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An overhead drone shot of our first net-zero home in Cape Coral, Florida. It shows a newly renovation white 1,836 sq ft home with a big solar system on the roof.
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Net-Zero vs Passive House: What are the Similarities and Differences?

By Zarkon Group,

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a net-zero house and a passive house? They’re both buzzwords in the green industry. But also appear in the mainstream news and the speeches of politicians. Gaining in popularity, it’s good to be aware of the differences. In some cases, it’s the smallest of details. But these different approaches to building can have a big effect on cost, comfort, true sustainability, environmental savings, and much more. We’ll explain the differences so that you can make an informed decision on which type of green building to pursue when designing or renovating your own home. We’ll also share how our family approached our first net-zero solar home renovation project, and how we kept costs to a minimum.

What is a Net-Zero Energy Home?

A net-zero home produces as much energy on an annual basis as it consumes. Design and engineering usually involve off-the-shelf energy-efficient technology and renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to reach zero net energy use throughout the year. It may not necessarily be completely engineered to use the lowest energy possible, but if it produces enough to make up for those shortcomings, it could be considered net-zero.

 

An overhead drone shot of our first net-zero home in Cape Coral, Florida. It shows a newly renovation white 1,836 sq ft home with a big solar system on the roof.Our own affordable net-zero home renovation project in Cape Coral, FL.

(See more at Our First Net-Zero Solar Home Renovation (And How We Did It) – Attainable Home)

What Is a Passive House?

You’ll find many definitions on the web. But most agree that a passive house has highly engineered energy efficiency and stringent design standards while using environmental factors, such as passive solar, to keep energy use as low as possible. It’s a voluntary standard to achieve comfort, affordability and the lowest ongoing environmental impact possible. Here’s how the Passive House Institute defines a passive house: “Passive building comprises a set of design principles used to attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level.”  Another way to describe it is that it “optimizes gains and losses” based on climate. You can learn more at Passive House U.S.

What Similarities Do These Homes Share?

The good news is both are extremely more energy-efficient and sustainable than an average house. And it doesn’t even have to cost that much more either.

Passive houses and net-zero homes share much in common. Both types of homes aim to make sure that their energy consumption is as close to zero as possible. 

There are many differences in how they accomplish this, but for the most part, both passive and net-zero houses follow similar principles. 

Common Characteristics of Both Net-Zero and Passive Homes:

None of these are requirements, but all energy-efficient homes, regardless of the label, usually aim to have most or all of these characteristics:

  • The building envelope is as air-tight as possible within budget. If you can control the air inside and prevent air leakage, the mechanical systems run less.
  • Elimination of thermal bridging when possible. A thermal bridge is a component in the house that acts as a thermal conductor between the inside and outside of the house, such as window and door frames.
  • High-performance energy-efficient windows.
  • Thick and continuous insulation through the entire building envelope. Insulation acts like a blanket around your house (similar to your to-go coffee mug that keeps your coffee warm for longer).
  • Mechanical ventilation that keeps air healthy and fresh. Because your building envelope is so tight, the air inside your home has nowhere to go. You must move that stale indoor out and bring fresh air in from the outside while retaining the heat using an energy recovery ventilation system.
  • Efficient mechanical systems and appliances. Things like HVAC, your hot water heater, washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and others must be energy efficient. But perhaps more importantly – they must be designed correctly for the home. If systems are too big or small for their actual workload, they can work overtime and burn out.
  • Some use of shading. Ideally, you have shading on the roof that is optimized to let the warm sun in through the winter (when the sun is lower in the sky) and shade for the windows in the summertime.
  • Renewable energy. Even with energy-efficiency measures and stringent passive house standards, you may still need to generate some power to get to net-zero. This is where solar energy, small wind turbines, geothermal, or perhaps small micro hydropower might come in. We did a whole article on solar alternatives if you’re interested in learning more about that.

The major difference between passive and net-zero homes is that Passive House’s stringent standards for insulation, air sealing, and use of passive solar reduce the energy needs of the building to the point that very little solar may be needed to get to net zero. On the other hand, net-zero homes have less stringent standards and may require more solar to get to zero.

How Much Do These Energy Efficient Homes Cost?

Many factors contribute to the total cost, so it’s hard to say exactly. The best graph we’ve found appears in  Rocky Mountain Institute’s 2019 report, “The Economics of Zero-Energy Homes,” which shows that net-zero homes only cost about 6-8% more than traditional homes.*

Courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute study entitled The Economics of Zero-Energy Homes

Similarly, according to the Passive House Institute US, a passive house typically costs 5-10% more than a typical home. For the net-zero home renovation we did (see below), the efficiency measures and solar energy costs equate to 6.8% of the final appraised home value, so nearly dead-on with RMI’s findings.

A Case Study – Our Attempt at a Net-Zero Home Renovation

I wanted to create the most affordable net-zero home renovation I could muster. The goals were clear and deliberate:

  1. Keep the total cost under the median average home price of the area.
  2. Ensure that it could rent for 10-15% above all ownership costs, including long-term maintenance. This is because things change in life and I wouldn’t  be forced to sell in a down-market.

I was aware of the Passive House concept before starting, but my goal was to get to net-zero as affordably as possible. The reality is, unless you’re building from the ground up, a Passive House design is difficult to implement because most existing homes would require extensive renovation to meet Passive House standards.

My approach was to use energy and financial models to go after the lowest hanging fruit. This created the freedom to let the spreadsheets tell me what to do on the project. This is house-specific, so each project is different.

