Experts say that recently eco-house projects have become very popular. This is not just a tribute to fashion, it is an awareness of the need to live in harmony with nature. Not every house can be called ecological. As a rule, low-cost building materials and technologies are used to build such a house.In addition, the eco-house is provided with heat and electricity from renewable energy sources. And the preservation of heat in the room is facilitated by original architectural and design solutions. One of the main requirements for an eco-house isminimal negative impact on the environment.
Features of eco-house projects
- Eco-house projects, or passive houses, as they are also called, use environmentally friendly materials. Usually these are local building materials. Moreover, one of the main conditions is that at the end of its service life, the materials from which the house is built could be easily disposed of on site.
- In the design of eco-houses, laws and forms that are widespread in nature are used. For example, there is no shading on the south side, but a large glass area of the building is assumed. This allows you to make maximum use of natural light during daylight hours. On the north side there is supposed to be a blank wall without windows. A buffer zone consisting of utility rooms is also being designed there. These premiums significantly reduce heat loss at home.
- Low energy consumption at home is ensured by special equipment that uses natural energy: solar, thermal and photovoltaic systems, wind generators, geothermal pumps. And excess energy is accumulated in special storage devices. In addition, the house itself is capable of accumulating heat generated by residents and household appliances.
- Much attention is paid to systems that accumulate precipitation and condensate and purify domestic wastewater. Some of the water may come from an artesian well.
- When operating an eco-house, technologies for processing and recycling organic waste are actively used. Household waste is processed into fertilizer using a bioreactor.
- Having decided to build an ecological house, the developer saves significantly on the cost of the land plot, since it is quite suitable for the construction of such housing. land plot not connected to communications. Therefore, even taking into account the high cost of energy-saving systems, the construction of eco-houses does not cost more than conventional ones. In addition, there is no need to pay for connecting to communications and payment utilities will be minimal.
An eco-house has many advantages, and the main one is independence from energy resources, savings on the installation of a water heating system and the construction of a boiler room. Such a house allows you to live in harmony with nature; it will interest those who value a quality standard of living and their own health.
The implementation of the eco-house project itself does not require large funds. But the purchase and installation of environmental equipment will pay off only after 10 years. And this is an undoubted minus. In addition, it is not possible to build an eco-house everywhere. It makes no sense to build such a house where there is not enough solar energy to maintain it. comfortable conditions accommodation.
If you are thinking about purchasing an eco-house project, we advise you to carefully weigh the pros and cons. And if there are all the conditions for such construction, make up your mind, it’s worth it. And we, in turn, will provide you with reliable and high-quality products.
The ECO prefix is in fashion today and is widespread everywhere. When buying products in a store, we focus on their naturalness; when planning to build a house, we think about its environmental friendliness - first of all, taking care of the health of ourselves and our household. A house built from natural materials with a healthy microclimate is called eco-friendly. What characteristics such a structure should actually have, what to build an eco-friendly house from, how realistic it is to build eco-buildings here - we discuss this week’s topic.
Articles:
Eco-friendly, “green” construction has become almost the leitmotif of modern architecture. Eco-technologies are not far behind, becoming increasingly widespread not only among large developers, but also among private owners. Concerned about the issue of environmental friendliness and safety of one’s own home and FORUMHOUSE members. We talk about their experience.
Fiber cement siding, gypsum panels, basalt insulation, wooden houses, dust-free mixtures and eco-friendly parking lots – we’re talking about new products that can be used to create environmentally friendly and safe housing.
What's happened modern half-timbered and how long has it been modern, is it appropriate to build such a house in Russia and is it possible to do it yourself - based on the experience of FORUMHOUSE.
What standards can a buyer today rely on when choosing materials and construction technologies? natural materials to be non-ecological, how to use eco-friendly materials in building a house - FORUMHOUSE talked about this with experts: professional ecologists, builders and marketers.
The strength of a concrete monolithic structure can be well combined with the advantages of a wooden house if it is built using the NATURI technology, or as it is also called - the technology of constructing a building from vertically installed timber.
