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ClimateSkin: Building-skin Concepts that Can Do More with Less Energy by Gerhard Hausladen, Michael de Saldanha, and Petra Liedl, 2008.
The facade plays a critical role in the conception of energy- and climate-optimized buildings: it is the building's skin and functions as an interface between interior and exterior space. It provides thermal and sound insulation and ventilation, and controls and guides the entrance of daylight into the building. Climate Skin offers concrete planning advice for architects and engineers who wish to exploit not only the architectural potential of facades but also their energy and climate-control possibilities, treating the building envelope as an essential component within a complete climate-control and technology solution. It provides a solid foundation of knowledge that equips the reader to make competent technical and economic evaluations of building envelopes. For everyone concerned with facades, Climate Skin is a comprehensive planning handbook and reference work that covers all of the relevant technical and physical aspects of the design and detailed planning of energy-efficient facades.
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Natural Ventilation in Buildings - A Design Handbook by Francis Allard and Mat Santamouris, 1998.
A how-to book on ventilating buildings naturally. Approaches can be high-tech or low-tech, but always need to be part of an integrated design approach. A range of technical issues, such as building codes, fire regulations, and acoustics, also need to be taken into account. This new handbook describes the real potential of natural ventilation, its appropriate use, the design and dimensioning methodologies, the need for an integrated design approach, and how to overcome barriers. Includes a CD with software to assist in the calculation of airflow rate in natural ventilation configurations. This book is based on the work of 25 experts from all parts of Europe who have collected, evaluated, and developed the material under the auspices of the European Commission's Solar energy and Energy Conservation R&D programs. This books provides essential design information for all architects, building engineers, and other building design professionals.
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The Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book, by Mike Oehler, 2000.
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The Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book by Mike Oehler, 2007. The author writes, "my secret is that on the south wall of the greenhouse I dig a pit down eight feet and build a walkway up four or five feet where I can walk and bend over the growing beds to work on the plants. The pit allows cold winter air to flow downward to be heated by the earth rather than lying on the plants. On flat land I'd sink my north wall and all the grow areas about four foot deep and pile the earth up on the north side leaving at least a foot of north wall exposed for ventilation "windows" that can be opened as needed. I'd put some rigid foam insulation over that mound of earth on the north and a layer of polyethylene to keep it dry and some inches of earth to protect the poly from the sun. That north mound will serve as a heat sink then, to radiate heat back into the greenhouse at night."
undergroundhousing.com This links to information about Mike's book and videos, presented by the publisher. |
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The Earth-Sheltered House: An Architect's Sketchbook by Malcolm Wells, 2009. The author's perspective on design and the building process is based on millennia of use of earth-sheltered homes by animals and humans, using the earth to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. His imaginative architectural drawings, sketches, and design plans are surrounded by his handwritten commentary about Earth-friendly building and design, cryptic remarks and humorous asides that make this book a pleasure to browse or read. He offers a breathtaking assortment of some of the most creative and unusual home and building designs ever assembled. Some are fully underground structures, some partially earth-sheltered, but all make the best use of light sources, designed to benefit from the sun and seasonal changes, and to protect or restore the natural habitat around and above them.
Wells's work is revolutionary, but readers will find his message to be pure common sense. Earth sheltering offers superior comfort with minimal energy input, and it is adaptable to diverse terrains as well as a variety of architectural aesthetics. |
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Earth-Sheltered Houses: How to Build an Affordable Underground House by Rob Roy, 2006. An earth-sheltered, earth-roofed home has the least impact upon the land of all housing styles, leaving almost zero footprint on the planet. Earth-Sheltered Houses is a practical guide for those who want to build their own underground home at moderate cost. It describes the benefits of sheltering a home with earth, including the added comfort and energy efficiency from the moderating influence of the earth on the home's temperature (keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer), along with the benefits of low maintenance and the protection against fire, sound, earthquake, and storm afforded by the earth. Extra benefits from adding an earth or other living roof option include greater longevity of the roof substrate, fine aesthetics, and environmental harmony. The book covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation, and drainage. Specific methods appropriate for the inexperienced owner/builder are a particular focus and include: pouring one's own footings and/or floor, the use of dry-stacked (surface-bonded) concrete block walls, post-and-beam framing, plank-and-beam roofing, drainage methods and self-adhesive waterproofing membranes.
