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Case Study: East and West House

East House and West House are two single-family dwellings, each roughly 70m2 in floor area with an additional semi-enclosed porch area of a further 70m2. They are located in a small village in eastern Cantabria. They were built during 2015-18, with a low cost and low environmental impact, using principally local and natural materials and volunteer labour. Both houses have a timber frame built with locally sourced eucalyptus timber, harvested less than 2km from the… Read More »Case Study: East and West House

Natural ventilation and cooling

As the climate heats up, the need for cooling is also increasing—which could lead to still more consumption of fossil fuels. By 2035, it’s estimated that half the households in the world will have an air conditioner, which will use twice as much electricity for cooling as today. But in most climates, it’s possible to eliminate the need for air conditioning by using traditional design techniques for cooling and ventilation, to ensure that the building… Read More »Natural ventilation and cooling

Thermal mass and insulation

Whatever your type of building, whether it’s passive solar or not, good insulation is fundamental. Essentially, insulation is lightweight material that slows down heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Weatherproofing—reducing draughts and air infiltration—is also included under the heading of insulation.A heat-sensitive camera can help us to see which buildings are properly insulated, and pinpoint where additional insulation may be needed. A poorly-insulated building, like the one on the right, loses a… Read More »Thermal mass and insulation

Controlling solar energy in the building

As we saw in the last post, in temperate latitudes, the amount of solar energy reaching the earth varies greatly through the year. Ultimately, this is why we have seasons. While we want to maximise solar heating in winter, during the summer months we may need to limit the amount of solar energy entering the building, in order to avoid overheating. A classic way to do this is with roof overhangs. As you can see… Read More »Controlling solar energy in the building

Capturing solar energy in buildings

The sun is the source of all life on earth. We can also use it to keep our buildings comfortable, provided we understand how, and when, solar energy reaches our site. The apparent motion of the sun across the sky depends on latitude. At the equator, the sun passes nearly overhead, and follows a steady east-west path, regardless of the time of year. Whereas at the poles, the sun travels round and round the sky… Read More »Capturing solar energy in buildings

Introduction to Passive Solar Buildings

How can we build in a more environmentally friendly way, while at the same time making buildings cheaper to run? One way is by using the sun and wind to heat, cool, light, and ventilate them, thus avoiding the use of fossil fuels. This can be done by applying a set of techniques—known as passive solar design, or bioclimatic design—many of which have been used in traditional buildings for centuries. Like, for example, this house… Read More »Introduction to Passive Solar Buildings

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