Many people would like to live in a wooden cottage house or in a home built from combined materials(wood and stone). We consider the features and advantages of the natural style.
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Norwegian style chalet house. Personal experience . The amazing forest landscape suggested the owners this configuration of the building - a one-story chalet in the Norwegian style with the maximum use of eco-friendly materials. And despite the fact that the work is still in full swing, even now it looks beautiful and unusual.
Natural style house. Project and construction features. Buildings in natural style What makes them different is that they practically merge with the surrounding nature. Architect Sergei Petrov and foreman Dmitry Babin from Moscow talk about one project of such architecture: features, some architectural and construction tricks.
Vertical beam. New technology of wooden house construction. Building buildings by stacking logs vertically is unusual, to say the least. And such technology has existed in Austria for more than ten years and has proven itself well. And today such houses have begun to be built in Russia.
Frame house insulated with straw. Personal experience . Straw, wood, clay, brick are the main components of this unusual frame. The project is also unusual and takes into account the principles of environmentally friendly construction. The owner of the eco-miracle under construction, Nikolai Katsuk, says honestly - this is an experiment. Well, we are happy to follow the construction and share with others. Look, adobe eco-houses will begin to grow all over Russia!
Gazebo complex with summer kitchen. An unusual complex of a closed gazebo with a separate house - summer kitchen, made of wood and stone, are presented by our permanent expert Ivan Berezhnik. The bathhouse next to it was also decorated in uniform style, because of which a whole fairy-tale complex turned out.
Forum topics:
Portal member JoeHollenbeck I have seen more than once how brick and concrete buildings located in an earthquake-prone area float down the slopes and cracks appear in them. Therefore, he decided to build a non-standard one-story frame with pitched roof, making a retaining wall under the house from tires. Construction details are in the author’s topic.
Having visited many private houses, Andrey realized that he wanted to live in a tree, because it is “on the ground” that has the highest quality of life. But he was embarrassed that a large wooden cottage required a lot of maintenance. Therefore he paid attention to combined buildings, having decided to build a house from environmentally friendly materials, as reliable and energy efficient as possible.
. mike099 I have long dreamed of building a good, comfortable wooden house– environmentally friendly, with minimal effort, suitable for winter travel and year-round use. The design is conceived as follows: a foundation on screw piles, walls - hand-chopped logs, metal roofing, insulation - clay with sawdust, wooden furniture. What was achieved from this, how difficult it was to build an eco-hut, read in the topic.
In this topic, users discuss how this frame design differs from the traditional one, and talk about the advantages and features of the technology.
Eco-houses are a popular and relevant topic: many have begun to understand that the materials introduced in the USSR and other countries are unacceptable to them. What you can build from in our climate, taking care of the environment, how warm an eco-house will be, how much it will cost to build is on the topic.
A house made of eco-materials is now a panacea for rising heating tariffs, and living in it is much more pleasant than in its stone counterpart. You can build it yourself without specific construction skills or outside help. There are several options for constructing such houses, they depend on the chosen material.
What materials can you use to build an eco-house?
On a private plot, you can build housing from available materials, so some begin construction literally from earth and other readily available materials. Let's look at the most common construction materials that can be purchased for pennies.Logs
Wooden houses are again in demand. For their construction, fallen trees and waste obtained from the sawmill are used. Externally, such houses look like stone, but upon closer inspection it immediately becomes clear that they are made of logs.The logs are stacked on top of each other, similar to how firewood is stored under a canopy for kindling a fireplace. They are held together with concrete or clay mortar. If the logs have a diameter of 30-90 cm, then they can be used for the construction of frameless structures or using a frame. Recently, the cement mortar that binds the logs has been replaced with adobe mixture.
Rammed earth
This is ancient technology. The process of forming building materials from an earthen base is not much different from its ancient counterpart.To obtain the necessary earthen materials, you need to mix clay, gravel, concrete and moist soil. All these components yield a compressed hard material, which perfectly regulates the temperature of the building. It can provide warmth in cold weather and coolness in warm weather. This structure is termite-resistant, durable and fireproof. It costs “a penny”, since the land is freely available under your feet.
