‘Building Eco’ is the future:
Eventually, an eco house will not be remarkable. As building regulations tighten, inefficient buildings constructed from environmentally damaging materials will not be permitted. However, we currently have a long way to go: for now, sustainable construction only happens as a matter of choice.
There are 3 key principles to be aware of:
- The use of sustainable building materials
- Design for energy efficiency in functions such as heating and cooling.
- ‘Bolt-ons’: sources of renewable energy such as solar panels, wind turbines or ground source heat pumps.
Follow the links for articles on these subjects:
How To Tackle a Building Project:
The steps of a self build all require some extra knowledge to increase the sustainability.
- Building standards – from the design stage it is important to know what standards of performance are required. One could be going for the bare minimum set by current building regulations. However, stricter standards of energy efficiency are more desirable: for the environment and for running costs. Here we explain a variety of performance standards a house can be designed for, from standard building regulations through to the strict Passivhaus standard.
- Finding a plot – orientation and topography are examples of factors that will determine the energy performance of the building.
- Designers and Builders – how to find professionals with the relevant experience
- Planning Permission
- Financing Your Self Build
- Project Management