Going After The Lowest Hanging Fruit – A Surprising Example

The house had a 2007 13 SEER HVAC system. Naturally, I thought that I must replace it to achieve net-zero. As it turned out, while doing the energy and financial modeling, that wasn’t the case. In my location, at least on this house, with my electric rates, and a Florida climate, adding more solar panels on the house cost less than upgrading to a new higher SEER HVAC system. By going after the cheapest and most effective energy-saving measures possible, the overall project was a success and not as big a hit on the wallet. With this approach – even with this being my first renovation ever – the total efficiency and solar energy costs equated to 6.8% of the final appraised home value, in line with the studies mentioned above.

Power for the Electric Car, Too

As a bonus, the 9.38KW solar system could, in addition to powering my home, produce enough power to drive a Tesla Model 3 for 10,000 miles per year. At the rate that my current system is producing, it is turning out to be more like 12-14,000 miles per year.

Here’s a picture from our Enphase Enlighten app, showing solar production in blue and home usage in orange throughout

the day.

Conclusion

Although there are differences between Passive House and net-zero home standards,  the end goal is nearly the same – to use as little energy as possible on a net basis.

The exciting thing is that these approaches are growing so much in popularity and have world governments behind the concept to boot. The technology is getting cheaper, the building science is getting better, and the overall economic picture makes it much more affordable to build or renovate homes more efficiently on a grand scale.

While there are so many variables with all of this, just know that there are plenty of ways to meet the goals of using less energy, reducing carbon, and building more efficiently, whether it be a passive house, net-zero, or any other way you are able to get there.

 

Erin Shine

Founder | Attainable Home

Original Article Posted on AttainableHome.com  

 

 

 

Reference

Exterior of Deja Vu Recycle Store in Shanghai
CategoriesInterior Design

Offhand Practice designs second-hand bookshop to mimic greengrocer

By Zarkon Group,

Used books are displayed in supermarket-style crates at the Deja Vu Recycle Store in Shanghai, which local studio Offhand Practice has designed to counter the “shabby” image associated with second-hand shops.

The store, which also carries pre-owned fashion, is located on the first and second floor of a three-storey building on Shanghai’s buzzy Anfu Road.

Exterior of Deja Vu Recycle Store in Shanghai
The Deja Vu Recycle Store is located in Shanghai’s Anfu Road

On the interior, Chinese architecture studio Offhand Practice hoped to create a relaxed shopping environment despite the large number of goods on offer, which includes more than 2,000 pieces of clothing.

With this aim, the studio set out to mimic the experience of going to a greengrocer by displaying clothes and books on shelves typically used to hold fruits and vegetables, while giving all products equal prominence regardless of price.

Mosaic-tiled hallway in store interior by Offhand Practice
A long gallery-like corridor leads to the staircase for the first floor

“Picking up books in the way of picking up vegetables and fruits gives a feeling of enriching the spiritual basket,” Offhand Practice explained.

On the ground floor, the studio recessed the building’s entrance and framed it in cream-coloured mosaic tiles to create a small shelter while making the towering facade feel more welcoming.

Supermarket-style shelves holding books in Deja Vu Recycle Store
Second-hand books are displayed in supermarket-style crates

One of the main challenges for the studio was to encourage passersby to walk through the building’s ground floor – consisting of a long corridor bookended with space for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) equipment– and climb the stairs to reach the Deja Vu Recycle Store.

This was achieved by turning the corridor into a kind of gallery, showcasing the process of refurbishing second-hand goods.

“Taking advantage of the narrowness, we identified spatial depth through layers of opening,” the studio explained.

Books are displayed on the building’s first floor and clothing on the second. Both levels have an open-plan layout with circulation routes defined by shelving and clothes rails.

Mosaic tiles made from stone off-cuts were used to form decorative wainscoting in the same creamy beige colour as the facade, which channels 1970s Shanghai interiors.

Contrasting green tiles were used to frame the generous window openings revealed during the building’s renovation, and to form integrated window seats.

Mosaic-framed window in Shanghai store by Offhand Practice
Green mosaic tiles were used to frame the building’s windows

Natural pine was used to form the cashier counter, shelves and book crates to add a sense of warmth to the interior.

Offhand Practice said it designed the store to break with negative preconceptions around second-hand stores being “dull, disorganised and piled with shabby objects”.

“Deja Vu Recycle Store breaks the stereotypical image of a second-hand store and erases the ritualistic impression of a traditional bookstore full of full-height bookshelves,” the studio said.

Green mosaic tiles covering arch in Deja Vu Recycle Store in Shanghai
The tiles were also used to emphasise arches and other architectural details

The store was recently been shortlisted for large retail interior of the year at the 2022 Dezeen Awards.

Other projects in the running include a surrealist pop-up shop designed by Random Studio for fashion brand Jacquemus and a concept store that Schemata Architects has created for an outdoor brand in South Korea.

The photography is by Hu Yanyun.

Reference

Recyclable turbines for onshore wind energy
CategoriesSustainable News

Recyclable turbines for onshore wind energy

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), wind energy generation hit a record 273 terawatt-hours in 2021. And the IEA further forecasts that, in order to meet the agency’s net zero by 2050 scenario, the world will need to install 7,900 terrawatt-hours of wind electricity generation by 2030.

As wind power grows in importance, the need to consider the whole lifecycle of a wind turbine is more important than ever. While wind power is a clean and renewable form of energy, the turbines themselves are not without an environmental cost. And one of the most intractable issues to date has been the fact that turbines are made using composite materials that are difficult to recycle. Against this backdrop, the Siemens Gamesa RecyclableBlade, launched in September 2021 and first installed at a project in Germany in July, is a step in the right direction.

