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The
courtyard for this owner-built compound provides food,
privacy, and a cooler microclimate in summer, while
still allowing for solar gain on the south wall of
each building (1). Courtyard walls block the wind
in spring, and absorb heat in winter, modulating temperature.
The three structures here are all passive solar, and
are made from: pumice-crete, straw bale, and puddle
adobe. Ample solar gain provided by the south-facing
windows and long, narrow design (5) requires an alert
homeowner willing to raise and lower insulated curtains
according to outside climate conditions (2). Small,
high windows provide natural light to a room and minimize
electricity bills (5). The uniform walls on the puddled
adobe studio (4) are an example of superb craftsmanship
without the use of forms or molds to shape the earth.
Green
materials, techniques, & features: puddled
adobe; pumice-crete; straw bale; passive solar; cluster
housing; masonry walls and floors for heat sink; solar
hot water; composting toilet; greenhouse on south
side; summer shading via vegetation; gray water reuse;
natural floor sealer made from 50% beeswax, 50% linseed
oil.
Utilities
and cost: The 20x30 studio cost $10,000, including
interior work tables and shelving. Main house uses
2-3 wheelbarrows of juniper and oak per winter in
woodstove, approximately $50 a winter.
Advice
from the homeowners: Have fun brainstorming with
other like-minded people in the community! The pumice-crete
walls don't have the R value we expected.
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Lighting
accounts for 20-25% of electricity use in the U.S.
Daylighting is the optimal use of natural light, and
can save 40-% on energy costs. The greenhouse in this
owner-built adobe home affords huge energy savings
from daylighting, passive solar gain, and geothermal
floor heat, in addition to 60the added benefits of
a food source and relaxing environment (1, 2). The
owner says, "It feels earthy and nurturing and
very grounded inside and fits the landscape well."
This house maximizes the use of local materials such
as locally-harvested wood, and the adobes were made
on site with local dirt, which minimizes energy expenditure
on transportation of materials. Windows in upstairs
rooms (5) draw heat upwards and out in summer. Solar
hot water (3) efficiently utilizes New Mexico's abundant
sunshine. Geothermal heat flooring takes the edge
off in winter, and rock terraces collect and store
runoff and prevent erosion (4).
Green
materials, techniques, & features: adobe;
daylighting; locally-harvested woods; insulation;
solar heat; solar hot water; composting toilet; recycled
materials; summer shading via vegetation; gray water
reuse; geothermal heat.
Utilities
and cost: This homeowner spends approx. 1/5 as
much on utilities as a standard, similar-sized house.
Built in 1980, the 1400 sq. ft. home cost around $20,000
over 20 years, $14.25 per sq. ft. 1/4-1/2 of a cord
of wood a year is the only supplemental heating. Electric
bill is about $25 a month.
Advice
from the homeowner: Double-paned windows make
a huge difference in retaining heat. Insulate the
north adobe wall before plastering. Finish and seal
mud plastered walls to prevent dust and chipping and
to facilitate ease in cleaning. "Leave room for
changes."
Facts
and terms from: Green Building: Project Planning
& Cost Estimating, RS Means, 2002.
Photos
by Marya Gendron,
except where noted.
View
the rest of the exhibit here:
