The lecture opened with an introduction to arguably the biggest architectural challenge of our time - the need to strive for zero carbon homes. Pie charts, percentages and government targets were bandied about, but the statistics became more comprehensible with the use of lasting mental images such as ‘the average annual carbon dioxide emission per household in the UK would fill 6 hot air balloons’, followed by the comparison of two lists of ‘energy using products’ found in the average household - one from the 1970s, and alongside it, a list virtually triple in length from today.
The various houses along Green Close (the new road behind the SBE’s Eco-house) were discussed. Each employing different construction methods, materials and technology, they provided interesting case studies which structured the talk. Many of the houses are designed to be affordable – ecohouses on a budget - an important issue given the growing awareness and demand from all types of people on the property ladder for energy efficient homes.
One key question ran throughout the talk; Can a code level 6 house really be zero carbon if it has code 1 occupants? This issue was touched on during the lecture with talk of energy locks, making it easier to be ‘green’ without entirely relinquishing user control and letting your house make decisions for you like some kind of futuristic nightmare. But it is clear that there was much more that could have been discussed without the constraint of the allocated time slot.
A concise but informative lecture, and a good precursor to tonight’s debate:
Ted Cullinan vs. Dean Hawkes –
Will future houses need to be radically reshaped to conserve energy, or can energy conservation be achieved within the great tradition of housing design? 6.30pm, SRB.
Will future houses need to be radically reshaped to conserve energy, or can energy conservation be achieved within the great tradition of housing design? 6.30pm, SRB.
No comments:
Post a Comment