The blade is made of a composite material that can be recycled and reused, reducing the need for new materials. In addition, the blade is designed to be dismantled and transported back to the factory for recycling, making it easier to recycle than traditional blades. With its innovative recyclable solutions, Siemens Gamesa is helping to propel the activities that make wind energy even more sustainable, creating a fully circular sector.

Turbine blades are made from composite materials, including resin, glass and carbon fibers. The recycling process for these materials is complex and costly. However, Siemens’ new RecyclableBlade process uses a mild acidic solution to separate the materials at the end of the turbine’s lifetime. Those materials can then be recycled for use in other industrial applications. This could help to reduce the environmental impact of wind energy production and make the turbines more economically viable in the long run.

The innovation is part of Siemens’ larger sustainability vision, which includes a core target to produce fully recyclable wind turbines by 2040. After the run at RWE’s Kaskasi project in Germany last July 2022, the new RecyclableBlade is now available for customers to use at their onshore wind sites.

As wind turbines become more prevalent and their disposal becomes more pressing, Springwise is seeing a rise in methods for recycling wind turbine blades. These include wind turbine bioplastic that can be recycled into gummy bears, a recyclable composite innovation turning turbine blades into snowsports equipment, and the UK’s first turbine blade recycling project.

Written By: Katrina Lane

Reference

Brick social housing in Norfolk
CategoriesSustainable News

Six buildings that show reuse “isn’t a constraint on creativity”

By Zarkon Group,

As ditching demolition in favour of reusing existing buildings becomes crucial in the face of climate change, Building for Change author Ruth Lang selects six buildings that show that renovations don’t need to be dull.

With 80 per cent of buildings projected to exist in 2050 already built, Lang wrote the book Building for Change: The Architecture Of Creative Reuse, which is published by Gestalten, to draw attention to the need to creatively reuse our existing buildings if we hope to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century and avert the worst effects of global warming.

Reuse “a provocation to be more inventive”

“Focusing efforts on new build constructions alone can only have 20 per cent of the impact required,” said Lang, who is an architect and teacher at the Royal College of Art and the London School of Architecture.

“The exciting thing for me was how this isn’t a constraint on creativity, but actually a provocation to be more inventive in using what we already have,” she told Dezeen.

Preserving the embodied carbon of existing structures is increasingly becoming more of a focus for architects and environmental groups, with high-profile projects including the M&S Oxford Street redevelopment facing critiques over relying on demolition.

Lang believes that studios need to rethink their approaches toward reuse with greater training and willingness to challenge briefs to stop bulldozing from being the “go-to approach”.

“We now need to reconsider projects at the briefing stage, to identify how the design will respond not only to its immediate future but also the impact it will have on future generations,” she said.

“I’m hoping that the project profiles will give some more insight as to how the aims of creative reuse can be delivered in practice,” she continued.

“We rarely talk about the processes involved in delivering schemes such as these – especially regarding the complexities of creative reuse – as we tend to merely celebrate the end result.”

Renovation can have “a financial and environmental bonus”

The book explores different approaches towards reuse and contains numerous case studies from around the world that she hopes will expand architects’ and clients’ thinking on the subject.

“I’m hoping that clients and building owners can be convinced that reuse doesn’t negatively impact the overall quality and creativity of the proposed scheme, and can instead have a financial and environmental bonus,” she said.

“If we can all begin to consider the opportunities for reuse from the outset, we’ll open up new territory for creative approaches which we might not ordinarily consider.”

The buildings contained in the book all intend to show an optimistic view of reuse, which aims to create buildings that continue to function for generations.

“The projects I’ve been researching seem to unlock a whole new set of values, particularly around the character, history and emotional attachment that becomes associated with the buildings we interact with as part of our day-to-day lives,” explained Lang.

“Although it was one of the premises of modernism, very few people want a blank slate in that respect. By seeing our buildings as aggregates of these values, alongside their carbon consumption, we must place consideration for what we are passing on to the next generation at the heart of architectural design,” she continued.

“The buildings I’ve included in the book all set an optimistic territory for this experience which will stretch beyond our own – and I look forward to more following suit.”

Below Lang highlights six buildings that demonstrate these ideals:

Tai Kwun Centre by Herzog & de Meuron
Photo by Iwan Baan

Tai Kwun Arts Center, Hong Kong, by Herzog & de Meuron and Purcell

“Although the first impression of Herzog and de Meuron and Purcell’s transformation of the historic police and magistrates site is of the new build insertions, the project has put as much energy into the retention and integration of the existing structures.

“Extensive testing and forensic research into the traditional ways of the building was undertaken, as no records were available of the construction. When they discovered the reinforced concrete was unusually made of bundles of wires, lab testing checked the structure was sufficient for its new use, which saved it from having to be removed.

“These have been sensitively augmented with subtle new structures, to enable them to meet current building standards. The new aspects of the scheme adopt innovative forms of reuse, too, recycling alloy wheels to form the distinctive aluminium bricks for the new auditorium.”

Inside the Mo de Movimiento restaurant with wooden furniture and lighting fixtures made from upcycled fluorescent light casing

MO de Movimiento restaurant, Madrid, Spain, by Lucas Muñoz

“The reworking of the materials that characterise this transformation of an old recording studio into a restaurant space has given rise to a sense of social rehabilitation, too.

“The designers worked collaboratively with local craftspeople to reinterpret old techniques – such as creating adiabatic cooling systems – and helping them to identify new applications for their skills.

“They experimented with different techniques to transform strip lighting into chandeliers, construction waste into furniture and electrical offcuts into door handles. The result is an innovative interior with a tiny carbon footprint and an ongoing social legacy.”

