A lot of clients ask us about heating systems and other aspects of energy efficiency. Increasingly, people are interested in sustainable building practices and economic energy solutions. Several years ago, we were approached by a couple to design a straw bale workshop bu
The transition from hardwood floors to straw bale wall can be difficult. Be sure to read how to deal with hardwood floors in a straw bale house.
Expert tips for improving your yard's aesthetic and diverting water If you want a unique way to divert water in your yard or make your landscaping look more interesting, adding in a berm is the perfect solution. You've probably seen these...
The house itself, approximately 700 sf, is a tribute to Rina’s architectural design skills.
When we moved to our homestead this past December, we really didn't know what to do with our earth-berm home. We knew that it was supposed to be more energy-efficient, but we had no clue how to make it energy-efficient. We thought we would just move in and see tiny electric bills from that day forward. We were so disappointed when, last winter, we simply could not keep this house warm. I was miserable. I would get out of the shower and almost freeze to death before I could get dressed. Since then, we've discovered that our attic insulation was very sporadic. So, late this summer we had more insulation put in. We also recently added thermal curtains to most of the windows on the south side of the house. (The north, east, and west sides of the home are built into the ground, so if there are windows, they are the small "basement" type.) I'm pleased to say that, with the improvements that we made this year, we just recently turned on our heat for the first time two days ago, on Tuesday November 16th. Now, I never really paid attention to when we turned our heat on for the first time in our old home, but I'm pretty certain that it was well before mid-November. I've also been comparing our electric bills from our old home. I was pleased to see that this month's electric bill was $78.19 compared to this time last year at our old home at $102.41. Figured into our $78 bill now is an outdoor light with a $8+ dollar monthly fee that we didn't pay for at our old home. So, I'm pleased to be seeing a savings so far and I'm looking forward to this winter to compare last winter's bills. However, our goal is to be totally independent of the central heat at some point. We'd like to solely heat with our wood stove as we gain more experience with it and Shawn gets a larger stockpile of firewood cut. It's also taken some time to figure out how to "work" our earth-berm home. I discovered that, in the summer, I needed to open the windows as soon as the sun went down and the temperature dropped. Then, in the mornings I needed to close all the windows and curtains in order to keep the cool air trapped inside our home. It did make a difference, and fortunately, with our skylights and small northern windows, we still had enough light entering that we didn't have to use the electric lights too often. I will admit that I wasn't excited about this plan because I didn't want to feel like I was living in a cave for the entire summer's daylight hours. However, I discovered that I really spent very little time inside in the summertime. There's way too much stuff to do outside in the garden and orchard at that time of the year. So, coming inside to a cool, relatively dark home was kind of nice. In the winter, I will need to do the opposite. In the mornings once the sun comes up, I open the south-facing curtains to let the sunlight come in. Doing this helps the house to heat up. In the evenings I close all the curtains up and the heat from the sun is trapped in here to help keep us warm through the night. So far, things seem to be working well. Granted it's only November. I guess the real test will be February when it's bitter cold, but I'm optimistic.
Well, the US presidential election is a mere four days away, and no matter what side of the political divide you’re on, you probably believe the end of the world is coming, should the other candidate win. Perhaps it’s time to take shelter in this partially underground concrete home in Virginia. Built by architect Donald Reed Chandler in 1977, it’s one of the country’s first modern earth roof and berm homes.
Expert tips for improving your yard's aesthetic and diverting water If you want a unique way to divert water in your yard or make your landscaping look more interesting, adding in a berm is the perfect solution. You've probably seen these...
It’s seemed like a long time coming, but we’ve finally planted trees along our northern border. After considering and imagining countless trees and tall shrubs of all varieties, I elected to plant a dozen Green Giant Arborvitae trees. This hedge of trees is already transforming the feeling in our ba
Landscape berms and mounds are an easy and attractive way to add interest to your yard and landscape. Building them isn’t complicated.
100% Waterproof | Width: 9” | Thickness: 6 mm | Finish: UV with Anti-Microbial Coating | Construction: Rigid Core Waterproof
These green home exteriors will inspire you to choose a nature-inspired paint for your next home improvement project!
Imagen 18 de 24 de la galería de Club House Altos de San Antonio / Dutari Viale Arquitectos. Detalle Constructivo 1
Image 27 of 64 from gallery of Extension Of A Barn / PPA. Photograph by Philippe Ruault
There are many ways architects can choose to "green" their projects—using sustainable building materials, harnessing renewable energy sources, managing
Regular readers will know that we tend to favour simple, non-mechanical methods of green design, like passive solar heating instead of, say, thermal solar collectors with evacuated tubes and pumps. One
Quonset House kits are ideal for the do-it-yourselfer and include an interior which is fully customizable to your Quonset home plans.
What are underground homes and how to build an earth berm house, with solutions to problems and expert advice.
