The 5 Fundamental Aspects a Green Home Should Have

What can we change in our designs to get more ecological and sustainable houses? Next We will review the basic principles of sustainable architecture, and we will delve into the details to take into account to achieve the main objective of an ecological house, to reduce the environmental impact during its construction and its useful life.

The unbridled construction of the last decades has made the construction sector many enemies.

Urbanizations, poorly planned and too dense, have destroyed a good part of the landscapes of our country, to a large extent, on the Mediterranean coast. Undoubtedly, real estate profit has weighed more than the preservation of the environment.

Without the need to make large calculations, it can be considered that The construction sector has been the sector with the highest environmental impact in recent years.

It is already difficult to remedy the damage caused, but not for that reason we should not try to change our way of building. A look at the origins of architecture will help us understand the importance of using the resources that nature offers us, without having to resort to materials whose carbon footprint represents a great ecological cost for the planet.

What Are the Origins of Eco-Friendly Homes?

Since prehistoric times, man has felt the need to take refuge. In Paleolithic times, man still did not build his homes, and looked for caves and caverns in nature as a refuge. At the end of this era, man, a nomad, began to build shelters made mainly of animal bones, covered with fur or tree branches.

It was in the Neolithic, when natural and biodegradable materials, such as straw and earth, began to be used for the construction of walls and roofs. This is the first basic background of what we now understand as ecological houses.

Later, in the Mesolithic, the first stone houses began to be built, establishing themselves in villages near rivers, where food derived from fishing was easier to obtain.

THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

This relationship between architecture, adaptation to the environment and the resources of the place, is the basis of vernacular architecture. The different responses to the need for shelter, in the different climates and environments of the planet, give rise to very different and disparate architectures. In each zone, the traditional knowledge of the region, and the autochthonous materials generate a very particular architecture of the region. These are buildings that have embedded decades of knowledge, traditions, and customs, and that are also fully integrated into the physical environment where they are located.

For example, the igloo, characteristic of the poles, or the traditional Malay houses of Southeast Asia, are undoubtedly clear models of vernacular architecture. Or without going so far, the neighborhood of the cave houses of Guadix.

A fairly common material in many examples of vernacular architecture is earth. Clay and sand are combined with straw to make adobes and rammed earth. This construction material, when well cooked, acquires optimal levels of resistance and thermal insulation for construction, and is frequently used in ecological house projects.

In addition, other materials, such as wood, cork, ensure reasonable carbon footprint levels, and are completely recyclable or reusable.

What Features Must a Home Have to Be Considered Eco-Friendly?

Eco-friendly and sustainable architecture is that which minimizes the environmental impact of its construction., and that also integrates perfectly into its natural environment, prioritizing the use of toxic-free natural materials. It should also be noted that it stands out for its reduced levels of energy consumption during its useful life.

Having said this, we can define 5 basic principles of ecological architecture:

1 – Responsible use of land and integration into the environment.

Any occupation of a land supposes the alteration, often irreversible, of its ecosystem and landscape. Furthermore, it should be remembered that Soil is a finite non-renewable resource.. Therefore, in any ecological project, it is essential not to neglect the objective of protecting and conserving the natural state of the land where we build.

To this end, ecological strategies such as raising the house on stilts minimize land occupation, and do not hinder natural water runoff, nor the circulation of fauna, and allow certain flora to be preserved.

On the other hand, in outdoor spaces, we must avoid waterproofing the ground by paving large terrace surfaces.

As far as integration into the environment is concerned, a good choice of envelope materials, or the implementation of green roofs, will help our house to blend in with the landscape.

2 – Bioclimatic design applied in ecological houses.

The bioclimatic design is based on the relationship between the building and the climate of the place where it is located.

In the first place, during the cold seasons, it is essential to facilitate the contribution of solar energy by projecting large openings to the south that are responsible for capturing the natural heat of the sun.

Another interesting solution is the use of dense materials with high inertia. It will allow heat to be stored during the day, and gradually dissipated inside the house at night. This concept must be accompanied by good thermal insulation and good sealing to minimize heat loss.

In summer, the sun protection of these openings is essential to avoid too high heat inputs. To this end, pergolas, porches or overhangs that are integrated into the design and shape of the building itself.

Other more modern systems, such as automated blinds, will allow the user to control solar radiation when he is not at home.

3 – Self-Sufficiency in an Eco-Friendly Home

At present, terms such as permaculture, self-subsistence, self-sufficiency, resonate more and more in our minds. we fantasize about energy independence regarding the markets, so volatile in these turbulent times.

Applied to architecture, a self-sufficient building is capable of generating the energy it consumes. 

New ways of living are emerging in entire neighborhoods, based on responsible consumption, self-production of food, and self-management of the waste generated.

4 – Construction with renewable or biodegradable resources.

As we have said before, the use of materials with a low environmental impact is essential in the construction of an ecological house. In short, they must meet 4 essential premises: that they are free of toxic or contaminants, that are proximity, renewable, and recyclable or reusable.

5 – Null ecological footprint.

The ecological footprint is a concept that arises to measure the impact that a human activity has on the planet.

In architecture, the 90% of the environmental impact occurs in the construction phase. The objective of a zero ecological footprint in the construction of a house is utopian. The mere fact of appearing in the landscape already supposes an alteration of the natural environment. However, we can achieve very reasonable ecological footprints by applying each of the concepts cited in this article.

HOW DO ECOLOGICAL HOUSES MINORIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?

Obviously achieving zero impact in the construction sector is very complicated, but the implementation of a number of strategies will help minimize to a large extent the environmental impact that said construction will have on the environment in which it is located.

The clearest strategy to follow is the materialization of durable buildings, well built and using good quality materials, which consequently ensure a long useful life.

The design of flexible spaces, will also allow the building to mutate easily, and cover different functionalities throughout its useful life, preventing its disuse from arriving earlier than expected.

And no less important, a regular maintenance of it will help it last longer over time. The reuse and transformation of well-preserved buildings will always be cheaper than demolishing and building.

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE STRATEGIES

Sustainable architecture has implemented in its bases certain strategies that will help reduce impact:

– Project buildings based on bioclimatic principles, well insulated will help to considerably reduce the impact during its useful life.

– Reducing the use of raw materials whose obtaining entails high energy costs. Work with few different materials, and low ecological impact It will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of construction.

- The reuse and recycling of materials from the work itself It is essential in the construction period of the building.

– As far as transport is concerned, the use of traditional materials from the area, produced and processed in a close environment, will entail more moderate environmental impacts.

CONCLUSION

To summarize we will say that ecological houses are a necessity for the planet.

For centuries architecture has provided answers to human needs. However, the climate emergency is reversing the situation. The human being ceases to be the focus of attention, and the planet takes center stage. Natural disasters, increasingly latent, attract our attention and make us aware of the importance of protecting our planet. Without the planet we cannot exist.

Undoubtedly, the architecture of the next generations must respond to this problem, for the good of all.

(Read article Sustainable architecture)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

– ecological architecture. An illustrated manual. Editorial G.G.

– Circular economy in the construction sector. CONAMA

– Environmental management. Life cycle analysis. Principles and frame of reference.  ISO 14040 of 2006.

PHOTOGRAPHS

– Guilhem Guinot – Instagram

– https://www.freepik.es/foto-gratis/ban-rak-thai-mae-hong-son-tailandia_13181317.htm

– https://www.freepik.es/foto-gratis/vista-aerea-casa-privada-paneles-solares-techo_10292215.htm