Zietz MOCAA, by Heatherwick Studio, Cape Town, South Africa
Photo by Iwan Baan

Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa, by Heatherwick Studio

“Alongside the environmental value of retaining the concrete silos, Heatherwick Studio’s team recognised the social value the building made through its controversial history of trade and extraction.

“To retain and repurpose the existing structure demanded huge amounts of work to be undertaken including extensive surveying of the concrete tubes, which were found to need repair.

“A new 200-millimetre-thick concrete inner sleeve was added using 8,500 cubic meters of concrete and requiring almost 1,200 workers on site for 5.3 million man-hours over the course of 36 months. It takes a lot of work to make something appear so simple.”

Party and Public Service Center of Yuanheguan Village by LUO studio in China
Photo by Jin Weiqi

Party and Public Service Centre, Yuanheguan, China, by LUO Studio

“This project proves how an abandoned construction doesn’t have to be a dead end. To reuse the derelict concrete frame of an aborted house construction, the architects set about surveying the extent of decay to see how much additional structure would be required to turn the intended private dwelling into a community space.

“Rather than impose their design vision upon the site, this required them to look, experiment and adapt, transforming the design process. The resulting timber structure has been sized accordingly to span neatly upon the found structure, requiring little demolition and using bespoke joints to form the interface between old and new.”

Kibera Hamlets School, by SelgasCano, Nairobi, Kenya
Photo by Iwan Baan

Kibera Hamlets School, Nairobi, Kenya, by SelgasCano

“Although great projects for provoking design innovation, the pavilions of biennales and exhibitions have long been identified as being materially wasteful. SelgasCano and Helloeverything’s commission for Copenhagen’s Louisiana Museum sought to address this by designing a pavilion (above and top) with a legacy use in mind.

“The scaffolding structure used netting, chipboard and sheets of polycarbonate plastic with water containers as ballast for the structure – materials that could be found and put to use by the local community in its intended new home in the largest slum of Nairobi, where it will provide much-needed facilities for education and entrepreneurship.”

Harrow Arts Centre, by DK_CM, London, UK
Photo by Neil Perry

Harrow Arts Centre, London, UK, by DK-CM

“This was one of the initial inspirations for the book project. I was by fascinated how DK-CM had taken the brief for a new building and demonstrated how a strategic process of rehabilitation and reuse would bring greater value for the client – not least because it would save them the enormous cost of hiring portacabins.

“It takes huge bravery to provoke a client into questioning whether they need a new building, giving up the opportunity for creating one of those eye-catching new build schemes that often grab awards and headlines in the press, and instead turning your efforts to a much more labour-intensive process of surveying and rehabilitation.

“Yet the values they have brought are multiple – in the environmental benefits, the social connections forged with the community and in setting an example that reuse can be achieved to such high standards on a grand scale.”

Reference

Metal-clad centre for dance in Helsinki
CategoriesArchitecture

JKMM and ILO architects create Dance House in Helsinki factory

By Zarkon Group,

A large steel-clad cube encloses the Dance House in Helsinki, which local architecture studios JKMM and ILO architects have created by converting and extending part of a former cable factory.

Providing over 7,000 square metres of space, the Dance House forms part of a wider redevelopment of the old industrial building that was acquired by the city in 1991 to create the Kaapelitehdas, or Cable Factory, which is Helsinki’s largest cultural centre.

Metal-clad centre for dance in Helsinki
JKMM and ILO architects have created the Dance House. Photo is by Hannu Rytky

JKMM and ILO architects were tasked with reconfiguring part of the existing structure while adding new spaces to its eastern end, housed inside a steel-clad cuboid informed by the “gravity, lightness and weight” of dance.

“The Dance House adds a striking contemporary layer to the history of the former factory and its surroundings,” said JKMM.

Corner of Dance House by JKMM and ILO architects
The centre occupies part of a former cable factory

“The new and old are placed in contrast, but also in dialogue with each other. Together, the Dance House and the Cable Factory create a meaningful destination and a revived neighbourhood,” JKMM continued.

Inside are two black-box dance studios. One of them is housed in the Cable Factory’s redesigned Pannu Hall, which now seats up to 400 people, and the second is the new 1,000-seat Erkko Hall – the largest dance performance space in the Nordic countries.

Detail image of the circular metal cladding panels
Metal clads the exterior of the building

These two performance spaces sit on either side of an entrance lobby, which connects to an enclosed street-like space between two existing facades, described by JKMM as a “glass courtyard”.

An underground club, cloakroom facilities, restaurant, rehearsal and back-of-house spaces are organised across the building’s five levels, with all of the circulation spaces designed to have the potential to be used for performance.

“All the public spaces in the Dance House have been designed with performance in mind,” explained JKMM’s project architect Harri Lindberg.

“It is possible for dance to take over, for example, the entire Cable Factory for the duration of a performance,” he continued.

Exterior image of an entrance to Dance House in Helsinki
An entrance links to an enclosed street-like space. Photo is by Hannu Rytky

Large steel panels, one of them highly reflective and one weathered, form the facade of the extension, hung slightly above the ground and at different levels to give the effect of them shifting away from one another.

On the building’s north elevation facing a nearby park, the stacked levels have been covered in hundreds of small aluminium discs, designed to create an “abstract rhythm” against the sky.

Interior view of Dance House in Helsinki by JKMM and ILO architects
There are two black-box dance studios. Photo is by Tuomas Uusheimo

“Dance deals with gravity, lightness, and the weight of the human body,” explained JKMM.

“The ‘floating’ metal facades were custom designed by using laser welding technology, to create bespoke sandwich panels with the biggest possible surface,” it continued.

