Eco-design in architecture has breathed fresh air into the conventional design of housing and office buildings. It gave hope that cities, which are gradually turning nature into asphalt and concrete, will retreat and make room for green spaces, wide blooming alleys, and birdsong instead of car horns. Bioclimatic architecture has become a new trend, attracting talented architects and conscious investors. What new solutions for urban and rural life are eco-design enthusiasts ready to offer? Let’s look at how the development of green energy has made it possible to implement architectural projects that were previously impossible to dream of.
What Is Bioclimatic Architecture in the Context of Green Energy?
Bioclimatic architecture is a special approach to building design aimed at making optimal use of the climatic conditions of a region. Its goal is to create comfortable conditions for a harmonious life with nature and minimize energy consumption. Before designing a building, architects comprehensively study the climate and landscape of the area to identify suitable environmentally friendly energy sources:
- In southern latitudes, there may be an abundance of sunshine.
- Water flows make it possible to use their energy
- Certain terrain can create ideal conditions for generating wind energy, etc.
Having determined how the buildings will be heated and illuminated, they move on to developing an architectural project, trying to integrate elements of nature into it as much as possible. In addition, such buildings are constructed from eco-friendly materials, which helps maintain the ecosystem in a state of balance and the human body in a healthy state.
Energy Efficiency of Bioclimatic Architecture
The historical predecessor of bioclimatic architecture is energy modeling. With its help, it was possible to achieve 50% energy savings compared to traditional houses. Insulating houses is one of the solutions within this approach that allows families to save on utility bills. And even those who got into debt due to high utility bills could get out of them thanks to energy-saving technologies. Easy loans at FCLOANS allowed them to insulate their homes with advanced materials and reduce energy consumption.
Bioclimatic architecture goes even further and adds +30% savings to this 50%. Therefore, people who choose such solutions for their home or office make a significant contribution to reducing energy consumption.
Principles of Bioclimatic Architecture
The main energy consumption occurs during the coldest and warmest periods of the year:
- The cold months require heating and additional lighting during the day.
- Hot months require cooling of the air to make staying indoors comfortable.
Therefore, the main task of eco-design is to simultaneously use additional natural light sources in winter and shade the building in summer. How to achieve this goal when designing buildings?
- Correct orientation of the building relative to the cardinal directions and the trajectory of the sun.
- Thoughtful placement of windows and proper calculation of their size, allowing for maximizing natural light and avoiding energy loss.
- Designing premises taking into account their lighting needs. For example, a bathroom, for which bright light is not fundamentally important, can be placed on the north side of the building. At the same time, it is better to place a children’s room in the southern part of the house.
- Original solutions for shading in the form of arches entwined with grapes, folding canopies, etc.
- Natural night ventilation to cool your home during the summer months.
From Savings to Profits: How Bioclimatic Architecture Increases Your Income
One of the most important advantages of houses using green energy and the characteristics of the climate and landscape is the ability to accumulate excess energy. If your solar panels or other energy sources produce more energy than you consume, you can store it and even sell it to your neighbors. Of course, you will need special infrastructure for this, but it will completely pay for itself and give you a reliable source of passive income. In addition, this will encourage your neighbors to find a similar solution. This means you’ll be helping to reduce not only your family’s carbon footprint but your entire neighborhood’s.
The Bottom Line
Our ancestors thought about how to obtain and retain heat through the design of buildings. But we are forced to move on and think about how to save the planet, and therefore, yesterday’s decisions are no longer relevant. The new approaches that bioclimatic architecture offers give us hope that we will succeed.