The construction of an earthen building takes place without large columns of dust, as happens when using stone materials and cement. Now rammed earth is not so popular, but in some countries houses are still built from it.
Straw
When first considering it as a reliable building material, one gets the impression that this is the worst option, but in practice it turns out that straw pressed into bags has excellent strength and high thermal insulation properties. It can be used for the construction load-bearing walls and used in a harness with vertical bars.
Compressed straw is laid on top of the stone foundation. Packages with the main building material are fastened together using flexible bamboo poles or wooden posts.
The outer part of a thatched building is treated with soil or lime plaster. Both of these coatings have good air conductivity, thereby preventing the accumulation of moisture inside the building and preventing its dampness.
Hemp
It is used as thermal insulation and the main building material. This plant is natural and non-toxic. For the construction of buildings, bone concrete is used, which consists of hemp fire, cement (lime), water and sand. The low density of the resulting material makes it lightweight, but at the same time gives it good thermal insulation properties, thanks to which you can significantly save on heating costs. The resulting hemp material allows air to pass through, but retains moisture, so mold and harmful bacteria do not form on its surface.Bags of earth
To build such a house, you need to stock up on numerous polypropylene bags, and to fill them, use the soil under your feet.The process of obtaining building material consists of filling bags with wet soil and then compacting them. When laying stuffed bags, the material is tied with two rows of wire. If a tall building is being built, it is better to provide a platform on which the bags will be stuffed, so as not to lift them up. Damp earth is not easy to weigh.
Earthbags are used for housing construction where the soil contains a small amount of clay. It is optimal to use them to construct rounded building decoration elements, such as domes. From the outside, you can cover them with earth and plant grass or flowers; this is an unusual and warm home.
Adobe
It is made from clay, sand and straw. The mixture is formed into cubic shapes. When hardened, these bricks are very strong and durable - they can be used to make any kind of construction. The material is very warm and resistant to weather disasters and even fire. A house built using it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.
Glass bottles
They are a durable and strong material, some might argue that they are easy to break, but this is not the case. Subject to the proportions of the binder cement mortar And correct location bottles in a row can achieve a durable residential structure.There are several subtleties when constructing a glass structure. The bottles are still hollow and there is air in them, so in cold regions, if the bottoms look outward, then they need to be insulated from the inside. Such buildings are rarely used for housing; they are increasingly used for household and household buildings.
A building made of multi-colored bottles will be a real decoration of the site; it looks like a three-dimensional mosaic.
Building an eco-house from logs with your own hands
It consists of several stages:Foundation devices
Houses made from logs are often made in a round shape. A strip or point foundation is laid under them (). First, they dig a shallow ditch, then make air cushion from crushed stone. If a point foundation is used, holes are dug around the perimeter of the proposed building and filled with concrete.If the building is round, then there is no need for a frame; cement bonding perfectly recreates a monolithic structure. In the case of building a building with corners, it is necessary to provide a frame of beams, between which the building material will be laid.
You need to stock up on logs in advance and prepare them: the prepared logs are freed from bark and dried. This is necessary so that the walls of the building are not subject to shrinkage. It is better if all the logs are from the same type of wood.
The mortar can be made of cement or clay mortar. It is prepared from clay and sand, which are taken in equal parts. Straw, sawdust or hay are added to them - they are used for reinforcement. To obtain homogeneity of the mixture, it needs to be kneaded for a long time.
First, part of the mortar is laid out on the foundation, and then logs are laid on it (see also). The solution is poured between them and leveled. Instead, a clay mixture is sometimes used. The edges of the logs should protrude slightly from the edge of the wall being created. You need to immediately think about the location of windows and doors and leave openings for them when building walls.
