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Vacuum-insulated facade elements made from textile concrete

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Slimmer facade cross-sections with a higher insulation effect and an improved environmental impact for concrete construction - this is what the four-man team from HTWK Leipzig aims to achieve with the vakutex facade elements. Key to their performance are two materials: the fibre concrete coating and an insulating core as well as vacuum isolation panels. In this article, Frank H�lsmeier and Alexander Kahnt describe the functionality and advantages of their new development.

Shade seeker

Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The new Italian headquarters of the 3M company in Pioltello near Milan is the first part of a new master plan drawn up by Mario Cucinella as long ago as 2005. The 10,300 m� new building accommodates offices, conference rooms and a canteen.

Improving the energy performance of the European housing stock

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In their article for DETAIL Green, Frits Meijer and Lorraine Murphy (TU Delft ) analyse the characteristics and physical quality of the housing stock in selected European countries. A second section of the article analyses the current policies that are undertaken, including barriers and opportunities. In addition to the article, here is a link list with references for further reading.

Enlarged building, reduced consumption

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Originally, the architect's office, COBE, were only commissioned to renovate the theatre in Taastrup near Copenhagen in terms of energy consumption. But, as is well known, energy efficiency is defined as the quotient of benefits and expenditure. The architects, therefore, decided to endow the building with a new aesthetic appearance and to increase the amount of available space within it.

The passive house - an outdated concept or suitable for export?

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Passivhaus Institut (Passive House Institute) in Darmstadt estimates the number of passive houses built around the world to be 17,500, 13,000 of which are in Germany alone. In Germany and Austria, the passive house has progressed beyond its pioneering phase. Similarly rigorous energy standards have been tried out in Switzerland (Minergie-P) and northern Italy (KlimaHaus Gold) and there are many passive houses in Belgium, Scandinavia and the Czech Republic as well as initial projects in France, the UK, Ireland, Spain, South Africa and the US.

Prefabricated self-supplier

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"North House" is the contribution of three Canadian universities (the University of Waterloo, the Simon Fraser University, and Ryerson University) to the Solar Decathlon 2009 in Washington. The building was designed to suit the climatic conditions in high latitudes and, like all projects submitted to the American students' competition, was to supply all of its own energy needs. Facades with quadruple glazing and a crypton filling face the south, west and east and maximise the degree of passive solar heat recovery. According to the calculations of the designers, the solar heat yield is greater than the heat losses, even during the heating period.

Energy efficiency in an extreme climate

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Preikestolen Fjellstue near Stavanger is a timber construction through and through: the walls and floors are all made of dowelled laminated plywood. The outer walls have a total thickness of 60 cm, which includes an additional 20 cm of cellulose insulation. The U value of the walls is 0.14 W/m2K. When compared to the old Fjellstue hut which this lodge replaces, energy consumption has been more than halved, bringing the total down to 111 kWh/m2.

Expressive forms, economical operation

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Expressive forms and a sustainable method of construction are the key features of this new community centre and home of the Chamber of Commerce in the Californian city of Palm Desert. Certified to LEED Gold standard, the 700 m2 building was designed by Narendra Patel as a cavity insulated construction of fair-faced concrete.

Minergie on the summit

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thirty-eight of the mountains surrounding Zermatt tower above 4,000 metres. Many of the mountain railway stations and viewing platforms also approach vertiginous heights. The "Matterhorn Glacier Paradise" tourist centre on the Klein Matterhorn is the highest viewing point in Europe reachable by cable car. The new building was built by Peak Architekten (Zermatt/Z�rich) and Ingenieurb�ro Lauber IWISA, to the Swiss Minergie-P standard.

New start in platinum

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On 4 May 2007 a tornado devastated almost 95 per cent of the small town of Greensburg in Kansas. In the reconstruction effort, the city authorities set themselves an ambitious goal: all new buildings that were publicly financed would strive to achieve LEED Platinum accreditation, the highest level within the certification system of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Saving 120 tonnes of CO2

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Probably the world�s tallest timber-framed residential building was completed in recent months in the suburb of Hackney, in East London. Stadthaus, part of the Murray Grove Housing Development, stands 29.75 metres high. Apart from the plinth, which is of reinforced concrete, the entire building, including the two lift shafts and stairwells, was built of laminated plywood.

Improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Problems can occur in the case of historic buildings when the recommended energy-efficiency improvements conflict with preservation requirements. These are not insurmountable, but in some areas call for specialist skills in planning and execution.

Ultra-Slim Vacuum Glazing for Optimum Thermal Insulation

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Whereas the insulation effect at the transition from double to triple glazing is the outcome of greater system thicknesses, in the case of vacuum glazing a genuine qualitative improvement is achieved by obviating the thermal conduction caused by the gas in the cavity between the panes.

Integration of Photovoltaics in Membrane Structures

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Although suspended building elements are ideally suited for large-area structures like stadium roofs and airports, there was hitherto no way of incorporating photovoltaics in them. With its PV Flexibles, SolarNext AG has developed a form of photovoltaic technology that enables solar cells to be integrated directly into membrane materials.