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The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City by Patrick Blanc, 2008.
Patrick Blanc, an artist with a green thumb, has created dozens of his admired botanical tapestries in public and private spaces around the world, including the Marithé & François Girbaud boutique in Manhattan; the Jean Nouvel-designed Quai Branly Museum in Paris; the aquarium in Genoa; the Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok; and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. In this luscious, oversize, all-color book, he explains how to create plant walls using more than one thousand plants, drawing on his observation of natural milieus, his technique of growing on vertical surfaces, his savoir faire, and his passion for plants.
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Vertical Gardens by Anna Lambertini, 2007.
Bringing nature into urban environments has always been a challenge; one of the most spectacular solutions to this problem is the vertical garden. Far more than just an unusual decoration attached to a wall, these gardens are an exciting means of bringing life and greenery to a bleak courtyard, a gray city street or a cold modern building. Vertical Gardens is the first publication to present a collection of the most important examples of this emerging trend. Those who create vertical gardens apply the principles of hydroponics and use ingenious framing systems that allow luxuriant compositions of plant life to colonize the exteriors of buildings. The aesthetic result is truly stunning and has attracted the attention of many architects and designers. Vertical Gardens explores this phenomenon in thematic sections, which are enriched by the reflections of its most innovative practitioners. This richly illustrated book will be essential reading for all professionals or anyone interested in this fertile new area of landscape design. |
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Earth Sheltered Designs, Davis Caves Construction, 2000. Over 80 earth sheltered floor plan designs and artist's renderings, prepared by architects and engineers. Floor plans range from 670 square feet to over 7,000 square feet of residential and commercial space. |
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Climate Responsive Design: A Study of Buildings in Moderate and Hot Humid Climates by Richard Hyde, Peter Woods, 2000. The increasing interest in effective energy use in buildings and of the effect of this on human health, has generated the need to consider more carefully designing buildings with climate in mind. This book provides a unique source for those requiring guidance on climatic design. Covering theory and application, it provides examples of innovative and best practice in 'responsive architecture' through case studies. The book also covers the broader topic of technology as a generator in design which will be of interest to all those involved in design and building. The book focuses on tropical climate but some of the theory can be applied to other climates; the difference in application is clearly delineated. |
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The Barefoot Architect by Johan van Lengen, 2007. A former UN worker and prominent architect, Johan van Lengen has seen firsthand the desperate need for a "greener" approach to housing in impoverished tropical climates. This comprehensive book clearly explains every aspect of this endeavor, including design (siting, orientation, climate consideration), materials (sisal, cactus, bamboo, earth), and implementation. The author emphasizes throughout the book what is inexpensive and sustainable. Included are sections discussing urban planning, small-scale energy production, cleaning and storing drinking water, and dealing with septic waste, and all information is applied to three distinct tropical regions: humid areas, temporate areas, and desert climates. Hundreds of explanatory drawings by van Lengen allow even novice builders to get started. |
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Underground Homes, Louis Wampler, 1980. "Underground Homes" offers the layman a complete and thoughtful approach to planning, building, and inhabiting an earth-sheltered home. Author Louis Wampler takes the reader step by step through a potential maze of construction problems. He uses simple language and numerous diagrams and illustrations to answer the questions people ask most about an underground home.The book offers information and guidance on such key factors as: Planning interior and exterior design, Choosing the proper site, Insulating for maximum energy savings, Waterproofing the structure, Deciding which roof will work best on your house, and Selecting appropriate heating and cooling systems. "Underground Homes" also addresses specific problems associated with subterranean homes-- determining the local water table, reinforcing concrete with steel, and using skylights and windows. It also discusses the common psychological barriers to living underground, presenting solutions and insights into these problems.