Sometimes for better thermal insulation Only the outer and inner walls are cemented, and the space between them and the wooden blocks is filled with sawdust or straw. As soon as the walls are erected, they need to be covered with a roof to prevent moisture from getting inside the structure. If the material for it has not yet been purchased, then you can install a temporary version. The walls dry out completely after six months, so this type of house is not suitable for cold climates.
Home roofing and finishing
To make the structure completely environmentally friendly, the roof can be made of reeds or tied straw.
In exterior decoration such a house does not need it, but if its owner is not satisfied with protruding lumps, then he can lath the walls and level the walls, and then plaster them.
Do-it-yourself energy-passive cheap eco-houses (video)
From the video below you can see how the new eco-friendly houses differ from their stone counterparts. The owner of the site talks about his original round house, built of straw, which withstands natural disasters. The unusualness of the house also lies in the fact that it was built in an unusual way: first the foundation was poured, and then the roof was covered, and after that the walls were built. The roof was completed first due to the need to cover the main building material, which does not tolerate moisture.The foundation of the house is inexpensive, since it is not made as wide and deep as for stone houses. You can save even more on it if you use ordinary glass bottles, they will fill some space and due to this, less cement mortar will be used on the foundation. And the durability and thermal insulation of bottles is much greater than that of the same brick. Straw five times better than wood and brick keeps the room warm.
Ecology and economy are the main advantages of straw construction, which have been confirmed for several years. It is noteworthy that from such a fragile material as straw you can even build multi-story houses. In the following video you can see an overview of the modern eco-house that the family built with their own efforts:
Eco-housing is gaining momentum, and many people, having viewed their new projects, now doubt the construction of stone houses. After all, an eco-house can completely replace full-fledged housing, and besides, save a lot on construction and operation. All of the above options for eco-houses have good thermal conductivity and reliably protect from precipitation and wind. They are most often chosen by innovators who are several steps ahead of others and are thinking about their environmentally friendly future.
Ecology of consumption. Estate: It is no coincidence that an eco-house is called a thermal fortress. It does not require a heating system or air conditioning, there are no drafts, and the cold is not felt, since the temperature difference room air And internal surfaces enclosing structures is insignificant.
It is no coincidence that an eco-house is called a thermal fortress. It does not require a heating system or air conditioners, there are no drafts, and the cold is not felt, since the temperature difference between the room air and the internal surfaces of the enclosing structures is negligible.
An eco-house is an individual or semi-detached house with a plot of land, which is radically resource-saving and low-waste, healthy and comfortable, non-aggressive towards the natural environment. This is achieved mainly by the use of autonomous or small collective engineering systems life support and rational building structure Houses. What is important is that it possesses these qualities not only as an individual, but also systemically - with all utilities and those serving it production systems. Eco-housing is the key to the future.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ECO-HOUSE
Natural surroundings. The house is “correctly” integrated into the surrounding landscape, that is, it takes into account natural phenomena (sunrise, sunset, etc.).
Energy efficiency. Use of energy-saving household appliances and engineering systems.
Minimal energy losses. Application of new construction technologies, improved thermal insulation. Improving the ventilation system, which usually loses 1/3 of the heat.
Use of complex engineering systems with a unified control system. The use of modern high-tech products, as well as products using natural elements - solar panels, heat pumps etc.
Reduced level of safety from exposure to devices, utility networks on the inhabitants of the house.
Application of a new heating concept, in which the leading role is played by the thermal control system. Use of “free” heat sources ( solar heat, heat from household appliances, etc.).
Ecological style of interior elements and household appliances. Possibility of subsequent processing of materials.
SOLAR ARCHITECTURE
Passive solar technology is a long-established way of designing and constructing buildings and has been used by people for thousands of years to maximize the benefits of solar radiation. The operation of a solar collector is based on the greenhouse effect: the absorbed thermal radiation of the sun significantly exceeds the return thermal radiation of the collector.
There are two types of solar collectors - flat and vacuum.
