How can your choice of a clothes washer affect the quality of air inside your house? Of all the decisions made during a residential construction project, this one seems trivial. However, in modern houses, individual elements are related in ways that you may not think about at first. Getting the complete picture requires that you think about the "house as a system". Systems thinking is essential to design and build a home that is energy efficient, comfortable, durable, and healthy for people and the planet.