2. Introduction
An environmentally friendly house, by definition is
a house that does not or does minimal damage to
the environment.
The house has to be built according to the
climate. For example, if it’s a hot climate, you
have to consider sunlight and ventilation.
It uses recyclable or renewable resources, such as
wood.
It uses renewable energy sources, like solar panels,
and uses minimal resources such as water or
electricity.
3. Orientation and Layout
The house is rectangular, with minimum wall
exposure to the east and west where there is
maximum sun exposure. I placed minimum
windows on east and west.
North
West East
South
4. Orientation and Layout
I placed large openings on North and South to
allow cross ventilation.
I used large roof overhang to shade the windows.
Finally, I placed verandahs (small porches) on the
East and West sides to provide shade.
5. Landscaping
I planted grass around my house. Grass can
reduce the temperature of the ground.
I avoided concrete surfaces because it will heat
up when exposed to sunlight.
I planted large trees around my house for shading,
to produce oxygen and to reduce harmful
emissions.
I chose the Flame of the
Forest, because it is a fairly
large tree. It has a
considerable amount of
leaves and flowers,
providing extra shade
6. Materials
Although wood might be a suitable building
material for this climate, however I chose brick
due to fire safety.
I used sustainable and recyclable materials for the
interior. The furniture and doors are made of wood
from old reused furniture.
For the flooring, I used marble and ceramic tiles
because they are cooling materials.
7. Energy
For energy, I used solar panels. These can be used
to generate electricity, which can be used or sold
to the power grid.
I placed the solar panels on the east and west
sides of my house, on the roof to capture
maximum sunlight.
It can also heat water, efficiently replacing a
water heater, which saves money and energy.
8. Insulation and Roof
The roof is insulated. The roof is quite high, since
hot air rises, this reduces the indoor temperatures.
Finally, there are air turbines on the roof. These
allow hot air to be released outside, cooling the
house. Here are small diagrams of a wind turbine.
I also double-glazed the windows. Double glazing
is when you put two layers of glass, acting as
insulation.
9. Lighting and Appliances
In my house, I used LED lights instead of traditional
light bulbs. LED lights use less energy and give off
less heat but are slightly dimmer.
10. Water
For water supply I use rainwater. There is a pipe on
the roof that gathers rainwater, and then sends it
to a tank. This can be used to water the plants.
I also dug a well with a hand pump.. This allows me
to use water gathered in the well in case of
drought.