In a vacuum, the greenhouse effect is enhanced by the fact that the reverse thermal radiation of the collector cannot pass through the vacuum, just like in the vacuum flask of a household thermos. As a result, a vacuum collector, unlike a flat one, heats the coolant to a high temperature even in cold weather, which is a decisive factor in favor of its choice for our country. But in winter, with short daylight hours and cloudiness, the amount of heat generated by the solar collector is significantly reduced.
Eco-house architecture
HEAT TRAFFIC WALLS
From the point of view of environmental friendliness, the most attractive for an eco-house can be considered slabs made from stone wool. They have the following advantages:
Non-toxic and non-carcinogenic, unlike, for example, material such as asbestos fiber;
Basalt fiber does not break, splinter or fray like fiberglass;
Non-hygroscopic (water absorption is no more than 1.5%) with simultaneous good vapor permeability;
Over time, stone wool slabs do not shrink in volume, unlike glass wool or slag wool slabs;
The material is not susceptible to fungi and insects;
Non-flammable and heat-resistant - stone wool slabs can withstand temperatures up to 1000 °C.
The most important condition for maintaining the thermal contour of a building is the presence of supply and exhaust ventilation with a heat recuperator (heat exchanger).
Operating principle: outside cold air enters a counterflow heat exchanger, in which it moves through pipes washed from the outside warm air, coming from the house in the opposite direction. As a result, at the exit from the heat exchanger, street air tends to acquire room temperature, and the latter, on the contrary, tends to reach street temperature before leaving the heat exchanger. This solves the problem of sufficiently intensive air exchange in the house without heat loss.
In Russia, where the climate is more severe than, for example, in European countries, a ground one should be added to the main recuperator. Its feasibility has been proven by the fact that in some Western eco-houses the use of a ground recuperator made it possible to abandon the need for air conditioning. The soil temperature at a depth of 8 m is more constant and is about 8-12 °C. Therefore, it is necessary to bury the recuperator exactly at this depth so that the street air, passing through the ground, strives to take on the appropriate temperature, regardless of the time of year. It may be either July heat or January frost outside, but fresh air will always flow into the house, the temperature of which is optimal - about 17 ° C.
"CORRECT" WINDOWS
The heat transfer resistance coefficient of windows must be at least 1.5 °C m2/W - this is another necessary condition for the thermal tightness of an eco-house.
The requirements for windows are as follows:
The profile design must have low thermal conductivity and not have “cold bridges”; three-chamber or five-chamber profiles with a thickness of 62-130 mm are preferred;
Windows with a large glazing area should face south;
To reduce heat loss through windows in winter, it is better to close them at night with shutters, roller shutters or blackout curtains.
Best suited for an eco-house wooden windows with double-glazed windows (three low-emissivity glasses, inter-glass chambers filled with krypton). The double-glazed window must have thermal insulation with a heat transfer resistance coefficient of 2 °C m2/W.
Insulation of an eco-house
INSULATION OF ECO-HOUSE
All internal heated rooms of an eco-house must be so thermally insulated from the external environment that heat loss per year is less than the amount of heat that can be received per year from the sun and accumulated in the house.
ROOF
The roof, like the foundation, determines the longevity of the house. It protects walls and foundations from precipitation and provides thermal protection interior spaces. The roof can serve as a place to place solar energy elements - solar collectors for heating air, water, solar batteries for converting solar energy into electrical energy. A significant amount of water can be collected from the roof surface for irrigation and other technical needs.
Depending on your desire, you can use a combined roof (insulated roof, used for the attic floor) and a cold roof, which is traditionally used in the construction of houses in Russia for ordinary one-story and ordinary two-story house(from straw, reeds, half-logs, boards).
FOUNDATIONS FOR ECO-HOUSES
The foundation is the basis for the durability of an eco-house. The choice of foundation design and its depth are determined depending on the type of soil, the weight of the house structure and location groundwater. The following types of foundations are traditionally used: columnar, strip, small block foundations. It is better to choose a foundation based on local traditions.
