Island-Friendly Homes
An island-friendly home is carefully sited on its parcel. By asking ourselves what initially attracted us to the island, we can do our best to preserve and enhance our land’s attributes. Visually integrating a home within the existing island character while maintaining natural features can add much to a home’s attractiveness. Thoughtful design can also protect privacy and valuable wildlife habitat. Living on the shoreline requires special effort to prevent erosion and pollution of marine resources.
Additional site considerations are solar exposure and appropriate tree preservation for protection rom winds. Rather than removing trees, a land owner might enhance views by taking out limbs or “windowing.” Precious rainwater can be managed to recharge the aquifer, while the thoughtful siting of buildings and avoidance of unnecessary soil disturbance can help preserve valuable farmland and woodlots.
Resources:
Seven tips for building among trees (PDF document–requires Acrobat Reader)
International Society of Arboriculture. Tips on protecting trees during construction, pruning mature trees, recognizing tree hazards, etc.
Pruning Guide. Northwest Pacific Maritime region.
Guide to Shoreline Living (PDF document–requires Acrobat Reader)