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The path to responsible architecture depends on the efficiency of the buildings and their carbon footprints. There are two main building systems in ecological architecture; they are known as passive and active systems. The former refers to strategies that make maximum use of the conditions of a location (its climate and orientation), insulation, and the thermal inertia of materials to make heating and cooling buildings as natural as possible. The latter turns to technology for the optimal thermal comfort. Currently the best known active energy supply systems are photovoltaic, thermal solar, geothermal, wind and hydro electric whether from lakes, reservoirs and rivers or tidal systems. A home designed logically for healthy living and energy self-sufficiency not only achieves the best habitat conditions for its occupants, but the construction of such homes can be a critical tool for avoiding increased environmental damage.
Respect for the environment with consideration for all of its components - water, air soil, wildlife, landscape, social and cultural aspects, is the central pillar of sustainability.
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Heavy building materials generally act as effective thermal mass. Their effectiveness is increased when they are strategically placed to absorb solar radiation through glass.
Earth sunk buildings bring the benefits of permanently stored heat in the ground in water and thermal inertia for cooling in summer. They also give good protection from the wind.
Interior gardens and courtyards improve air quality, regulate temperature, provide greenery, and encourage the preservation of biodiversity.
Composting is a good solution for transforming the organic waste we produce. 300kg of organic waste produces roughly 100kg of free, natural fertilizer.
After simple treatment, grey water can be reused in toilets, doing away with the need to use valuable drinking water for this waste disposal process.
The most effective biomass energy systems in residential dwellings are those involving natural biomass in wood or pellet burning stoves.
The greatest benefits of a green roof are rainwater management and filtration, lower energy costs, and its contribution to soundproofing. They are also an effective form of insulation.
The building industry is responsible for 40 percent of CO2 emissions. Using locally sourced materials reduces a building's carbon footprint due to reduced transportation and encourages the development of the local economy. Natural materials with minimal manufacturing processes applied reduce the footprint even further. The use of materials subject to minimum processing will always be more sustainable than synthetic or overly processed materials.
Wherever possible, thermal mass is easily produced by mixing soil dug from the site with small quantities of cement to produce a low embodied energy alternative to concrete. Earth-crete in its most basic form creates a thermal mass of stabilised, rammed-earth which can become an integral, load bearing structural component in the build.
Evaporation-based or bioclimatic heating and cooling systems are effective because they only need water, which is returned to the atmosphere as water vapour, to function.
Sustainable construction has to incorporate natural ventilation, thermal insulation in walls, floors and roofs. Grey water for recycling and irrigation plus the reduction of waste products in our daily lives helps significantly with waste management both in the house and at the community level.
Off-grid homes are partially or completely independent of the main public utility services; water, electricity and sewage. Electrical energy is supplied by locally sourced clean power via wind, solar or hydro. Thick walls insulate in winter and act as a thermal buffer during hot periods in summer. Materials with high thermal mass maximizes heat energy storage. A wood stove, in which the remains of locally sourced trees are burned, is a source of heat that supplements the passive design heating characteristics of a home.
A building's orientation should be influenced by its source of energy. Glazed openings and long facades should face south.
Sustainable homes have minimal visual impact on the landscape and where appropriate, reflects the social and architectural heritage. A building should in no way need to compromise the biodiversity and natural resources of the area.
Materials should be chosen on their ability to be used as part of a zero-loss resource management system. Those materials with carbon neutral life-cycles and the ability to be completely recycled with minimal energy requirements. Stone, earth, wood, glass and metal in their rawest forms possible are therefore the materials of choice.
Almost 20% of energy is lost through thermal bridges. 50% is lost through the exchange of air between inside and out.
What is more sustainable? Living in a cosy, wood and stone hut in the forest with a fire and a nice thick jumper, or in a heavily manufactured home in an industrialised world?
home... the temple of our lives.
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Living On The Inside Out
...where less means more
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| 348 002 0847 |
ecoliving@21-dc.com |
ecoliving.21-dc.com
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