Eco houses

Caracteristics of an eco-house

A eco house is a house that takes advantage of the natural resources like the sun and the land. Besides it takes care of the enviroment while it is being built and when it is finished.

The eco houses must achieve some particular requirements:

1. Bioclimatic design: It means that the eco-houses take the most advantage of some resources, like the hours of sun and the heat emited from the ground to warm up the house. This houses must have a good orientation to catch the sun ligth.
2.  Respect the enviroment: The eco-housesare made of materials tahta respect the enviroment. This materials are natural and recyclables. In addition, since the material don't have any chemicals or toxics, it also takes care of the health and well-being of a person.

Types of eco-house 

• Houses made of wood

The wood is a very eco-friendly material. 

Advantages→  It provides warmth and controls the humidity.

Disadvantage→ Be careful with the fire

• Houses made of bricks

To build a house with this material youa have to take into acount the different types of bricks.

This material is not as good as wood since you have to use thermal insulation. However acording to fires it does't get burnt and the fire dosn't spread.

• Houses made of concrete

It's not a very good material and it isn't very eco-friendly, but if you dont have a high budget you could afford it since its is a cheap material.

Interesting eco-houses

Blooming Bambú

Vietnamese studio H&P Architects has built a prototype bamboo house designed to resist floods up to three metres above ground.
This house is made of tightly-packed rows of bamboo cane.

Inside, living and sleeping areas occupy the main floor, and ladders lead up to attic spaces that can be used for study or prayer.

It has been designed as a house, but could also be used as a school classroom, medical facility or community centre.

Fall house


This house is located in the natural beauty and power of California landscape. As it is embeded in the land this house has a very tought structure. The site offers dramatic views: a 250-foot drop to the Pacific Ocean.
The interior is a shelter in contrast with the roughness of the ocean and cliff. The house also shields the southern outdoor spaces from the powerful winds that blow from the northwest.
The main body of the house is composed of two rectangular boxes connected by an all-glass library.

P.A.T.H.

This kind of houses are called P.A.T.H (Prefabicated AccesibleTechnological Homes).
They combine the high technology, comfort, design and respect for the enviroment.
P.A.T.H. model houses are rapidly built and come with a full long-term assistance to the owner.

You can design your own house by choosing between different facadesas well as a variety of interior finishes. Besides you can create an eco-friendly house by adding eco-technological solutions such as photovoltaic solar panels, wind turbines, rainwater collectors or heat pumps.

Tighthouse

Is the first eco-house in New York, located in a street full of houses with more than 100 years.
The sustainable technology installed includes two solar thermal panels for hot water and photovoltaic solar panels that reduce the needs for electricity based on the network.

Apart from the modern front of the building and the balcony it also has a big art studio.

Waste Home

This house, located in Brighton University, is entirely made of recycled wates.
About 90% of the materials used to make the Waste Home were derived from household and construction waste, including 20,000 toothbrushes, 4,000 DVD boxes, 2,000 diskettes and 2,000 used rubber mats, which were used for the cladding of the facade.