Ways
to go green: click here to find out what you could do around your home
So, you want a stylish green home, but think it will cost the earth? Think
again. Home asked three leading exponents of sustainable design to come up
with the ultimate green new-build house to suit three very different budgets
– and the results were spectacular.
All had the same brief: to design a home for a young part-time teacher and her
husband, an IT specialist. The imaginary couple have two children, aged nine
and seven, and own an end-of-terrace plot on a tree-lined street of
Victorian houses. The house can’t be taller than neighbouring three-storey
homes, and must be as green as possible.
Dan Burr, 40, an associate partner at Sheppard Robson, which has offices in
London and Manchester, has come up with a three-bedroom, 1,500 sq ft home
costing £250,000 (plus land costs). Burr was the design director on
Britain’s first zero-carbon house, the Lighthouse, built in Watford last
year. The building meets level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, with
which all new homes in Britain will have to comply by 2016.
Justin Bere, 48, principal of the north London-based firm Bere Architects,
designed a four-bedroom, 1,800 sq ft home costing £400,000 (plus land
costs). His residential projects include Focus House, built in 2006 in
Finsbury Park, north London, which won the Riba London Region Award 2007,
among other prizes. His practice is a devotee of PassivHaus, an established
German style of energy-efficient construction.
The third property is a five-bedroom, 2,500 sq ft home costing £600,000,
designed by the husband-and-wife team Catherine Burd and Buddy Haward, both
41. Based in northwest London, they devised the low-energy Brooke Coombes
House, in Ealing, west London, which in 2002 won the Riba Manser Medal, and
are designing 600 sustainable homes in the Rochester Riverside scheme at
Thames Gateway.
Their EZ House has three key principles: its construction must incorporate
local materials from sustainable sources and low-energy build methods; it
must consume little or no energy, so conserve or generate it on site; and
the flexible design must have non-load-bearing internal walls, so that it
can be adapted to the changing needs of the occupants.
“The most important aspect of ensuring any low-energy home works properly is
educating the user,” says Haward. “There have been many cases of low-energy
public buildings developing problems because people didn’t know how to use
the technology.”
The sectional house
£250,000
The open-plan layout of the Sheppard Robson three-bedroom, £250,000 house,
designed by Dan Burr, surrounds an open courtyard that effectively splits
the building into two zones and introduces light and ventilation. A smaller
street-facing block has a guest flat or home office on the ground floor,
with the master bedroom suite above it.
This wing is connected to the main section by a hall and stairs – or “service
spine” – running front to back. This has storage, a utility room for drying
clothes (rather than a mechanical dryer), a biomass boiler for top-up space
heating and hot water in winter, a grey-water recycling tank and a
mechanical ventilation heat-recovery system.
The prefabricated structure is made of Sips panels, designed a bit like a
choc-ice: thick plywood sides sandwich a rigid 1ft core of polystyrene
insulation. It is clad in sweet chestnut from local coppiced woods. Only 18%
of the building is glazed – 10% less than a conventional home – but what
windows there are triple-glazed and gas-filled, with external shutters.
“One of the starting premises of the design is to manage the daylight coming
in,” Burr says. “When you have a superinsulated box and it heats up, it’s
difficult to lose that heat again.” Two wedge-shaped, monopitch roofs bring
in “north light” – daylight, not direct sunlight. The inverted plan, with
family living space on the top floor and the children’s bedrooms below –
benefits from this. Photovoltaic panels power lights and triple-A-rated
appliances; solar panels provide hot water. All are angled 40 degrees south
for best performance.
A computer in the kitchen monitors energy use; adjustments can be made as it
fluctuates. Rooftop wind-catchers have vents on four sides to let heat out
and fresh air in. There is a subterranean rainwater recycling tank, and a
sedum green roof encourages biodiversity and controls rainwater run-off in
wet weather.
Sheppard Robson: 020 7504 1779, www.sheppardrobson.com
The PassivHaus
£400,000
Justin Bere’s four-bedroom, £400,000 PassivHaus doesn’t need a boiler,
radiator, underfloor heating or air conditioning. Instead, it stays warm in
winter and cool in summer by limiting its energy consumption. The basic
structure is made of laminated wood panels from sustainably managed forests.
The wood has absorbed CO2 – up to 35 tons – that would otherwise pollute the
atmosphere.
The home has a skin of oriented strand-boardpanels – like chipboard, but less
chemically based – making it 14 times more airtight than required by British
building regulations. Zinc cladding creates a durable, waterproof finish –
and looks stylish.
The heavy insulation also exceeds building regulations. All windows are triple
glazed, and the south-facing facade has large glass sections that let in
daylight and keep the need for artificial light to a minimum. They are also
carefully planned to provide cross-ventilation in summer, when opened.
Smaller windows on the north side minimise heat loss, and external timber
louvres reduce overheating. By opening and shutting them, you can control
the amount of light – and heat – entering the house.
If the building is airtight, how does the air inside stay fresh, in winter in
particular? Thanks to a whole-house ventilation unit with heat recovery.