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Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls by Nigel Dunnett, Noel Kingsbury, 2008. The latest techniques for planting roofs and walls to enhance our buildings and benefit the environment. In this comprehensively updated, fully revised edition of their authoritative reference, Nigel Dunnett and Noël Kingsbury reveal the very latest techniques, materials, and plants, and showcase some spectacular new case studies for the non-professional. Green roofs and walls reduce pollution and runoff, help insulate and reduce the maintenance needs of buildings, contribute to biodiversity, and provide habitats for wildlife. In addition to all this, they are attractive to look at and enhance the quality of life of residents. The authors describe and illustrate the practical techniques required to design, implement, and maintain a green roof or wall to the highest standards.
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Underground Buildings: More Than Meets the Eye, by Loretta Hall, 2003. Unusual as they seem, underground buildings are surprisingly common. Every day, millions in North America work, shop, dine, study, and play in the more than three hundred public and commercial structures and five thousand private homes nestled in the earth. Underground buildings are safe, attractive, useful, and comfortable places to frequent and live. Unlike a common misconception, most are dry and warm, and they are often sun-filled. More than one hundred underground buildings are included in this fascinating subterranean tour. These buildings range from the famous to the unnoticed. Some were built for pragmatic reasons, others for aesthetic considerations, still others, for a combination of both. There are impressive success stories and discouraging tales of failure. Some underground buildings are incredibly energy-efficient, for example, while others leaked so badly they were abandoned. A vast spectrum of structures is presented, ranging from stunning examples of hidden opulence to humble subterranean cubbyholes where unassuming people immerse themselves in nature’s simplicity.
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Building Green : A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods by Clarke Snell , Tim Callahan, 2006. This absolutely groundbreaking manual doesn't just talk about eco-friendly building techniques, but actually shows every step! More than 1,200 close-up photographs, along with in-depth descriptions, follow the real construction of an alternative house from site selection to the addition of final-touch interior details. Co-authors Clarke Snell and Timothy Callahan (a professional builder and contractor) provide thorough discussions of the fundamental concepts of construction, substitutes for conventional approaches, and planning a home that's not only comfortable and beautiful, but environmentally responsible. Then, they roll up their sleeves and get to work assembling a guest house that incorporates four different alternative building methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick frame. The images show every move: how the site is cleared, the basic structure put together, the cob wall sculpted, the bales and cordwood stacked, a living roof created, and more. Most important, the manual conveys real-world challenges and processes, and offers dozens of sidebars with invaluable advice.
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Heating or Cooling Your Building Naturally: Solar Architectural Solutions by Virginia B. Macdonald, 2006. Through an initial explanation of her principles and ten case studies, the author relates how vertical ventilation and controlled daylighting--to the exclusion of air-conditioning and daytime electric lighting--can be applied. The author explains in simple language, with photos and diagrams, how to use the sun to cool or warm a building as needed, while at the same time reducing mildew, dust, and many pathogens. The premise is simple and has been used throughout the ages in all cultures and climates: hot air rises. That's the starting point for all the ideas and designs contained in this book, taking advantage of the natural vertical flow of air to regulate the temperature of enclosed spaces. Likewise, the documented health benefits of controlled daylighting are well-known, and the projects here described make ample use of skylights (with spectrally-selective glazing) in addition to windows, so that electric lighting is seldom needed during the day.
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Stay Cool: A Design Guide for the Built Environment in Hot Climates by Holger Koch-Nielsen, 2002.
In hot dry or warm humid countries, more than half of the urban peak load of energy consumption is used to satisfy air-conditioning demands alone. Since the urbanization rate in developing countries is extreme, the pressure placed on energy resources to satisfy the future requirements of the built environment will be great, unless new, more cost-effective measures can be introduced. Stay Cool is an essential guide for planning and design using active design principles and passive means to satisfy human comfort requirements specifically in these climate zones, based on examples of traditional and modern constructions. The book demonstrates how a design strategy for urban environments and individual buildings, incorporating naturally occurring resources and specific energy-efficient technologies, can create a location, form and structure that promotes significant energy savings. Such strategies can equally be applied to low cost housing, or indeed to any other buildings, in order to improve comfort with passive means and low energy budgets.
