Green architect

courtesy : Green architect

3 Environmentally Friendly Architectural Styles

Rammed earth

Stacks of dried out muddy-looking rectangles with a dirt smell and crumbly corners might be one way people imagine rammed-earth construction. However, centuries-old European homesteads, ancient Asian landmarks, and modern, sleek and efficient Western designs stand up against this stereotype. Crude forms of rammed-earth building in impoverished areas of the world do usually lack the polish of contemporary styles, but most share an amazing longevity and energy-efficiency. Rammed-earth construction is simply the use of soil – with a weighted mix of clay and sand – packed super tight into brick form or packed up in layers within wooden molds to form walls. These blocks and walls are at minimum about 12 inches (30 centimeters) thick, but can be twice that, and they often have added external treatments to increase insulating properties and durability against weather extremes . Untreated walls are hardy too, but depending on the climate, modern techniques, such as moisture barriers or strengthened concrete mixes, can improve resilience. Building a rammed-earth structure will lower energy consumption and costs, but due to the time, labor and transport involved, costs are much higher than in traditional home building [source: California Energy Commission]. Working with local building codes for this unusual building type adds some work too, but long-term and possible lifelong energy savings in an Earth-friendly, earth-filled home may balance the initial time and costs.

Multi family Eco units

Living with shared walls or common spaces and interacting with neighbors isn’t for everyone, but like-minded renters and homeowners might be heading toward more planned and communal properties, bringing social lives and work closer to where they actually live. A January 2011 study sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth Program finds that one of the factors that would significantly decrease energy consumption is to focus building and community planning on multifamily or attached housing with shared walls that hold in more heat and increase efficiency . Building homes closer together and closer to public transit options — and with more energy-efficient construction — could reduce consumption up to 64 percent compared to single-family, remote suburban homes that rely heavily on car travel  Having a single-family home without shared walls is a dream and long-term goal for many, but condos, row houses and cohousing offer options for private ownership and shared responsibility for resources. Some have the added initiative of being responsible to each other in communities as part of the stewardship. Sharing a wall with a neighbor isn’t what it used to be. For many, it’s a preference and obvious choice toward a smaller footprint and a return to knowing their neighbors.

Pueblo and Adobe revival

Most people associate adobe- and pueblo-style with hot, dry areas such as the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Africa and the Mediterranean. The homes built with adobe blocks or bricks made of a clay, water and sand mixture can last hundreds of years, and they provide excellent insulation from hot and cold weather, even though they’re more widely found in warm, arid climates . Having adequate and regular sunshine to keep the adobe dry and to allow it to store heat energy is a must. Adobe has a low R-value, meaning it doesn’t insulate as well outside of its ideal, dry and sunny environment, but its thick make up is very eco-friendly in terms of keeping the heat out . In cold climates, it’s possible to add insulation and counter any moisture, though it makes more sense to work with other materials more suited for the environment. Adobe- and pueblo-revival continue to be most popular in warm regions, and what makes them “revival” is they combine traditional clay materials and newer insulating and strengthening ingredients like concrete and paper composites, and sometimes applied exterior plasters, as well. Although the revival in this style started back in the 1920s and ’30s, it has continued into the 21st century with its characteristic simple lines, central courtyards and wooden architectural details often with modern tweaks and varied rooflines.

#rammed-earth construction

#MULTI FAMILY ECO UNITS

#PUEBLO AND ADOBE REVIVAL

#ISBC