“Dance performers also create illusions. The light, satin-like steel surface can be transformed with light, becoming part of the scenery of dance events.”

Auditorium by JKMM and ILO architects in Helsinki
It has the largest dance performance space in the Nordic countries

Inside, robust materials such as raw steel and concrete have been chosen to complement the existing structure of the former factory.

JKKM recently incorporated heritage structures into another of its designs in the Finnish capital, creating a new home for the University of Arts Helsinki that partially occupies an old soap factory and silo building.

The photography is by Peter Vuorenrinne unless stated otherwise.

Reference

Zero Accessory Dwelling Units: Low Income Housing that Works
CategoriesSustainable News Zero Energy Homes

Zero Accessory Dwelling Units: Low Income Housing that Works

By Zarkon Group,

We all know there is a considerable lack of affordable housing in the U.S. and that addressing it effectively has been challenging. Now that many states and municipalities are altering their zoning to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), there is a new opportunity to expand truly affordable rental housing – building low-cost zero energy ADUs – sometimes referred to as in-law apartments, garage apartments, attic apartments, tiny homes, or casitas. But how to make them truly affordable?

Small ADUs are Affordable

By their very nature, ADUs will cost less to rent because they are smaller, and building them uses fewer materials.  This is even more likely in an above the garage, basement, or attic ADU where existing structural elements can be used. They also have no land costs because they are built on an existing lot or above an existing garage. And there are no landscaping costs other than restoring any construction disruption. Sewer, water, and electricity are close at hand.  And, if they are zero energy ADUs, they will need no gas hook-up.  More importantly, they will have no, or almost no, energy bills for their residents.

Zero Energy Bills

There are two legs to affordability.  One is the rent – the other is the monthly utility bill. The second one is almost always overlooked when considering affordable housing, but high energy bills can play a devastating role in making an ADU rental unaffordable.  Zero Energy ADUs solve that problem and offer a more truly affordable rental.  The challenge is how to get to zero at least cost, so the rent can be kept low.

Cost Cutting Zero ADU Construction 

The first step in low-cost zero energy construction is conducting energy modeling on the planned structure.  Energy modeling will help select the lowest cost mix of energy-saving measures such as insulation and air sealing, energy-saving equipment, and solar. For example, energy modeling and price comparisons will quickly determine whether it is more cost-effective to use a heat pump water heater or add some additional panels and use a standard water heater – or whether to use insulation with a higher or lower u-value.

There are other potential savings related to the smaller size of an ADU.  Windows are expensive. Locating them to optimize light and views, and eliminating or reducing them where they are not needed, may allow smaller glazed areas. Since mini splits can be ductless, there is no need for ductwork.  Most ADUs can be heated and cooled with one small unit, which is quick and easy to install.  Since heat pump HVAC systems should never be oversized, smaller ones are usually the best choice. 

In small homes, such as ADUs, energy or heat recovery ventilation systems can be installed without ducts, using a Lunos e2 through-the-wall HRV or a Panasonic Whisper Quiet ERV to provide fresh filtered air. The size of the water heating system can be tailored to a smaller number of inhabitants. A smaller 30 or 50-gallon heat pump water heater is an excellent but more expensive option. Using a small well insulated standard electric water heater with added solar panels may be less costly. An even more economical option might be using one or two-point of use tankless electric water heaters – one in the bath and one in the kitchen – and adding sufficient solar to cover its energy use.

An ADU Solar Advantage

Another significant potential savings with constructing a stand-alone ADU is a second chance to install solar on the main property.  If the original home does not have a good solar orientation, it may be possible to orient and design an ADU with enough solar for both the original home and the ADU. Any ADU-related shed or garage can be designed to optimize solar exposure. Large roof overhangs to shade the southern or western sun to avoid overheating can also expand the solar area. Or depending on orientation, sufficient solar can be installed on the main home to supply both the main house and the ADU – or some panels can be installed on the sunniest areas of each roof. In any case, optimizing the number of solar panels will lower the cost of ownership and renting.

Small ADUs can Live Large

The key to a successful small ADU is designing it for large living.  Building inexpensive non-conditioned storage spaces outside of the conditioned ADU, either in an attached or stand-alone shed or added to a connected or stand-alone garage, is affordable and leaves room for ample storage outside and living inside.  Smart kitchen/dining areas design can provide all the amenities in a small space. Creating accessible storage spaces under stairs and over cupboards optimizes the use of space, as do multipurpose rooms like office-bedroom spaces.

Our Experience

We decided to add ADUs to our two small rental homes on two different properties in Bend, Oregon, where the city changed the code to allow ADUs. We conducted energy modeling to determine the least-cost path to zero. We sealed the building envelope using Aerobarrier and insulated it well.  We used a small heat pump mini split for HVAC and a small heat pump water heater, used one Panasonic Whisper Quiet ERV in the bath and one in the kitchen, and installed energy-efficient electric appliances, including an induction stove. We added generous unconditioned storage areas outside of each unit. Because neither of the existing small homes had a good solar orientation and the ADUs did, we added enough solar on each of the ADUs to power both the ADU and the original house on each lot. So they both became zero energy homes.

Perfect for Low Income Housing

We can profit from rents while the tenants enjoy no energy bills. We have rented out two units, with two more on the way, to people with low incomes, referred by local non-profit organizations, providing them with affordable small, well-designed living spaces with no energy bills.