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PLANS
SunEarth House Paul Shippee, Designer
 This earth-covered, passive solar, 1863 sq ft house achieved the very best performance in a HUD-sponsored energy survey when it was first built in the late 1970's. For three years after the house was built, it was computer-monitored, and according to the National Solar Data Network, the SunEarth house out-performed hundreds of passive solar houses in the country. The house was designed, built, and marketed by Colorado Sunworks. The furnace was put to rest during its first winter because the pilot light was wasting natural gas. All of the space heating demand is supplied by the passive solar system.
The heating system is a direct gain, passive solar system and drum wall. The south side exposes 300 square feet of glass windows. The windows are two panes of insulated glass that run floor to roof. Behind the windows are 54 large, vertically stacked barrels. Sunlight directly warms these 55-gallon oil drums that are painted with a flat black finish and filled with water. During the day, the water and interior concrete walls inside the house absorb the sun's heat. The heat is released slowly after the sun sets.
At night, when temperatures begin to drop, a blower pushes polystyrene beads between the two panes of glass, providing insulation to keep the daytime heat inside the home. On winter nights, this moveable Beadwall insulation converts the large window areas to R20 heat loss barrier. Six vertical skylights are arranged on the north side of the earth roof. Maximum solar energy takes place during the winter, and minimum solar energy occurs in the summer.
Winter Mode
Stored solar heat is released from the water containers as needed. Heat flows naturally by low temperature radiation and by warm air convection to the north side of the house, thus balancing comfort zones throughout the living space.
Summer Mode
Interior thermal mass is cooled down on summer nights by providing a natural air now path. Daily heat gains aree rejected by this method through turbine roof ventilators. The cooled massive house is then closed up on hot summer days for comfortable living.
For more information about this plan, and many others, visit our sister site www.dreamgreenhomes.com, where you will find a wide range of plans for sustainable homes, greenhouses, small buildings, garages, and food storage space for sale. Dream Green Homes is a consortium of outstanding architects and designers, who have pooled their talent and expertise for your benefit. |
LINKS
malcolmwells.com Malcolm Wells, the grandfather of earthsheltering, has a wonderful site about his work.
earth-house.com wide ranging site mostly about earth sheltering.
pinecrest informative and personal site of John McMillian's experience with his earth-sheltered home.
greenroofs.com very informative site featuring a variety of concepts for growing roofs.
insuladd.com makes both an additive that can be combined with any paint, as well as their own formulation of paint that utilizes miniature ceramic spheres to reflect radiant heat, so that buildings that are coated with this are much better insulated from unwanted incoming heat and loss of heat from the inside...a remarkable product!
arquitecturaorganica.com features some wonderfully fanciful earth-sheltered designs by a Mexican architect.
doefactsheets general facts about earth sheltering.
schundler.com/greenroofs a discussion with photos and links about various green roof applications utilizing perlite.
solterra.info The Semrock's vision and ongoing constrcution of their earthsheltered home.
earthshelters has information and plans for a passive solar heat storage (PAHS) system.
ourcoolhouse showcases a couples' exploration of earthberming.
Seabird Island Project shows unique design for the solar heating of water and space through warm air collection and geothermal heat tubes.
stormbear.com some speculation about using concrete pipes for underground "Hobbit" homes.
earthlink.net a rambling exploration of the possibilities of burying culverts or quonsets for homes.
squidoo.com/greenroofs information, links, and photos related to green roofs.
williamlishman.com a description with photos of a unique underground home.
americansheltertechnologies.com manufactures steel arched buildings that can be placed underground.
greenroofs.com "The greenroof industry resource portal"
marant1946.blogspot.com this blog is very informative about the construction of this Texas earth-sheltered home.
radio.weblogs.com pictures and description of various underground building concepts.
formworksbuilding.com shows interior and exterior images of several of their underground or bermed ferrocement buildings.
trendir.com here is wonderful example of underground architecture in Switzerland.
simondale.net a lovely example of using local natural materials to build a comfortable and beautiful home that is recessed into a hill. |
