Have you ever
thought of taking a step back from your daily habits, consumer choices and try
to understand their impact on the environment? Are you aware your house is a
major source of pollution?! And did you know one third of the UK’S CO2
emissions are from construction? Scary don’t you think!
How we design and
use our houses has a massive impact on the environment so Interior designers
and architects have an important role in sustainability and energy saving.
Immoderate resource,
energy consumption and CO2 generation are some of the problems we and future
generations are facing which demand immediate attention.
Yes the
industrialized world has largely created most of the problem so they have a
responsibility to come up with solutions but so does it with us. I’m not saying
we all have to have our toilets flush with rainwater, have the walls insulated
with newspapers, the kitchen built from yoghurt pots and the doorbell and shower
their own solar panel. But when designing your home try and remember some of
this. It benefits you, your wallet and the environment.
By 2016 all new
housing has be built to higher carbon neutral standard or preferably to Sustainable
Homes’ code “Level 6”; the house would be designed so it needs no space heating
or cooling (known as the passivhaus standard), plus there has to be a balance
between residual energy use such as water heating, lighting, appliances and ambient
energy generated on site i.e. photovoltaic panels or wind turbines.
The above thermal image shows heat loss from a Passive House (right) compared to a traditional house (left)
For a successful design to meet the passivhaus standard there must be:
·
Super-insulation
of fabric and glazing i.e. 400mm of cellulose fibre or 200mm of phenolic foam
roof insulation.
·
Incorporation
of available thermal mass i.e. in dense floor and internal wall materials to
absorb and even out heat gains.
·
Designs
for effective control of internal and external heat gains i.e. passive solar
design, heat reclaim ventilation and so on.
The code will also
call for environmentally friendly kitchen materials including glass and metal
instead of plastic, forest service-certified wood and chemical-free glues. Indeed
these materials often cost more although the long-term results are certainly worth
it.
While the code
sets a requirement to design buildings to a higher standard we are struggling
with the legacy of the poor environmental standards of older buildings. Short
of introducing a home scrappage scheme or insisting enhancements and
alterations to existing buildings meet the new code there is little that can be
done to improve the environmental footprint of the building stock. It is a gradual process.
We have a huge
opportunity to improve the environment and our future just by applying these
high standards when doing a home refurbishment or new build - so be green,
enjoy building but most of all be creative.
www.aguilarinteriors.com
Pictures via fe57.com, the-passive-house-magazine.info, zigersnead.com and thefabweb.com
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