Pretty Good House

Pretty Good House PDF Author: Michael Maines
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 9781641551656
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. A Pretty Good House is: * A house that's as small as possible * Simple and durable, but also well designed * Insulated and air-sealed * Above all, it is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.

Pretty Good House

Pretty Good House PDF Author: Michael Maines
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 9781641551656
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Get Book Here

Book Description
Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. A Pretty Good House is: * A house that's as small as possible * Simple and durable, but also well designed * Insulated and air-sealed * Above all, it is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.

Designed to Perform

Designed to Perform PDF Author: Tom Dollard
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000702316
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
This book is an illustrated practical design guide to delivering better energy performance in all types of new build homes. It takes the form of an annotated details book, with photos taken from live construction sites, with the content based around diagrams, drawings and photos by the author, which demonstrates valuable best practice knowledge and advice. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the performance gap and the quality of design and construction in new build homes, explaining the typical construction sequence of homebuilding, and highlights common issues that designers need to engage with. Chapters 2-7 look at each construction fabric in turn, including a series of detailed drawings, diagrams and photos illustrating the key elements of good design. Chapter 8 contains a checklist of all performance gap issues that designers need to look for. This book will provide valuable guidance to architects and designers on how to improve their detailing at construction stage, and therefore the overall quality of design and performance of new homes.

Building Services Design for Energy Efficient Buildings

Building Services Design for Energy Efficient Buildings PDF Author: Paul Tymkow
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136893660
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
The role and influence of building services engineers is undergoing rapid change and is pivotal to achieving low-carbon buildings. However, textbooks in the field have largely focused on the detailed technicalities of HVAC systems, often with little wider context. This book addresses that need by embracing a contemporary understanding of energy efficiency imperatives, together with a strategic approach to the key design issues impacting upon carbon performance, in a concise manner. The key conceptual design issues for planning the principal systems that influence energy efficiency are examined in detail. In addition, the following issues are addressed in turn: Background issues for sustainability and the design process Developing a strategic approach to energy-efficient design How to undertake load assessments System comparison and selection Space planning for services Post-occupancy evaluation of completed building services In order to deliver sustainable buildings, a new perspective is needed amongst building and services engineering designers, from the outset of the conceptual design stage and throughout the whole design process. In this book, students and practitioners alike will find the ideal introduction to this new approach.

Energy Efficient Building Design

Energy Efficient Building Design PDF Author: Ana-Maria Dabija
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030406717
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
This book is the result of recent research that deals with the built environment and innovative materials, carried out by specialists working in universities and centers of research in different professional fields ─ architecture, engineering, physics ─ and in an area that that spans from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, and from South Eastern Europe to the Middle East. This book takes the necessity of re-shaping the concept of building design in order to transform buildings from large scale energy consumers to energy savers and producers into consideration. The book is organized in two parts: theory and case studies. For the theoretical part, we chose from the wide range of sources that provide energy efficient materials and systems the two that seem to be endless: the sun and vegetation. Their use in building products represents a tool for specialists in the architectural design concept. The case-studies presented analyze different architectural programs, in different climates, from new buildings to rehabilitation approaches and from residential architecture to hospitals and sports arenas; each case emphasizes the interdisciplinarity of the building design activity in order to help readers gain a better understanding of the complex approach needed for energy efficient building design

Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect

Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect PDF Author: William J Hirsch, Jr
Publisher: Designing Your Perfect House
ISBN: 0979882001
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
A #1 best seller for years, Bill Hirsch's Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect has been called an essential read for Homeowners as well as Professionals. Bill's flowing style of writing makes you feel like you are sitting with him having a chat about your project. The philosophy behind design decisions is explained with stories, photos, sketches, and checklists. The book is divided into Twelve Lessons, with an additional Bonus Lesson ," Building Green, Naturally". You will learn how to evaluate your needs and work towards creating a suitable design, perfect for you and your family. The experience of home design and construction should be controllable, gratifying and enjoyable. With the valuable advice that Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect provides, it can be.

Holistically Green Homes

Holistically Green Homes PDF Author: W. Orlo Stitt
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780982946312
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Most houses being built today are not as energy efficient as they could be. Every builder, if asked, "Do you build energy efficient houses?" will persuasively answer, "Yes." Without studying energy efficient housing in an objective way, most homebuyers will believe the builder's answer. Yet studies and tests prove otherwise. After reading the eighteen clearly defined principles in this book, the reader will have a basis for understanding and comparing the efficiency of one house to another and one builder to another. The eighteen easy-to-implement principles are based on tried and proven solutions for conservation and clean renewable energy generation. Homes that are built to be "holistically green" are economical and maintain their value. And by saving energy and improving indoor quality, they are environmentally responsible and provide a healthier place to live. Building an energy-conscious home is smart--a smart financial investment, a smart approach to our energy and environmental challenges, and "the right thing to do." The benefits of planning for and building based on the Eighteen Principles in total are greater than the sum of the individual principles. References are made in the text--from principle to principle--that will be helpful in understanding how each one is dependent in some way on the other. Economic and financial considerations are discussed based on examples and case studies. The studies show that, while it does cost more to build a house that is energy efficient, environmentally friendly and responsible, structurally stronger, and resistant to the challenges of time, a well designed, efficient home can be more economical to live in--beginning with the first month that utility bills are received. And it is a better investment because of the higher resale value and reduced maintenance. This book will educate and instill confidence in consumers with regard to their largest personal investment: their home. They will understand what specifics to look for to get an energy efficient, healthy home that will save them money and have a positive impact on energy conservation, energy generation, and climate change.