To increase the durability of the foundation and protect it from groundwater, rain and melt water seeping from the surface of the earth, a drainage system is installed around the foundation.
Insulated vestibule with additional insulated sliding door
ENTRANCE TAMBUR
Internal and external insulated doors must be installed in the vestibule. The vestibule can be made heated or unheated. To increase thermal insulation, it is advisable to provide an additional sliding thermally efficient door.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
To build an eco-house, you can use all building materials that are not prohibited by sanitary and hygienic standards. It is necessary to maintain the final parameters of the house and its structure described above.
However, there are certain preferences for materials that are recommended to be used when building an eco-house, and methods for their production.
Preferred is maximum application building materials from local raw materials extracted on site, and the production of building materials on the same construction site. In order to achieve the required quality, and therefore the necessary parameters that make an ordinary house an eco-house, materials are produced on specially created mini-equipment (high technologies in the production of building materials with minimal manufacturing costs). This mini equipment can be used without overhaul for 10 construction seasons when stored under a canopy in winter.
CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of the “Ecohouse” project and the subsequent large-scale use of the technologies embedded in it should solve the most pressing problems of our time: providing Russian residents with comfortable housing, built and operated on the basis of resource- and energy-saving technologies using local materials, and greening the public utility sector.
It is no coincidence that a house with the described properties is called a thermal fortress. In a mild climate, neither a heating system nor air conditioning is needed, there are no drafts, and the cold is not felt, since the difference in temperature between the room air and the internal surfaces of the enclosing structures is negligibly small. The house is heated by the heat generated by household appliances, the bodies of the inhabitants - owners and pets, as well as solar energy. Since there are no air-drying heating devices in the building, the microclimate can be compared to the beneficial summer weather somewhere in the resorts of mountainous Switzerland. This has a beneficial effect, for example, on those who suffer from allergies.
Many components of the passive house concept are quite feasible in Russia. Thus, when reconstructing housing stock, technologies are already being successfully used to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. This is the insulation of facades using modern thermal insulation materials, application of schemes forced ventilation and modern window systems. True, the practical implementation of energy-saving technologies is not cheap at first. However, as calculations show, large capital costs are quickly recouped due to low operating costs. That is, investing in energy-saving solutions can be considered a long-term and very reliable investment.
It is necessary to understand: building a comfortable, healthy ecological home today is not at all a utopia, but a necessary reality. published
Ecological houses - housing of the future
An ecological home is not just a fashion trend or a Western trend. In the modern world, rising energy prices and the finiteness of these resources raises the acute problem of operating costs for housing.
The development of energy-efficient buildings is now actively carried out in Europe, where government programs have been developed to bring all development sites to low level energy consumption.
For the construction of eco-houses, environmentally friendly materials are used - wood, stone, concrete, glass, metal.
- and hot water supply is provided by - renewable energy using heat pumps and solar heaters, - geothermal heat pumps.
- The design of eco-houses provides A New Look on - , - windows, - heating and cooling systems, - ventilation and lighting.
- An important point is the minimal impact on the environment.
Moreover, such houses are by no means gray, boring boxes stuffed with electronics. On the contrary, they are distinguished by a fundamentally new, revolutionary design, bright solutions and fit harmoniously into the environment.
On at this stage from environmental materials- the privilege of very, very wealthy people - the cost of such housing is significantly higher than average. In addition, the payback period for innovations is at least 7-10 years.
However, by choosing an eco-house to live, you move to a completely different level of high technology, luxury and comfort, available only to a select few.
If for Europe and America new technologies are already a familiar reality, then in Russia they are just beginning to take root. Several experimental buildings using eco-technologies have been built in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. But the volume of construction of energy-efficient houses will inevitably increase.
Present to your attention short review the most unusual, luxurious ecological houses in Europe and America - be inspired by innovative ideas!
Ecohouse in Germany, Hamburg
Hamburg has been named the environmental capital of Europe not only because of the huge number of parks and gardens - this city takes seriously and respectfully environment while enjoying an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Seventeen kilometers from the city there is a unique ecological square house with three bedrooms and two baths, built in 2007.
