British architect Richard Hawkes designed and built an innovative energy-efficient house in the English countryside that relies on passive heating. The clay tiles of the home's distinctive arch help regulate temperature and humidity to keep the interior airy. Other passive heating measures include the arched eco house's southern exposure, heat recovery system, triple glazing and insulation.
The arched eco house is also built with many recycled and local materials, such as the clay tiles and cedar siding. Even the seeds for vegetation grown on the arch were sourced from a nearby nature reserve.
The project began as the Crossways Passive House but is now known as Passivhaus. The building of the arched eco house was documented on Channel 4's Grand Designs website. Additional pictures of the arched eco house can be seen on the architect's Tumblr blog.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Passive Heating
- The use of passive heating measures for buildings reduces energy consumption and presents an innovative opportunity for sustainable architecture.
- Recycled Building Materials
- The use of recycled and sustainable materials in construction helps reduce waste and presents a disruptive opportunity for the building materials industry.
- Sustainable Housing
- Innovative sustainable housing solutions like the arched eco house, which relies on passive heating and recycled building materials, present an opportunity for the housing industry to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
Where This Applies
- Architecture
- Architects who incorporate innovative and sustainable features like passive heating into their designs can lead the transition towards carbon-neutral buildings.
- Construction
- The use of sustainable and recycled materials in construction presents an opportunity for the industry to reduce waste and carbon emissions.
- Sustainable Living
- Growing interest in sustainable living presents opportunities for the housing and construction industry to develop innovative and eco-friendly solutions like the arched eco house.
