SUSTAINABILITY, Open House Architecture
An important aspect of the design is sustainability. There are simple solutions incorporated into the design, like the orientation of the house, which provides natural shielding. We try to encourage the usage of local and sustainable materials, as the materials used in the folk architecture of the past were also local materials.
The concrete we use today is produced locally; factories are easily found anywhere in a 50-80 km radius. These factories take up a lot of energy and are responsible for sizable CO2 emissions. However, the concrete is durable and will last for a century. The wood is a traditional local material, although today it usually does not come from the local forest. Wood is one of the most sustainable materials and has no CO2 emissions; it also gives a warmth and friendliness to the structure.
Finally, we designed up-to-date sustainable heating and cooling systems with HVAC heat pump and solar panels to produce the energy and fulfill energy consumption of the house.
MATERIALS
Base: concrete strip foundation with reinforced concrete floor slab
Wall: reinforced concrete wall
First Floor: reinforced concrete structure, with wood walls
Roof: wood construction with thermal insulation in mineral-wool
Exterior: cladding in plywood on lath frame
Also internal walls in wood or drywall construction finished in larch plywood
Steelwork: stainless or galvanized steel
http://paperhouses.co/blog/entry/new-paperhouses-design-spora-architects
Connie’s comments: I found some vacant lots in the bay area, email me if you want to do this project in Northern California. motherhealth@gmail.com