Building a Sustainable Home

Building a Sustainable Home PDF Author: Melissa Rappaport Schifman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510733450
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The green building movement has produced hundreds of “how-to” books and websites that are filled with tips about green building and what homeowners should do to go green. While helpful and informative, when it comes to making actual purchasing and installation decisions, these books do not make it any easier for a homeowner to prioritize against a budget. Here, Schifman shares her knowledge and experience for others to use in their journey toward a greener way of living. Whether the reader is building a new home or doing a minor remodel, a homeowner needs a framework by which to guide their decisions. These decisions are based on values, and the author posits that there are really only three reasons to go green: For Our Health: By building more sustainably, we reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins. For Our Wealth: By building a more durable home and being more efficient with resources like water and electricity, we reduce our monthly utility bills and ongoing maintenance expenses. For Our Soul: Collectively doing the right thing for our planet does make a difference—and that is soul-nourishing. Learn the logistics of choosing windows, insulation, appliances, and lighting. Find out about FSC certified wood and about using reclaimed materials. Here is everything you need to make your home sustainable.

Designed to Perform

Designed to Perform PDF Author: Tom Dollard
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000786897
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
How do we ensure sustainable buildings perform as intended? The performance gap between predicted and actual energy use in new homes has been identified as key problem by government and industry experts. This updated edition is an illustrated practical design guide to delivering better energy performance in all types of new build homes. It introduces readers to the concept of the performance gap and highlights clear issues and solutions to help architects improve their detailing at design stage. The book: Features annotated details with photos taken from live construction sites Includes accessible practical guidance for busy practitioners Raises construction quality and performance of new homes Promotes the case for more architect supervision throughout the construction process A new chapter features innovative low carbon building methods, including hempcrete blocks, clay blocks and straw bale. All information has been updated to reflect the latest data with fresh details and technologies.

The New Net Zero

The New Net Zero PDF Author: Bill Maclay
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 160358448X
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 578

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Book Description
The new threshold for green building is not just low energy, it's net-zero energy. In The New Net Zero, sustainable architect Bill Maclay charts the path for designers and builders interested in exploring green design's new-frontier net-zero-energy structures that produce as much energy as they consume and are carbon neutral. In a nation where traditional buildings use roughly 40 percent of the total fossil energy, the interest in net-zero building is growing enormously--among both designers interested in addressing climate change and consumers interested in energy efficiency and long-term savings. Maclay, an award-winning net-zero designer whose buildings have achieved high-performance goals at affordable costs, makes the case for a net-zero future; explains net-zero building metrics, integrated design practices, and renewable energy options; and shares his lessons learned on net-zero teambuilding. Designers and builders will find a wealth of state-of-the-art information on such considerations as air, water, and vapor barriers; embodied energy; residential and commercial net-zero standards; monitoring and commissioning; insulation options; costs; and more. The comprehensive overview is accompanied by several case studies, which include institutional buildings, commercial projects, and residences. Both new-building and renovation projects are covered in detail. The New Net Zero is geared toward professionals exploring net-zero design, but also suitable for nonprofessionals seeking ideas and strategies on net-zero options that are beautiful and renewably powered.

Optimal Design and Retrofit of Energy Efficient Buildings, Communities, and Urban Centers

Optimal Design and Retrofit of Energy Efficient Buildings, Communities, and Urban Centers PDF Author: Moncef Krarti
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 0128118946
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 648

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Book Description
Optimal Design and Retrofit of Energy Efficient Buildings, Communities, and Urban Centers presents current techniques and technologies for energy efficiency in buildings. Cases introduce and demonstrate applications in both the design of new buildings and retrofit of existing structures. The book begins with an introduction that includes energy consumption statistics, building energy efficiency codes, and standards and labels from around the world. It then highlights the need for integrated and comprehensive energy analysis approaches. Subsequent sections present an overview of advanced energy efficiency technologies for buildings, including dynamic insulation materials, phase change materials, LED lighting and daylight controls, Life Cycle Analysis, and more. This book provides researchers and professionals with a coherent set of tools and techniques for enhancing energy efficiency in new and existing buildings. The case studies presented help practitioners implement the techniques and technologies in their own projects. Introduces a holistic analysis approach to energy efficiency for buildings using the concept of energy productivity Provides coverage of individual buildings, communities and urban centers Includes both the design of new buildings and retrofitting of existing structures to improve energy efficiency Describes state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies Presents several cases studies and examples that illustrate the analysis techniques and impact of energy efficiency technologies and controls