Building Green

We are moving along with our planned expansion of living/working/storage space. The new metal garage is done and the basement on my writer's studio, which I am naming "The Belle Creative Cabin," (Belle was my mother's middle name) will be done by the end of the week. This weekend, we will be going to find the windows and doors for the cabin. The walls will already be 2x8 construction, and I've instructed the builder that like our small house, I want plenty of insulation to help save energy.
I have to do a little research into windows and doors, but given my taste for natural light, I know I want a highly insulated glass, possibly low E to block the heat from the summer sun while still allowing the light to enter. We are going with ventless heating and air, hopefully with high energy star ratings.
I would love to have gone with bamboo flooring, but couldn't fit it into our rather tight budget.
I'm anxious to have a "Room of my Own."