This house is very cozy inside:
- The main areas - living room and kitchen - are located slightly below ground level.
- The walls and floors of the three light-filled bedrooms are made from eco-friendly wood panels.
- The inventively engineered design combines eco-technology and smart engineering.
- Large windows and an open layout give a feeling of large space, freedom, air and light in a small house.
The German government is reducing energy costs and encouraging green architecture:
- All windows in the house are double glazed.
- The house is heated by geothermal energy.
To gain access to this constant source of heat, the ground was drilled to a depth of about 75 meters and a vertical pipe was installed.
The liquid is pumped down, heated by the internal temperature of the ground and pumped up, heating the house through pipes in the concrete floor. Internal floors and ceilings in the house are made of wood panels - an environmentally friendly material.
- All rooms on the top floor are interconnected.
Formally, this is one level, but there are steps everywhere. This design element allows you to divide the space into zones, creating privacy. When you go up or down the stairs, you automatically get from one room to another.
- The master bath features non-toxic paint with local stone tiles.
Shower with weak pressure and dual flush toilets help reduce water consumption. Used in decoration a natural stone dark color. Such a dark palette was not chosen by chance - it is so pleasant to move from sleep to awakening in it.
- The outer coverings are made of five layers of spruce wood.
- Internal insulation makes the home's energy efficiency 200% higher than other homes.
“Our goal when we conceived the construction of this house was rationality,” says the owner of the house. "But there is another ecological element that has nothing to do with nature - this is the social aspect. When a family is happy, living together, there is such happiness for a long time. For me, this is also ecology."
Ecohouse in USA, Los Angeles
Wealthy Americans have long appreciated the luxury and comfort of everyday things and furnishings made from natural materials. They no longer want to use synthetics and chemical additives in everyday life - these cheap analogues are harmful to the body.
We present to your attention an eco-house located in Hollywood, whose owners value high quality of life: Hi-tech, natural materials, authentic values:
- When setting up their home in the Hollywood Hills, the couple resolutely refused any use of chemicals.
- His owners have done a great job to make him stylish and as chemical-free as possible.
- This house became a kind of test for the latest environmental materials and technologies.
To get into the house, you need to cross the glass bridge over the water garden - a unique creation, looking at which you immediately forget about city traffic jams.
On the 1st floor there is a music room, on the 2nd there is an amazing two-level living room and kitchen. The master bedroom is located on the top floor.
Welcome to the "green house"!
We are greeted by a living room with huge trapezoidal windows, the height of which is amazing. This is truly a room of inspiration:
- The frames are made from recycled steel.
- Window - self made made of double glass.
- The height of the living room is two floors - light penetrates here through the roof of the house.
- The ceiling is decorated with a very unusual lamp - it is made of raw silk and fluorescent light bulbs. This miracle was created by an Israeli artist.
To decorate the house, the owners chose only those materials that do not contain chemicals:
- The original herbal screen is made of citrus.
- The walls of the music room are made of concrete, which ensures coolness even on the hottest day.
Most paints contain pesticides - substances extremely harmful to the health of adults, children and animals. Therefore, the owners completely abandoned their use:
- In decoration, the family uses only environmentally friendly paints and recycled materials.
- For the cladding of the fireplace in the living room, volcanic rock was used, brought from Brazil and not subjected to processing.
- The panels on the walls are made of reed.
And now we move to the kitchen. The colors and materials used in the decoration are amazing. Just look at the massive cherry tabletop - it's solidified lava covered with enamel.
- The kitchen cabinets are made from wenge and mahogany and are formaldehyde free.
- Behind the doors of other elegant cabinets (the panel material is reed), a variety of kitchen utensils are hidden.
According to the owner of the house, cleaning also does not require the use of chemicals. Sparkling cleanliness is very easy to achieve: with the help of natural substances like baking soda and apple cider vinegar.
- The pride of the housewife is her unique sink.
