The sustainable house design

This house was designed for an older couple from town. They needed comfortable place for their retirement, with low running costs, with possibility to accomodate children and grandchildren for weekend.

The plot of their garden on the edge of the city is very narrow and not easily accessible, but it was allowed to build there. The house had to be designet as narrow as possible. Luckily the family did not have problem to have two separate small apartments accessible from a porch. Not having corridors inside, helped to save space.

URBAN PLACE

The location of the house has accessible public transport and services. It did not require to build a new road or services. The design of the house respect the neighbours, culture and climate.

FUNTIONAL, APPROPRIATE AND MODEST

The house is not big, but modest: 82m2. It is very practical with its two small apartments. Also psychologically it is good, that the office is in the guest apartmen. Like this one actually “goes” to work, and the home is relax and is not mixed with work. Covered big terass oriented to the garden, extends small living area in summer.

HEALTHY INNER ENVIRONMENT

heatlthy

PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN

The house is designed as passive house, good insulation, good quality passive house certificated windows, airtightness , elliminated cold bridges and heat recovery ventillation unit. Winter and summer comfort, without much energy: solar gains in winter, saving energy by good calculated design, protection against sun in summer.

NATURAL AND RECYCLED MATERIALS, CRADLE TO CRADLE BUILDING SYSTEM, LOW EMBODIED ENERGY

The construction of the house is wooden with straw insulation (prefabricated straw panels), and wood fibre boards on the outside. The floor is insulated with foam glass shutters, cork and expanded clay. Roof insullation is from blown in woodfibers. Insulation in the partitions is from recycled textile – local producer. Foundations are low impact – wooden ring beam on small concrete collumns.

GREEN ROOF

The roof is green, with extensive vegetation. The roof contributes to better local micro-climate, and delays the rainwater outflow.

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

Electricity is provided by photovoltaic panels on the roof, on the walls are electric wires under earth plaster. Some of photovoltaic panels go strait into producing hot water. The extra heat in winter can be provided by small wood stove in the living area.

The house uses also passive solar heat .The long facade is facing EastSouth, so it is not the most optimal orientation. In the sun study bellow, you can see how sun shines on the windows in winter and how they are mosly protected by roof overhang in summer. In front of the nonprotected windows, there will be protection by growing reva supported by wood construction, so it protects against overheat in summer, but enaible solar gains in winter.

• clay plaster
• prefabricated straw panel Ecococon 40 mm
• airtight diffusion open foil
• wood fiber board 60 mm
• silicate facade plaster

• wooden floor 22mm
• wooden grate 22mm (expanded clay filling)
• clay (airtight) screed 20mm
• clay charging layer 30mm
• foam glass 300mm

• suspended plasterboard ceiling
• foil with variable diffusion value, attached to the beams by boards
• steiko beams 400mm (in part of gantry KVH 200 + Steiko 200)
• OSB
• geotextile
• EPDM foil
• geotextile
• roof substrate

Windows:
wood-aluminum windows ekowin with triple glazing, Hoblina s.r.o.