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People > Photos > Gallery: FA Ecotecture > Album: EcoHouses designed by FA Ecotecture > Earth-sheltered Active Home
Earth-sheltered Active Home

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Date: 03/21/05

Tags:

air building buildings clean drawing earth energy fine fresh ground growing heat house low military northern protected quiet ridge roof solar south state toilet water

Sun, air, water and earth provide life on our planet, and it is these four elements of Nature that form the bottom line of this project, designed for Continental Climates and Cold Climates. The potentials of solar energy have never really been used adequately exploited by Humankind. Air quality, and particularly indoor air quality, has always been a building aspect largely neglected by designers. Earth remains one of the most abundant materials on the planet, whereas water, on the other hand, will become the rarest of the four elements in time. Therefore, solar radiation, indoor air quality, water collection, treatment and conservation, together with the fine insulating properties of earth, provide the principles on which this hybrid, but considerably active solar design is founded. Earth-sheltered buildings are best protected against extreme temperature variations, storms, earthquakes, noise and sadly, even military air strikes. With this in mind, as well as the passive design principles of internal heat zoning and compact planning was this EcoHouse designed. We believe it a wonderful place in which to live; warm and quiet, with light flooding in from the south, the ventilation system providing clean and fresh air, while being sheltered by beautiful landscape. Being underground, sheltered by the earth, means that the house has a far more stable environment than above-ground buildings. Below ground, the temperature remains pretty constant, there are no wind chill factors to worry about, no lashing rain, no baking sun. It also means that the house is very quiet and peaceful. Combining the shelter of the earth with high levels of insulation means that in temperate climates the house would need almost no extra heating whatsoever – all of the heat it needs is available from the sun alone. Being underground also means that the house disappears into the landscape, making it unobtrusive visually as well as ecologically. The north side of this eco-house could be ideally embedded into the sloping ground of a mountainous region, but can also be built on level ground of valleys and plains, since excavated earth could easily be bermed to cover the building on three sides. The fully glazed south face is inclined and encloses the greenhouse supplied with an internal fountain/pond, which rises over the ground floor and the first floor to meet the glazed north light reinforced concrete shells that have been designed for their excellent sun/wind-catching properties, while also roofing the house. The greenhouse makes use of the "greenhouse effect" principle to trap sunrays and build up hot air, that is further transferred to the living room and - using a system of open mezzanine spaces - further into bedrooms. The greenhouse also serves the purpose of a socialising space, and can be used for growing vegetables. Photovoltaic cells along the ridge convert sunlight into electricity. To ensure an efficient use of solar energy, materials with a high thermal storage capacity were selected. The utility room in the northern part of the house accommodates all HVAC and other equipment. A ventilation system creates a state of low pressure, drawing heated air from the greenhouse into the living areas. A supplementary heating system can also be provided, but with a time switch to turn it off so that the use of outside energy does not become the rule. In summer, the south face can be opened to two thirds of its area. Sunscreening is envisaged as an option, provided that your local latitude and climatic conditions so require. The ventilation system can also be reversed to circulate cooler air from the north side through the house. Almost the entire roof area can be used for planting vegetables or making a roof garden, thereby providing an independent food source to the occupants. Water-saving toilet seats and other water-saving sanitary equipment has been used throughout the project. Copyright © 1992-2009 FA Ecotecture. All rights reserved.