This transfers heat from the stale air leaving the building to the fresh air
coming in. “When a building is airtight, it’s essential to incorporate a
system for bringing ample fresh air into the house, to make sure it’s
healthy,” Bere says.
A small ground-source heat pump boosts the temperature if necessary (such as
when the house is left unoccupied during holidays: some of the heat the
house uses is provided by the body heat of the occupants).
Domestic appliances are all A-rated, lights are low voltage and energy
efficient, and a 3,000-litre rainwater-harvesting tank beneath the garden
provides water for the sprinkler system (which meets fire regulations), the
six-litre dual-flush lavatories, the washing machine and an external tap for
the garden. The tank reduces pressure on the public sewer during periods of
high rainfall, playing its own small part in reducing the risk of flooding.
Glass-tube solar panelling fitted to the roof provides at least 65% of the
home’s hot-water requirements, and the heat pump can boost domestic hot
water if necessary.
Finally, roof gardens help to moderate the microclimate and encourage
biodiversity.
bere:architects: 020 7837 9333, www.bere.co.uk
The EZ House
£600,000
One of the key elements of Burd Haward’s five-bedroom, £600,000 EZ House is
its large, south-facing glazed courtyard, which most rooms overlook.
Externally, it is double-glazed; internally, full-height, triple-glazed
sliding doors lead onto it from each floor. “So, in effect, the whole
building, from inside to out, is five times glazed,” Haward says. The
courtyard makes the greatest use of energy from the sun in winter and cuts
heat loss from windows. Climbing plants on the walls and roof (“seasonal
shading”) limit solar gain in summer and utilise it in winter. The sliding
doors can be opened to let air circulate – vents open and close at the top,
allowing hot air out – and little artificial lighting is needed; any used is
low-energy.
The frame is made of laminated timber beams and columns; external walls are
made of timber studs and cladding, superinsulated with recycled newspaper to
create an airtight envelope. Other windows are triple-glazed and gas-filled,
with thermal shutters that control energy gain from the sun during the day
and reduce heat loss at night. A ventilation heat-recovery system recycles
up to 70% of energy that would otherwise be lost, and a wood-pellet boiler
provides top-up underfloor space heating and hot water. The house has
low-energy appliances, space for bicycle storage, recycling and composting,
and, in the garage, a charging point for an electric car. Rain and grey
water are harvested and stored separately underground, saving 60% of average
water consumption.
Burd Haward: 020 7722 0788, www.burdhaward.com
Well said 'Laura'. The real problem is the planning system which stifles creativity and demands centrist controlled supply models ie bureaucrats telling us what houses we should live in.
Surely the solution is to simply free up land with outline planning permission for housing to be built within certain dimensions and regulations stipulating the level of ecological code and that the builder has to live in in it for 5 years (no renting or developers). Then simply allow people to build and live in the houses they want to live in, and I'll bet your bottom dollar they won't be as offensively tedious as the massed ranks of postage stamp sized nasty little brick boxes covering this country!!
This system works very well in quite a bit of the world, especially the sorts of places we like to go and sign over what lovely towns and great value for money they have, ie, Scandinavia, Australia, France the US. Why not here??
Ben, Dorchester, UK
As architects we are striving to meet and improve upon the demands of government regarding the reduction of carbon emissions, both in the construction of and lifetime use of new homes. Whilst this is important, research has highlighted that this only represents 3% of an individuals total carbon footprint. A far greater impact would be made in reducing emissions produced by transportation and recreation at around 30% of the total.
Richard Hands, Glasgow, Scotland
I'm a private developer. These houses look nice and have all the usual eco bells and whistles, but the quoted costs are completely impractical. Even the cheapest house is £1810 per m2, compared to typical build costs of £1100. New private houses already have to cover all the non-build costs of "affordable"/subsidised homes (1/3 of all new developments now), plus hefty local Section 106 taxes (£15K per house in my area), and they struggle to sell in competition with existing stock. On these figures only people with money to burn are going to commission such a bespoke house, even assuming you could get it through Planning.
This article would have been far more useful if it had asked some hard-headed questions, like what are the most cost-effective ways to improve the carbon footprint of a house, whilst still keeping the build cost to the national average, i.e. what the house market will bear? Eco add-ons will only work if they can be built into developers' existing cost structure.
Tony, Reading,
Interesting properties demonstrated, with some very nice ideas to be pushed into production. But, a few thoughts...I like trad'l architecture. I find all 3 of these properties to be exceedingly ugly. The prices also seem to be out of line with what I'd consider to be reasonable. I'm very familiar with Passivhaus theory, and I greatly respect what they can (and often do) accomplish. However, I think it's a bit over the top to make zero-energy consumption a higher priority than liveability.
