Course Schedule
Lesson 1 -- 10 Jan
Lesson 2 -- 17 Jan
Lesson 3 -- 21 Jan
Lesson 4 -- 21 Jan
A representation of the respective areas of the earth's surface in descending area: ocean 69%; desert 8%; forest 8%; grassland and pasture 8%; fresh water and ice 3%; agriculture 3%; urban 1%. Areas in a state of degrading metamorphosis are indicated with an X. Each square represents 2% of the earth's surface, or 10,000,000 square kilometres, in round figures.
What follows is a typically sustainable building process that involves these steps:
There are six historical principles to improve the energy efficiency and thereby useability of dwellings. They are: 1) siting and design; 2) shade; 3) ventilation; 4) earth shelter, 5) thermal inertia; and 6) air lock entrances. To this list can be added six new principles (technologies and methods of effectiveness): 7) scale and insulation; 8) on site water collection and waste disposal; 9) solar water heating panels; 10) photovoltaic electricity generation; 11) recycling and use of local materials; and 12) on site growth of food, fuel and building materials. These twelve principles can be combined, as suitable, into designed solutions for various locations, users and climates. The following begins to describe these methods and technologies and is an outline of twelve things one can do towards the end of poetic and self-sufficient buildings.
Conclusion
Effective low cost and sustainable building design works well with an integration of historic principles and new technologies and methods. These are some of the benefits:
login
Index Lesson 1 - Siting and design Lesson 2 - Shade Lesson 3 - Ventilation Lesson 4 - Earth shelter Siting and design Environmental planning and management allow conservsation of both the environment and developed facilities and long range risk control. Effective site design accomodates methods 1 through 6. For effective passive solar heating, a building should face within 25 degrees of north (in the southern hemisphere), and be well integrated with the landscape and topography of the site. Sustainable design can limit the scale of the building and recognises traditional, vernacular and cultural values and art.
siteanddesign.html
Lesson 1 - Siting and design
Lesson 2 - Shade
Lesson 3 - Ventilation
Lesson 4 - Earth shelter
Lesson 5 - Thermal inertia
Lesson 6 - Air lock entrance
Lesson 7 - Scale and insulation
Lesson 8 - On site water collection and waste disposal
Lesson 9 - Solar water heating panels
Lesson 10 - Photovoltaic electricity
Lesson 11 - Recycling and use of local materials
Lesson 12 - On site growth of food, fuel and building materials
© 2000 Robert Hotten
These six principles follow from logical use of the elements: heat from the sun, insulation of earth, cooling of breezes and shade.
Environmental planning and management allow conservsation of both the environment and developed facilities and long range risk control. Effective site design accomodates methods 1 through 6.
For effective passive solar heating, a building should face within 25 degrees of north (in the southern hemisphere), and be well integrated with the landscape and topography of the site.
Sustainable design can limit the scale of the building and recognises traditional, vernacular and cultural values and art.
Site topography, vegetation and awnings are the simplest forms of shading. Technological shading devices for both the exterior and interior of dwellings are available. These were developed by the building industry since most commercial structures suffer from unwanted heat gain.
In the tropics houses are raised and open toward prevailing breezes. Windows, ventilators, and vents ensure air exchange.
Earth shelter design is one method of building a house (passive heating design) that will need no other heating or cooling energy input to remain comfortable year round.
Thermal inertia in the from of an on grade floor slab can be heated by sunlight passing through north (in the southern hemisphere) facing windows. This middle of the day heat gain (passive solar heating) is then retained by the mass of the concrete and warms the house continuously. This heating, with normal insulation and construction, is adequate without any other energy input for most temperate climates.
This principle simply relies on a double door system, where only one is opened at a time, to reduce heat loss or gain as from an open single door.
These six principles follow from recent developments in standards, technology, and design methods. Integrated dwelling systems can be synthesized combining historical principles, modern aesthetics, and new technologies, into artifacts of environmental design.
What size of dwelling is enough? Conservation of all resources is well served by limiting the size or scale of house design. Many traditional designs are of compact, functional and pleasing forms. Perhaps a standard range from 60 sqm to 120 sqm is enough for most families.
Insulation installed in the walls and roof can, with earth shelter or thermal inertia, produce a house that needs no other energy input to heat or cool it.
Catchment water collection is adequate in many tropical and temperate areas. New developments in filters insure freedom from contamination.
The Clivis Multrum composting toilet very handily takes care of human waste without water. Most wash water can be directed into grey water systems and used for irrigation.
There are many types of solar water heating systems ranging from simple pre-water heater boosters (passive heating system) to high technology panels with fuzzy logic controlled heat pump systems (active heating system).
Continuous gains in photovoltaic electricity generation technology and use are making these applications usually more attractive than grid electric power. Two recent developments are the panel with an AC inverter and pushing excess power back into the grid.
Many fine recycled building materials are available. Local materials from river rock to timber are often available. Use of indigenous materials saves on processing, storage, wholesaling and transporting costs.
A significant amount of food for a family can be grown in a small intensive vegetable garden and many fruit trees do well at the homestead scale.
Wood for cooking and heating is easy to grow. Weeds and brush can be used for heating or biomass generation.
Growing trees for timber requires some planning and special attention. Copicing can fairly easily produce a variety of sticks and poles for use or sale.
Effective livable and sustainable building design works well with an integration of historic principles and new technologies and methods. These are some of the benefits:
When ready to begin, this checklist provides an organizational framework. It assists in setting perameters for a proposed project and checks a design for completeness. Run your project through, or with a photo, site description and conceptual idea, I will consult.
Robert D. Hotten, MLA, Architect (laumana@aloha.net)
Copyright 1995-2003 Robert D. Hotten, All Rights Reserved
Go Back to the Sustainable Architecture Home Page