House Design Online

Across the world people are blaming the housing boom for the global recession. Unfortunately those who are bearing the brunt of the recklesness of otheres are the ordinary folk like you who just want somewhere to live in relative comfort and security.

The situation is not as bleak as it seems, there are solutions. The first important step is to take control early on in the process of designing your own home. If you do this, you can maintain all aspects of owning your own home.

It is possible to design and build your own home without a mortgage! One of the trends we will see in coming years is the move to construction of homes in modules. This process will enable people building their first homes to build their homes to suit their present needs.  You create your design for your dream home, you get planning permission and then you build the house to meet you present need. A young couple for example may complete the part of the  living areas of their homes with just one or two bedrooms and one bathroom. As their family grows they can ad on extra living space and bedrooms.

With conventional building systems this option was expensive. It involved  demolishing part of the original house and trying to ‘marry in’ the new extension. The process is simpler with natural materials especially if the extension is planned in advance.

The Passive House System is particularly suitable to modular construction. Wall panels or windows can be simple designed to slide out to facilitate an extension. The panel or window which is removed can then simply be moved and used in the new section.

Designing and building sustainably is often an afterthought or at most a “consideration” for many people. “We would like to have an ecological house but ….” Solar panels for water heating are sometimes given the same consideration as a sun roof in a car, “would be nice”.

Renewable energy technologies and type of building materials need to be part of the design package. If they get relegated to “add on” status, then they no longer become useful and may well just appear as expensive optional extras.

One of the essential considerations when designing a home for yourself is “future-proofing” at design stage. We may, for example like to plan for a time in our life when we are not as agile as we are now so that we have fewer steps and good space at ground level or consider possibility of changes in lifestyle enforced by the global economic downturn, where prehaps a space could be easily converted to a workspace for home office or for childcare.

Similarily our design needs to enable our family home to be more resilient to a time when we will no longer afford be dependent on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs.

Picture yourself and you family, where you will be in a decade or so from now and to consider what you need to include at design stage now.

A new Social Housing project in Dublin, Ireland is applying rainwater harvesting, solar panels, sheep’s wool insulation and using on-site communal composting as part of a new initiative by Dublin City Council to provide sustainable social housing and replace the homes originally on the site which were demolished in 2005.

In addition, much of the timber from the old apartments was recycled and used again in construction, while two previously used Georgian doors create an archway into the central garden area. Twelve stainless steel water casks are used to collect rain water in the courtyard, while large amounts of sheep wool are inserted into the external walls to provide added insulation.

The energy-saving features are expected to reduce fuel costs by up to 70 per cent and cut CO2 emissions by over 50 per cent.

Read the full article in TODAY’S IRISH TIMES

House Design Online welcome the proposals from the European Parliament that all houses be ‘zero energy’ by 2019.

How practical is it and will full implementation ultimately cause any significant reduction in C02 emissions.

Leonardo Energy, the premier web site delivering a range of virtual libraries relating to electrical energy raises a few questions about the proposal. (more…)

Passive solar homes are designed to take advantage of local climates by maximizing the energy from the sun to heat and cool the home. In the northern hemisphere, the sun’s path passes through the southern sky on its daily trip west so a passive solar home has the highest percentage of windows is on the south side. The sun warms the home in the winter, and shading devices, such as overhangs, are designed to block the sun in the summer months to reduce the amount of cooling necessary. Passive solar design creates an energy efficient, comfortable home that reduces energy consumption that save money as well as valuable resources.Passive solar design can easily be incorporated into any architectural style given you have the proper site. Such design strategies have been used effectively for hundreds of years. There is a small increase in the cost of construction, but the home has lower annual energy and maintenance costs overall.There are many benefits to passive solar design for the homeowner and the environment. By reducing energy consumption, the homeowner can save money on utility bills and help prevent air pollution from electricity generating plants that burn fossil fuels. Passive solar design elements make a home comfortable year round while bringing in natural light from the increased glass on the southern side. Natural light reduces energy consumption and provides a visual connection to the outdoors.This book provides the fundamentals and components of passive solar design. A collection of floor plans that work in a variety of sites in North Carolina are also included in this book. The passive solar house plans in this book are affordable homes that are less than 1300 square feet and focus on energy efficiency.

passive solar house plans –

An important starting point in designing and building your own home is a visit to self-build exhibitions which are happening in most towns.

The Self-Build -Entend & Renovate show is happening at the Galway Racecourse, Ballybrit.

There will alsobe a full programme of seminars delivered by professionals from the construction industry covering topics such as Building Energy Rating, Planning Permission and Passive Housing.

If you are thinking of building or renovating, the Seld Build shows which are held at different venues  throughout Ireland over the year.  You get the chance to talk to a number of suppliers in the one place. It’s also a good place to haggle.

If you have a sketch or a plan bring a few copies along.