When entertaining guests, there comes a time when you need to collect the plates, take them to the kitchen and put them in the sink. And now - rrraz! - and all the dishes are hidden out of sight with the help of a special wooden lid panel covering the sink.
- There is no need for a trash can.
Kitchen scraps are processed in a compost bin and turned into humus. This is an environmentally friendly way to fertilize a small garden in which the housewife grows the necessary vegetables and fruits for the table.
- A glass staircase leads us to the 3rd floor - to the master's quarters.
It is necessary to note twilight colors in the bedroom interior - they are very relaxing. The covering of the walls behind the bed once again emphasizes the plans and ideals of the owners when creating their home.
It's a woody form reminiscent of wheat stalks, embedded in recycled plastic - a great material for screens or just decoration. Even the rug in front of the bed does not contain a drop of synthetics - it is made from New Zealand wool. It's so great for doing yoga in the morning!
The bathroom also has a twist:
- The bathtub can be filled to the top with water.
- The pouring water is reheated and again supplied to the bath.
This is where the owners' new day begins and where it ends.
Ecohouse in Switzerland, Zurich
Unfortunately, only a select few can afford to put environmental technologies at the service of health, comfort and safety, not only because of the high cost, but also the rarity and low prevalence of these amazing technologies.
We are heading to one of the most beautiful and richest countries in the world - Switzerland. Nestled among natural beauty, sparkling lakes and hills, we are interested in a small village on the outskirts of Zurich, where curiosity has led to exploration and invention.
The owner of an ecological house is an architect and a bold experimenter who has used all the advanced energy-saving technologies for the comfort of his home. "We have no electricity bills!" - he declares proudly.
Built in 1996, the house has an area of about 300 square meters has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
- The exterior of the house is made almost entirely of translucent glass.
- Inside there is an open space - living room, dining room and kitchen.
- In the backyard there is a swimming pool with a capacity of about nineteen thousand liters of water.
- The pool uses water collected from the roof.
- On the roof - solar panels for electricity and hot water.
This building is the first zero-emission building in Europe
The house is related not only to ecology - it is a completely new aesthetics:
- Approaching the house, you can understand that it is ecological, just by how unique it is.
- This is a transparent house and it is very beautiful.
The glass structure of the house uses a unique honeycomb core, designed to retain heat more efficiently than regular glass.
- In cold temperatures and large quantity From the sun, the house is heated not by heat, but by sunlight.
- To control the heat from the sun, you need to conserve it. - the key to maintaining comfort in the home.
With this technology it is possible to completely control the climate. Automated blinds are part of this control system that works to save energy.
The kitchen matches perfectly with modern decor Houses:
- Equipped with energy-saving appliances
- Table top made of of stainless steel
- Polished wood furniture
The owners chose maple as the material for their furniture. It makes a very beautiful contrast with the concrete. It makes the room bright because maple is one of the most colorful woods.
- The water in the kitchen is completely heated by the sun - there is a solar collector on the roof.
Solar panels, a heating system, collector water storage, a heat pump for hot water, a fan for fresh air - all this is necessary for a complete building system.
The fully automated approach proved to be the most rational decision- the owners claim the ability to return electricity back to the network and avoid energy bills.
Upstairs is the master bedroom, made like a loft:
- Here the same system of passive sunlight, as in the rest of the house.
- Fat concrete walls and floors that accumulate heat, and transparent windows that span the entire wall.
Nowadays, when organizing a home, it is very important to use the right elements. For example, the sun, water, as well as concrete and stone. The owners are trying to combine them for a new lifestyle.
The solar home reflects their commitment to sustainable living and original, innovative design.
To be ecological houses!
This is just a brief overview, a small part of the ecological houses presented to your attention. America, Canada and of course Europe have been practicing a different quality of life and housing for several decades.
Caring for the environment, your health and longevity, the use of environmentally friendly materials and technologies - these are the values that are worth adopting. Take a closer look at what innovations you can use now.
Eco-friendliness is the trend of the new millennium!
