By: Anderson Lewis
People often think of sustainable construction as if it was
a new concept, when in reality it is the concept of wastefulness in construction
that is novel. Throughout much of
history people built their homes with environmentally benign materials that
were locally sourced and readily available out of necessity. Over time, it was discovered that using certain
designs, orientations, material choices, and construction methods could lead to
homes that maximized comfort and functionality for residents.
For example, Ancient Syrians discovered that they could
construct beehive shaped mud huts that would keep them cool in their hot, arid desert
climate. The mud used to build these
huts has a relatively high thermal mass so it is slow to absorb or release
energy. Few or no windows prevent radiant heat gains in the huts. A small hole
in the center of the elevated ceiling allows for hot air to rise and escape the
structure. This leads to these structures staying cool during the day and
somewhat warm at night.
Cliff dwellings constructed by the Pueblo Indians are
another great example of using natural surroundings and passive design
strategies to maximize comfort. Entire villages
constructed out of stone have been discovered built into southern facing cliffs
and nestled underneath natural rock overhangs.
These overhangs effectively minimize unwanted direct solar heat gain
during the summer months while allowing for much needed heat gains the winter
months. The rock overhang also provides
residents with protection from rain and snow.
While it is not practical for everyone to have a stone house
built into the side of a cliff, nor do most westerners want to live in a mud
hut, it is possible to use a higher percentage of locally sourced materials and
take advantage of passive design strategies to optimize the performance of your
building.
As written by the ancient Greek philosopher Aeschylus, “Only primitives &
barbarians lack knowledge of houses turned to face the winter sun.”
But as I walk through my neighborhood it seems as
though houses were dropped on their site with no consideration of the buildings
orientation.
So has the technological “advancement” of the human
race somehow caused us to revert primitives and barbarians without enough sense
to even attempt to take advantage of the free energy from the sun? Are we
content relying on the brute strength of our HVAC systems to regulate our
comfort instead of taking advantage of the synergistic opportunities of good
design and construction.
Sure, technology certainly has the potential to enhance the
comfort and functionality of homes but it often comes with negative impacts on
the environment and consequently, our health.
I assert that technology must not take place of previously
developed designs & construction methods that we now refer to as
“sustainable,” rather it should be used to optimize and build upon these
previously established construction principles.
In the past, building designs were
refined and optimized from the process of trial and error over many years. Now software exits capable of running
building performance simulations to give us a better idea of they will perform
before we construct them. These
simulations allow us to better understand how a variety of factors such as climate,
building orientation and design, material selection and construction methods impact
a building’s ultimate performance.
In addition, advancements in
windows, air sealing techniques, and insulation have made building more
efficient houses even easier than ever before.
Even something as simple as landscape
considerations can positively impact the performance of your building.
Passive design, when done properly,
can reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling and allow for HVAC
systems to be scaled down.
In conclusion, there is no denying
that technology is here to stay; however, we should not solely rely on
technology for our comfort. Past cultures
have proven that thoughtful design can produce structures that make the best
out of natural surroundings. Technology
should build upon passive design strategies instead of being use in lieu of
passive strategies. Thoughtfully designed and constructed houses do not have to
cost more than an average house and will use considerably less energy. To me, this
is an obvious choice.