For more information click … SELF BUILD – RENOVATE & EXTEND 2009

So what exactly is a “Passive House” or “Passivhaus”. How do we achieve “passive House Standard”. The concept is relatively new but, what was just a concept a few short years ago is quickly becoming a standard.

Passive house construction should be the only option for new houses being built in any region where houses require heating. Passive House is not however limited to construction in colder climates. (more…)

The Energy Show 2009 Organised by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will be held at the RDS Main Hall, Dublin

This business to business event is a must for anyone with a professional interest in or responsibility for energy use.

Registration for the Exhibition has now closed. You can register on the day. Entrance is free to the Exhibition on production of trade ID.

Now firmly established as the showcase event for Ireland’s energy sector, this year’s event follows the highly successful format of previous years. A cutting edge technology and trade exhibition with leading Irish and European product and service suppliers will showcase the very latest in energy innovation offering visitors a unique experience in seeking low energy solutions for buildings and the opportunity to engage those experts leading the energy sector both here and abroad. (more…)

The crisis in the property business has deflected attention away from, what is the real crisis in housing. That is, that our homes are damaging the environment.

The introduction of building regulations that help to reduce the level of emissions from modern homes will reduce the mpact of our future housing stock.

There is however the issue of, what to do with our existing homes. Take the case of Ireland for example. It is estimated that 930,000 houses were built before the first ever building regulations in 1991, with approximately 1,000,0000 built before the 1996 building regulations. To put that in context: 350,000 houses have no wall insulation, 200,000 houses have no roof insulation and 350,000 houses have just single-glazed windows. (Source DoEHLG, 2002).

It is time, therefore to start thinking ‘retro’ and bring our existing housing stock up to an acceptable standard that achieves higher levels of comfort in our homes and less impact on the environment.

At the “See the Light 2009 conference” in Galway, Ireland, Professor Owen Lewis, CEO of SEI, launched new guidelines for upgrading existing dwellings in Ireland to the PassivHaus Standard.

The new guidelines provide practical advice on the utilisation of construction products, materials and techniques that minimize waste, improve air quality, increase energy efficiency and protect the environment. They also include two Irish case studies in retro-fitting existing houses to the PassivHaus Standard. The document entitles “Retrofitted Passive Houses can be downloaded HERE

Going Green without Compromise

House Design Online is delighted to welcome another new addition to the online community for green architecture.

The Green Palette provides an “Architectural Information Centre”  where green architects can post details of their “Green Projects”.

The Site will ultimately act as a networking site for green architects.

Presently the site offers a portfolio of some excellent green architecture projects and a facility for green architects to upload details of their projects to the green projects gallery.

These very innovation green projects are mainly based in the United States of America at present but there is a facility for green architects anywhere in the world to upload.

For more information CLICK HERE

Good news from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) that minister Eamon Ryan has announced a scheme to promote micro-generation. These scheme will enable farm and home owners to sell electricity that they generate back to the grid.   Among the measures is a guaranteed price of 19 cent per kilowatt hour of electricity produced. This competitive feed-in tariff will apply to the first 4,000 micro-generation installations countrywide over the next three years. Eligible installations include:

• Small scale wind
• photovoltaic
• hydro and
• combined heat and power

The scheme is a major initiative in reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Any who is designing their house at the moment should make provision for the installation of a micro-generator early on in the process.

It is possible with the proper design to build a house which uses less energy than it produces.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SCHEME CLICK HERE

To see a news item on the scheme click below

RTE NEWS

Given the recent downturn in the building business, much more consideration is being focused on renovationg old houses. In the past few years the idea of renovating an older house was deemed troublesome as builders opted for the “Quick Build”  and the “Easy Buck”.

In Ireland we have a rich tradition of renovating older houses as most people had basic construction skills. Many of our  thatched cottages date back to the 19th century and evolved over time from one-roomed windowless hovels to the postcard-pretty cottages that dotted the countryside until the last few decades.

Renovating and conserving old houses is not just about the preservation of old houses but also of the preservation of old skills.

With the proper skills and training,  old houses can be renovated to the maximum standards of energy-efficiency.

A public lecture will be held on the subject on Thursday March 17th in the Cultivate Centre, Essex Street West, Temple Bar, Dublin starting at 7pm, Cost: €25.00

To find out more CLICK HERE

If you want to discover a bit more about Passive Houses, it might be worth visiting the Ecobuild & Futurebuild Conference whis is taking place in Earl’s Court, London from Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 5th of March 2009.

For more information, please click here

On the first day of Ecobuild (Tuesday 3 March) BRE will be holding a free PassivHaus seminar in the Thames Lounge.

