What Type of Eco-Home Is Best For You?

(Page 5 of 5)

July/August 2008
By Carol Venolia 
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THERMAL COMFORT STRATEGIES FOR YOUR CLIMATE
from Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House, by Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner (Lark Books, 2006)

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Climate Zone: Cold (Cold winter)
Possible building forms and materials:
■ Compact form most efficient
to insulate and heat; narrow forms good for ventilation
■ Thermal mass and south glass required for passive solar heating
Vernacular examples:
■ Saltbox
■ Scandinavian farm courtyards
■ Swiss chalets with shallow roofs to retain snow
■ Asian and European roofs insulated and weatherproofed with thatch

Climate Zone: Hot Humid (Mild winter and very hot, humid summer)
Possible building forms and materials:
■ Narrow form with openings on opposite sides for ventilation
■ Light colors reflect strong sunlight
Vernacular examples:
■ Elevated pole houses
■ Shaded open porches
■ Summer kitchens (porch-like kitchen separated from main house)
■ Asian and European roofs insulated and weatherproofed with thatch

Climate Zone: Marine Mediterranean (Mild, wet winter and mild to hot, dry summer)
Possible building forms and materials:
■ Narrow forms with openings on opposite sides for ventilation
■ Light colors reflect strong sunlight
Vernacular examples:
■ Greek fishing villages
■ Summer kitchens
■ Outdoor living

Climate Zone: Mixed Dry (Cold, dry winter and hot, dry summer)
Possible building forms and materials:
■ Narrow wings with openings on opposite sides for ventilation
■ Courtyards and loggias (Italian open-air corridors) to provide shade
Vernacular examples:
■ Courtyard houses
■ Earth-sheltered houses
■ High-thermal-mass adobe houses
■ Summer kitchens

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Comments

  • Mikenna 7/30/2008 4:03:08 PM

    A very informative and well-written article. However I ran across one small error that may be important to correct.

    "Straw is the stalk that's left over after the seed heads are removed from hay."

    I believe the more common definition of straw is a single stalk or stem, esp. of certain species of grain, chiefly wheat, rye, oats, and barley.

    *Hay is grass, clover, alfalfa, etc., cut and dried for use as forage.

    I'm sure hay stalks could be called straw, but the baled straw more commonly sold is most definitely not hay, because many customers use it to cover grass seed and mulch around strawberries, any errant hay seeds would grow hay all over yards and strawberry patches!

    For more information please visit http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-houses-not-hay-bale-homes

  • david hutton 7/10/2008 4:00:33 PM

    well done article on green home start

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