If it were up to me, I'd use these technologies: passive solar design for window and eave placement; ICF & cast-in-place concrete for major structures; spray in poly insulation; triple-glaze and aerogel-embedded glass for glazing; solar tubes for interior space lighting; interior thermal shutters (easier to use; more likely to be used); geothermal loops; solar panels (hologram enhanced) and solar water heaters; thermal mass fireplaces. With proper siting, any arch style can be used with these.
Dan'l, Portland, US/Maine
Those of us who live in Florida, USA have been complaining about the high cost of homes for some years but it may be time to quit. Compared with even the least expensive home in your article ours are cheap. A single family home in Pinellas County with 1800 to 2000 sq ft, three bedrooms, two baths, a two car garage and a swimming pool, costs about $200,000 to $225,000. The price includes the land, typically about 7,000 to 10,000 sq ft, located a short hop from the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
And these homes are ecologically sound. Their major impact occurred thirty years ago when they were built. Constructed of concrete block and stucco on a concrete foundation, they often have tile roofs. Heating is rarely required in the winter and an efficient air conditioner takes care of the hottest summer months.
So thank you for your informative article. You have made me feel much better about conditions on this side of the pond.
George Goodenough, Largo, USA/Florida
Well said Bronwyn and Malcolm. I have just built in Kent a 1500 square foot chalet bungalow for £75,000 + land, using all the normal tradespeople. That is £50/sq. ft.(~£500/sq.m.) - work it out for the featured buildings. It meets all current building regs., but I disapprove. There is £4,000 of polyurethane insulation in it which required factories and warehouses to be built, run and heated, lorries to be built, run and serviced, pollution etc. Large amounts of energy in the inevitable concrete and mortar 24 cu metres in the ground alone + blocks under ground etc., etc.
We desperately need to stop using energy - wear sweaters - not house insulating and heating.
The cost of these buildings is ludicrous - not real world - What proportion of people in the colder Northern hemisphere countries could buy these - this uncritical article is a waste of space.
Les, Ramsgate, Kent
you offer plans in the headline: the article has not one plan in sight: where are the floor plans, sections & elevations?
MvR
maarten van Rossum, auckland, new zealand
Any solution for the modern day should include a proportion of space underground.
richard mullens, London, Europe
It seems the description "Eco" is quite easy to come by..yes, they are light, well insulated properties.. but they could do a lot more. The last of the 3 on the slideshow was the only one to use solar panelling in the roof - these provide hot water for virtually the whole summer without taking any power off the grid. These should be a must for new homes, and certainly if they are to earn the tag "eco".
Chris, Zurich,
This excellent article highlights what can be developed within real-world limitations of an average sized plot. It's essential that eco projects like these become mainstream rather than only for the privileged.
UK Government's aim to invest £8bn to build 3m new homes by 2020 must equate 'affordable' with 'sustainable'. The Code for Sustainable Homes will certainly help towards this if developers can deliver level 5 of level 6. Time will tell if property developers and planning officers can work closely enough to make it happen.
KJ Spear, Ipswich, UK
There is lots to commend here, and a number of very positive natural and sustainable elements have been incorporated into each house, but the brief states 'its construction must incorporate local materials from sustainable sources and low-energy build methods'. Can someone explain how plywood, polystyrene, and zinc panelling for example meets this criteria?
These are all 'higher end' houses; I would like to see a 'green' brief drawn up for affordable housing and given the same opportunity. Here in Africa, I have to come up with natural, sustainable, eco-friendly houses for about a tenth of the price!
As my school report so often stated: 'Could do better'!
Malcolm Worby, Cape Town, South Africa
I want one.
sheila, Leicester,
This is a good addition to the debate. Whilst we should really just consume less, if ecologically sound homes are also an aspirational item for the more consumerist amongst us, everyone wins. We are building thousands of homes each year and these should be built with new technologies and designs.
Colin, London,
where can we access images - not available on websites - thanks
Pame, Wellington , New Zealand
All three designs are attractive but seem to be out of step with the fundamental problem of climate change - that we are consuming too much of everything. How much green house gas is generated in the process of spending 600,000 pounds?! We need to learn to live in less space with fewer things. I think the exercise was flawed in its conception by assuming a blank suburban space - what was there before and why did it have to be demolished? Instead of designing stylish mansions for rich individuals, architects should be encouraged to invent inexpensive, energy-saving adjustments to the millions of residences already inhabited by the masses.
Bronwyn , Sydney, Australia
local plannig has to change before we can really start to build eco houses. They alays want them to fit in, which often nearly always undermine the eco side of things.
dave, southsea,
Very nice. But this is a far cry from the ugly buildings being churned out up and down the country by Shepperd Robson's peer firms. They're total crap and should never be built. But these firms keep on winning the tenders, the private developers and housing associations keep on appointing the same old same old, and sure enough, the homes being built are the same old ugly, old fashioned, load of crap. Eco, or not.
Laura Roberts, London, UK
I think the houses are great. The solar water panels on the roof can be laid flat with the modern evacauted tubes like those from Riomay Ltd.,, so why not use them ... This then looks more aesthetically pleasing
Tony BOOK, eastbourne, U.K.