By Joe Emerson

Joe is the founder of the Zero Energy Project

Reference

A row of houses on set of Don't Worry Darling
CategoriesInterior Design

Don’t Worry Darling set designed as a “debaucherous take on the 1950s”

By Zarkon Group,

Production designer Kate Byron used vintage “treasures” and referenced key modernist architecture to create the set of psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling, which was shot in California’s Palm Springs.

Byron drew on the architecture and interior style of the many modernist buildings that dominate the landscape in the desert city to create Victory – a fictional, utopian 1950s-style society where the film takes place.

A row of houses on set of Don't Worry Darling
Katie Byron referenced modernist architecture for the film

“We wanted to build a playful and debaucherous take on the 1950s, when there was this illustrious progressive, mid-century modern movement happening,” Byron told Dezeen.

“The world of Victory is supposed to be alluring, it’s supposed to be beautiful and sultry and sumptuous and opulent.”

Two characters on a film set on grass lawns
It was shot in Palm Springs, a Californian city famous for its modernist architecture

Directed by actor and director Olivia Wilde, Don’t Worry Darling follows fiery couple Alice and Jack – played by British actor Florence Pugh and musician and actor Harry Styles – as they go from living in an idealistic paradise to a troubled world fraught with secrets, control and manipulation.

The characters move across a quintessential Palm Springs backdrop of low-slung buildings with clean lines by architects including Richard Neutra, Harold Bissner Junior and Albert Frey.

A character standing in a modernist house
Kaufmann House was one of the filming locations

Several scenes, such as a cocktail party hosted by the leader of Victory which took place in Neutra’s Kaufmann House, were shot in real modernist buildings, while the home of protagonists Alice and Jack was built in a Los Angeles studio.

“We’re really lucky in California to have access to this architecture and in my history of being an architecture student and a production designer, I’ve gotten to visit a lot of these houses in person,” Byron said.

“I was interested in Neutra, but also Frey was a huge inspiration for us because of that playful wholesomeness that he embodied,” she said.

A woman vacuum cleaning
Alice and Jack’s house is filled with locally sourced props

Byron, who studied architecture at University of California, Berkeley, threaded more subtle modernist details into the interiors of Don’t Worry Darling through devices such as colour.

“A colour we used quite a bit was Frey’s favourite colour – this Frey blue – which is like a robin’s-egg blue that he puts in all of his buildings,” explained Byron.

“There’s also a colour that Kaufman House has quite a bit of; Neutra put this really, really, really dark brown that almost feels black, but it has this warmth to it,” she continued. “We weaved that throughout the film as well.”

A woman cleaning a bathroom
Byron used lots of glass and mirrors throughout the set

Byron sourced vintage products from shops and prop houses in LA for Alice and Jack’s home, which recalls “cookie-cutter” houses – rows of identical homes found in idyllic depictions of 1950s suburbia.

Much of the furniture seen was built from scratch, in part because the film was shot during the autumn of 2020 when many vendors were unavailable or had long lead times as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“When you’re in Palm Springs, they just have these antique stores and even in thrift stores and Facebook marketplace you can find really special things,” the designer recalled.

“That’s also one of the most amazing things about Los Angeles – there are infinite prop houses here so we shopped quite a bit at all the local prop houses,” she continued.

“The television in Alice and Jack’s house is from this vendor called RC Vintage, which is just like a treasure trove place of antique electronics.”

Harry Styles on set of Don't Worry Darling
Much of the furniture was made from scratch

Other smaller references were embedded into Byron’s material choices, primarily glass, stone and brick.

Meanwhile, the designer paid homage to Neutra’s storage cabinets, which the production team filled with items such as business cards, cleaning supplies and photographs of Alice and Jack to make the set feel more real for the actors.

“Keeping with Neutra as our design inspiration, the house is designed with a lot of storage in mind – we wanted all of this stuff to be cleanly kept behind doors,” Byron said.

Cars driving through a desert
The desert setting is designed to look like a utopia

Byron hoped that by incorporating playful elements throughout the set she could “subvert” the sense of normalcy in Victory and play with the audience’s expectations of a thriller.

“The thriller follows a formula often, and I thought it could be really great to just subvert that,” she said.

“I think the level of play helps viewers feel like they want to be there and if it wasn’t for the playful aesthetic, I think we would be expecting something to go wrong,” she added.

Don’t Worry Darling is not the only film that draws on a key architectural movement to inform its set. Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs film sets were heavily informed by metabolist architecture, while Black Panther’s “voluptuous” sets recalled works by architect Zaha Hadid.

The photography is courtesy of Warner Bros.



Reference

Monitoring biodiversity through soundscapes - Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

Monitoring biodiversity through soundscapes – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Nature soundscapes are often the preserve of meditation and wellbeing apps – used to make people feel more in touch with nature. But could they have a deeper scientific use? Dr. Sarab Sethi from the University of Cambridge thinks so. His groundbreaking work is based on the premise that soundscapes can tell us a lot about the health of an ecosystem. By monitoring a soundscape over time, we can get an early warning of changes in habitat health or the species present.

Dr Sethi has developed a device that records soundscapes over long time frames, with minimal human intervention. The technology, which is low-cost and open-source, consists of a network of sound recorders that are scattered across a landscape. These recorders collect audio data 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The data is then uploaded to the cloud, where it is automatically processed by a number of advanced machine learning algorithms.

The device is currently being used to monitor the biodiversity of different ecosystems under different human pressures as part of a trial of the technology. One of the places where the technology is being deployed is in Borneo. Here, the devices are being used to monitor sounds across a ‘landscape degradation gradient’ – from old growth forest, to logged forest and then to oil palm plantation. Scientists will then use the data to study how this gradient, and the different levels of environmental degradation, affects biodiversity. Another project is underway in the Arctic Circle, where researchers are listening to sounds in the soil and observing changes in the behaviour observed at anthills. The resesearch team is taking this approach because environmental pollutants could potentially be detected through the distressed noises of the ants.

