All About Construction

Houses embedded in the earth are becoming a fashion. The reasons are compelling–the grass roofs reduce energy loads and their low profile doesn't impinge on the natural landscape. In the case of a 2,850-square-foot guesthouse in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the clients, for whom Gluck had designed a main house on the site in 2004, wanted a separate structure to be located on property to the south between a creek and an access road. But they didn't want it to interfere with the splendid mountain vista they had from the main house. “So many views are destroyed by plunking buildings on top of the land,” The architects configured the guesthouse as two rectilinear steel-framed bars that intersect; the primary one contains open living and dining spaces, with a roof gradually rising to the south at a 20-degree angle. The volume seems to collide with and lift over a rectilinear structure running east–west on a diagonal, which contains three bedrooms and the garage. A wall...

LOW-COST GREEN BUILDING CONCEPTS 1. Design for maximum natural day lighting Using natural light from the sun is the best way to reduce energy consumption and lower the carbon footprint of a building. It costs nothing and is also beneficial for the health of the occupants — research shows that people perform better in naturally lit environments. Day lighting helps to lower lighting costs, reduces the price of cooling and can be accomplished without any increase in the cost of construction. Buildings can be designed to receive adequate daylight and reduce the requirement of artificial lighting through innovative use of facades, windows and open areas. 2.Use a natural ventilation system Cooling costs make up for most of the energy consumption in any building. It is possible to cut down on cooling requirements by using a natural ventilation system. Windows can be used effectively to enable proper ventilation by taking advantage of the wind movement and thermal convection. Natural ven...