.

5. Whenever possible choose local materials - if they are of good quality.

6. Wherever possible hire local people - if they do good work.

7. Create beauty! Architectural design is one of the most important factors when it comes to creating sustainable architecture because people are more likely to care for and preserve something beautiful and well built. Quality is beauty. Energy-efficiency is beauty. Function is beauty.

8. Build efficiently. This is not a political argument, it is a financial one. Who builds a house that will lose money in the long-run? It is also an argument in favor of comfort. Building science works. It’s science. It works. So build your house to perform correctly, it’s easy! If you can, even have your work tested to be sure you are achieving your goals because real world verification, which tests actual performance, is superior to the old-school certified checklists. Certification programs, such as LEED, are flawed and do not even bother testingt performance. You read that right. They are entirely prescriptive, materially restrictive, far less creative, and much less effective. By avoiding costly certification programs you can redirect the extra budget into improving construction in a myriad of ways!

9. Always use the least toxic materials possible.

10. Reject the vast majority of what passes for “good” construction and design.