Sethi’s soundscape-monitoring device could have a major impact on the field of ecology. By providing real-time data on changes in the soundscape, it would allow field ecologists to focus their efforts on areas where there are potentially significant changes taking place. This would save time and money, and ultimately result in better protection for delicate habitats. In addition, Sethi is working on making the device biodegradable which would reduce the impact of research projects on the environment. Overall, Sethi’s invention represents a potential breakthrough in the way field ecologists work, and it could have a profound impact on the conservation of endangered species and habitats.

In the future, such devices could play an important role in conservation efforts.  Other similar innovations spotted by Springwise include the recreation of healthy soundscapes to attract fish to damaged coral reefs, and an app that identifies animal and plant species through a phone camera. 

Written By: Katrina Lane

Reference

Serpentine Pavilion 2022
CategoriesSustainable News

New Serpentine Pavilion “definitely” more sustainable than last year

By Zarkon Group,

The 2022 Serpentine Pavilion is more sustainable than last year’s “carbon-negative” design thanks to its reusable foundations and timber floor, say its engineers AECOM.

This year’s edition of the annual London commission is a timber drum designed by American artist Theaster Gates. Last year’s design, by Counterspace, controversially claimed to be “carbon-negative” despite featuring concrete foundations that were not reusable.

The 2022 edition is “definitely” more sustainable, according to AECOM director Jon Leach.

Serpentine Pavilion 2022
This year’s Serpentine Pavilion was designed by Theaster Gates

Reducing the amount of concrete used and making the entire structure demountable, including the foundation, has reduced the building’s overall carbon footprint, he explained.

“Measured like-for-like, this year’s pavilion has a lower carbon footprint than the 2021 pavilion, largely because of the very light-weight timber superstructure and very small, reusable low-cement foundations that are ballasted with site-won fill,” Leach told Dezeen.

Last year’s pavilion, which featured timber and other biomaterials, removed 31 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, according to a report seen by Dezeen.

Serpentine Pavilion by Counterspace
South African studio Counterspace designed last year’s Serpentine Pavilion

However, the report did not include the impact of moving the pavilion to a new location, which would require breaking up the 95-cubic-metre concrete base and casting a new one.

This year’s pavilion is secured with a series of concrete pads that will be removed from the site and reused when the structure is re-erected.

“The foundations are completely reusable,” said Leach. “They will be transported with the rest of the pavilion.”

“They are small concrete pads that were precast using low cement concrete, which takes a bit longer to cure – so they were pre-cast off-site,” he continued. “They can just be lifted out.”

Above ground the pavilion, which is the largest ever built on the site, was designed to be as lightweight as possible. This allowed AECOM to reduce the scale of the foundations by 75 per cent.

“The aim has been to improve year on year,” explained Leach. “So the key thing with this year’s was that it’s large, but it’s lightweight.

First Serpentine Pavilion without concrete floor

“So we focused on a timber, lightweight superstructure, and then really minimising the foundations as much as we can,” he continued. “So there’s still some concrete in the foundations, but it’s, it’s a quarter of what it was last year.”

To reduce the carbon impact, the pavilion does not have a concrete floor for the first time in the commission’s history. Instead, a raised timber floor was installed.

“All the previous pavilions have had concrete floors, mainly for durability,” said Leach. “This year we discussed with the gallery and decided we really need to take a step away from that as a principle.”

Interior of 2022 serpentine Pavilion
A raised timber floor was used to reduce the need for concrete

“We’ve done a lot of tests on making sure the timber should last for the summer with 300,000 visitors,” he added.

Designed by American artist Gates, the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion is named Black Chapel. It was designed to be a peaceful space “where one could rest from the pressures of the day and spend time in solitude”.

The cylindrical building was built largely from timber with MiTek posi-joists used as columns and nine-millimeter thick plywood used as the skin. The roof contains steel rings to support a central oculus.

Gates’ building is the 21st edition of the annual Serpentine Pavilion, commissioned by the Serpentine contemporary art gallery in London.

Previous architects have included last year’s Pritzker prize-winner Diébédo Francis Kéré, who designed a structure with a canopy that transformed into a waterfall during rain, BIG founder Bjarke Ingels, who worked with an “unzipped” wall of translucent blocks, and late British-Iranian architect Zaha Hadid whose marquee launched the commission in 2000.

The photography is by Iwan Baan.

Reference

Technical Details: An Architect's Guide To Level Thresholds
CategoriesArchitecture

Technical Details: An Architect’s Guide To Level Thresholds

By Zarkon Group,

Emma Walshaw is the founder of First In Architecture and Detail Library. She has written a number of books aiming to facilitate a better understanding of construction and detailing. First In Architecture is a website providing resources and guides for architects and students. 

Level thresholds can be very difficult to detail, with many standard details always showing a 150 mm step between the finished floor level and external ground level. However, level thresholds provide a future-proof solution to an aging population and ensure a building can be used and visited by everyone. They are also a very aesthetic solution to bridging the gap between indoors and outdoors.

Level thresholds are also a legal requirement for new build housing in the UK. This means that all external doors, front, rear and side, plus any sliding, bifold, French or terrace doors, must provide a level entrance and exit. Although it is not a building regulation requirement in renovation projects, some councils may require level thresholds as a planning condition within extensive renovation projects.

Below we look at key considerations when designing level thresholds to ensure water does not enter the building.