MORNING SESSION: Creating a PassivHaus culture
Chair Gavin Hodgson, PassivHaus UK, Managed by BRE

10:30 Making a case for PassivHaus: lessons for a crisis – Chris Herring, Director, Green Building Store/Chair, AECB
11:00 PassivHaus in the UK – where are we now? – Oliver Child, Senior Consultant, BRE
11:30 Case study: new materials in PassivHaus design – Howard Liddell, Principal, Gaia Architects
12:00 PassivHaus construction and the skills gap – Malcolm Bell, Professor of Surveying & Sustainable Housing, Leeds Metropolitan University
12:30 Close

AFTERNOON SESSION: There’s no haus like PassivHaus
Chair Justin Bere, Bere:Architects

12:45 Case study: the UK’s first completed PassivHaus – Justin Bere, Bere:Architects
13:15 Case study: PassivHaus is for everyone! – Andrew Bissell, Chair, Blue Property
13:45 PassivHaus retrofit – Mark Siddall, Senior Architect, Dewjo’c Architects Ltd
14:15 Learning from the Swedish experience – Henrietta Lynch, Associate, The Good Homes Alliance

The seminar is free to attend and as there is no pre-booking available for the seminar, attendance is on a first-come-first-served basis. The seminar will be held in the Thames Lounge.

For information on the Passive House Seminar click here

From Jaunuary 1st, 2009, all homes sold or rented in Ireland will be required by law to have a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate.  A BER certificate is something similar to what we see on electrical appliances such as fridges. To see a sample BER certificate CLICK HERE

Listen to a discussion today on Ireland’s RTE Radio 1 between Kevin O’Rourke of Sustainable Energy Ireland and Tom Parlon of the Construction Industry Federation click here

DOWNLOAD BER INFORMATION HERE

Irish Minister for the Environment. Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley T.D.has announced statutory planning guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas. These Guidelines will act as a blueprint for the future sustainable development of Irish cities, towns and villages in the coming years.

The guidelines don’t, unfortunately make any provision for the involvement of the local community or the householders in the design process.

The guidelines which are a welcome development stipulate that new developments should:

• Prioritise public transport, cycling and walking, and minimise the need to use cars?
• Ensure accessibility for everyone, including people with disabilities.
• Encourage more efficient use of energy and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Include the right quality and quantity of public open space.
• Include measures to ensure satisfactory standards of personal safety and traffic safety within the neighbourhood.
• Present an attractive and well-maintained appearance.
• Promote social integration and provide for a diverse range of household types, age groups and mix of housing tenures.
• Protect, and where possible enhance, the built and natural heritage.
• Provide for Sustainable Drainage Systems?

TO DOWNLOAD THE NEW GUIDELINE – CLICK HERE

The Cultivate Centre in Dublin have announced their courses in Green Building for 2009, which will be of interest to anyone designing or planning their own sustainable building for 2009.

The courses cover topics such as basic domestic energy auditing, wind energy, micro hydro and solar PV, solar water heating, green building and many others. Of particular interest is a course entitled “Want to build a house for €20,000 or even less” on Sunday 22nd February 2009. This day course is been given by Andy Wilson of the Sustainability Institute.

For full details on these and other courses please check out Cultivate

Anyone interested in finding out more about the concept of the Passive House might be interested in this upcoming event. If you are thinking of building in 2009 and 2010 a visit to Frankfurt in April may well be worth you while, particularly with the availability of cheap flights!

The 13th International Conference on Passive Houses will take place on 17th and 18th April 2009 in Frankfurt in Germany

The  Conference will focus on the following themes:  Public Initiatives and Public Energy-Efficient Buildings, Non-Residential Buildings, Passive Houses – Apartment Blocks,  Innovation from Research and Development: Building Technology and Building Shell,  Assessment of Completed Modernisation Projects,  Comfort and Health, Financing and Marketing and Housing Industry and Sustainability.

Running side by side with the conference will be the 2009 Public Passive House Exhibition
Date: Friday 17th April – Saturday 18th April 2009
Location: Messe Frankfurt, Hall 5.1
Opening hours: 17th April 2009 9 am – 7 pm
18th April 2009 9 am – 5 pm
Exhibition area: 3.000 m²

Beat escalating energy costs! Passive houses allow for more comfort and lower energy demand: Intelligent solutions for old and new buildings will be on show at the 2009 Passive House Exhibition in Frankfurt:

* Building companies, specialist federations, architecture and engineering offices
* Producers of windows, doors, ventilation systems and insulating materials,
* Providers of building parts, whole solutions, house technology systems and solar companies

They present building components and products which reach the top standards for energy-efficient building through high quality and innovative technology.

* Entrance to the exhibition is free for all visitors.
* Conference and exhibition take place directly next to each other in the Messe Frankfurt.
* A support programme of lectures is directed at conference and exhibition visitors. Here exhibitors can present their products and services.

The exhibition is directed at interested building owners and specialist visitors such as architects, building specialists, planners, energy consultants, producers of building products, companies in the building industry, housing industry and energy providers.Field trips, Sunday 19 April 2008

On Sunday 19 April there will be the opportunity to attend one of five different tours to visit Passive Houses (new buildings and refurbishments).
Start: Conference Main Entrance – Messe Frankfurt
Finish: Frankfurt am Main, Hauptbahnhof (central station)

Click her for more information