The Mappiness Project [www.mappiness.org.uk] discovered people are happier amongst woodlands than city streets. So, the people who live in Tinkers Bubble, a woodland ecoVillage, are very happy then :)
Tinkers Bubble, England.
naturalhomes.org
Tinkers Bubble is an off-grid community where they grow their own food and press apple juice.
from Home Services Blog http://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes/posts/829649947088071
Around 30 million people in China live in cave homes (窰洞, yaodong). Why? Because they are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These ones were abandoned about 1,000 years ago.
Guyaju, China
naturalhomes.org
These caves were occupied about 1,100 years ago by the Xiyi people who used an early version of central heating to keep warm.
from Home Services Blog http://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes/posts/829294743790258
The architecture firm LGA recently designed a new house in Toronto, Canada called the Bedford Park House. This home was designed and built in a sustainable way from the ground up. The home blends in with the neighborhood, and is spacious enough for a large family, all while being very green.
The home measures a sprawling 3,100 sq ft (288 sq m), with the actual structure being quite compact which minimizes thermal bridging. The walls, roof, and slab are well insulated, and have R-values of R-28, R-40 and R-30 respectively, while the envelope was made airtight. To further prevent heat gain or loss, Argon-filled windows were installed throughout the home.
The house also takes advantage of passive natural ventilation, which is mainly achieved by having the windows placed in such a way that allows for a good cross draft. There’s also a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system in place, but it’s to be used only when required. The home also features a geothermal heating system, which is linked to the radiant floor heating system. The temperature in each room in the home can be set individually.
The home was also oriented in a way that allows for maximizing solar heat gain in the winter, while minimizing it in the summer. To further ensure this, the wall-to-window ratio was kept at 60:40, and deciduous trees were planted around the home to provide shade. The trees were also planted in such a way as to not obstruct the views, but rather to frame them.
Solar panels have not yet been installed, though the home is pre-wired so that they could easily be added in the future. Also, only natural paints and finishes were used in finishing the home, to keep the air clear of pollutants.
The Bedford Park House was built in late 2014 and proves that green elements can become a part of the design of just about any kind of home.
Based on a December 2014 survey of builders, the Walk-in Closet in the Master Bedroom and the Laundry Room ranked as the top two features builders are most likely to include in new 2015 homes. Scored by a choice of Very Likely equal to 5 and a Not at All Likely choice equal to 1, these top two features rated… Read More ›
from Home Services Blog http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/05/what-builders-are-building/
According to remodelers in NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI), a simple “desire for better/newer amenities” ranked as the number one reason customers remodel their homes in 2014, just as it did in 2013. On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 indicates never or almost never, and 5 is very often), the average rating on desire for newer amenities was… Read More ›
from Home Services Blog http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/05/simple-desire-for-new-amenities-remains-top-reason-to-remodel/
This is a rammed earth home in Bhutan surrounded by its terraced farmland. It forms the backdrop to our Facebook group Permahome www.facebook.com/groups/permahome/ where we talk about living sustainably on the land, management of water, waste and energy (i.e. off-grid stuff).
Natural Living in Bhutan
naturalhomes.org
Jigme Thinley said, “The dogma of limitless productivity and growth in a finite world is unsustainable and unfair for future generations”
from Home Services Blog http://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes/posts/828972737155792
Cob, a mixture of clay, sand and straw, makes for a very appealing organic looking home but not every climate is suited to the technique…
Building with Cob
naturalhomes.org
Cob buildings are well suited to moderate and warm climates. The wall’s mass provides excellent thermal storage.
from Home Services Blog http://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes/posts/828689107184155