Bienville House by Nathan Fell Architecture, New Orleans, LA, United States

Accessible / Level Threshold

An accessible threshold is defined as a threshold this is level or, if raised, has a total height of not more than 15 mm, a minimum number of upstands and slopes and with any upstands higher than 5 mm chamfered.

Building Regulation Requirements

For single new build properties, Building Regulation Part M4(1) and M4(2) must be met. This requires all access to the dwelling to be step free, including the entrance, garden and any terraces. For larger developments or flats, the local council may require 10% of units to meet Building Regulations Part M4(3), meaning the unit is fully adaptable to a wheelchair user.

Whilst these Building Regulations do not need to be met in the case of an extension, some Local Authorities, Building Control and/or Approved Inspectors may require the need to meet Part M4(1) within a planning approval condition, requiring entrances and exits to the house to be accessible.

Ground Floor Thresholds

LHS – In-situ concrete threshold drain built under the sill and pavers, pavers to be removable or inspection hatch to be provided at either end of the drain for cleaning and maintenance.

RHS – Aluminum threshold drain installed between pavers and sill with removable grill for inspection, drain with low level water entry of water infiltration between drain and sill.

There are various ways of designing a level threshold based on aesthetic, cost, structure, site conditions and location. However, there are a number of key features that all level thresholds should take into account.

Door — When specifying a door to be used in a level threshold, most manufacturers will state if the system is compliant with Part M of the Building Regulations. This guarantees that the element you step over is no more than a maximum 15 mm in height with no upstands of more than 5mm. Most sliding door manufactures provide frames with a completely level base frame. However, it is important to check the base frame of elements such as front and rear doors, especially in timber, as these will need special aluminum thresholds to be fully accessible.

Threshold Drainage — This is a building regulations requirement when designing this type of threshold. A drain can be installed between the sill and external landscaping flush with the level floor or hidden under the finishes. Many door manufacturers will even be able to provide a threshold drain for the door system chosen. This will help drain away any water near the drain as well as water which hits the door or glass and drains through the frame.

Threshold drain designed to clip into the aluminum sliding door system to drain both surface rain and rain hitting the glass and filtering through the window frame.

Waterproofing — Damp proof membranes should be draped up the door or window frame system at the point of the threshold. Water should be moved away from the threshold, by sloping eternal finishes away from the drain. To either side of the threshold, the damp proof course should be minimum of 150mm above ground level.

Key Points To Remember

  • The threshold — including the door frame — should not be more than 15 mm in height overall. Of these 15 mm, there should be a minimum number of upstands and slopes, with any upstands higher than 5 mm chamfered.
  • If the threshold is exposed to wind driven rain the landing can be up to 10 mm below the level of the sill if the sill is rounded or chamfered.
  • The external landing should have a fall ratio of between 1:40 and 1:60.
  • Ensure all water falls away from the doorway in a single direction.
  • Build a drainage channel between the landing and the threshold.
  • Ensure the channel discharges to a drainage system or land drainage such as a soakaway.

Timber Frame Key Considerations

LHS – Timber frame construction either side of threshold showing concrete slab construction and raised foundation blocks 150 mm above finished floor level, with threshold drain.

RHS – Level threshold with drain

Usually when designing for a timber frame structure, the timber frame should begin 150 mm above the ground level. This concept should be maintained when the ground level externally is level with the internal finish floor level. All the same considerations as above should be taken to account as well as the foundation or timber structure being raised 150 mm above the external ground level, usually 150 mm higher than the internal finished floor level.

Raised Terrace

Another way of preventing water ingress at this critical junction is to use a raised terrace such as paving slabs on pedestals. Whilst this is the best option if you have a raised terrace area, it is also used when the garden level is lower that your internal ground floor level, such as with a beam and block construction. Further details can be found in the following section.

Level Balcony and Terrace Thresholds

When designing a level threshold onto a raised terrace or balcony, even more care needs to be taken to assure that water does not enter the building fabric.

When creating a level threshold over a heated space, care needs to be taken when setting the internal finish floor level and ceiling level to allow for the new insulation. Many people opt for vacuum insulation to this area to allow for a reduced terrace build-up.

Adjustable pedestals can be used to bridge the gap between the level pavers or timber deck with the sloped flat roof. The gaps between the deck material is also key in allowing the water to drain through to the roof and the roof outlet.

Key Points To Remember

  • The threshold including door frame should not be more than 15mm in height overall. Of these 15mm, there should be a minimum number of upstands and slopes, with any upstands higher than 5mm chamfered.
  • The gap between door sill and paving or timber to be a minimum of 10mm.
  • The gap between paving or timber to be a minimum of 6mm.
  • Flat roof to have 1:40 falls for a 1:80 minimum built slope.
  • Ensure all water falls away from the doorway in a single direction.
  • Build a drainage outlet on the opposite side of the flat roof to the threshold.
  • Ensure the flat roof has an overflow.
  • Ensure all waterproofing has a minimum of 75mm upstand under the threshold.
  • Provide a minimum 150mm waterproofing upstand to sides such as brickwork.

Bienville House by Nathan Fell Architecture, New Orleans, LA, United States

Resources

If you want more inspiration on level thresholds, detailing and precedents, be sure to follow Detail Library on Pinterest where we have lots of examples.

For more information on how to detail level and accessible thresholds check out the fully resolved details on The Detail Library.

Top image: Canyon Run by Migration Studios, Concept

 The Fourth Annual One Drawing Challenge is open for entries! Architecture’s most popular drawing competition is back and bigger than ever, including larger prizes. Get started on your submission and hurry — the Main Entry Deadline of October 21st is fast-approaching.  

Reference