Bioclimatic architecture essential principles

Bioclimatic and ecological architecture. Guide and didactic manual of essential principles.

Undoubtedly the architecture and bioclimatic design They are in "fashion" in recent years. Building with coherence and with ecological materials provides us with multiple benefits that we must understand and appreciate. In this article we will try to begin to understand the definition of the bioclimatic concept.

Sometimes on the net you find "jewels" and it seems to me this is one of them, on the other hand, I suppose that many colleagues already knew it.

I don't really know how to define it, let's leave it at "Didactic illustrations" that frame the essential principles of what What is bioclimatic arquitecture, ecological, sustainable and coherent practices in energy efficiency of the Building represented in 14 Sheets that belong to a book "Practical renewable energy" by Iñaki and Sebastián Urkia Lus, written in 1998.

The objective is the design of houses taking advantage of natural resources (sun, flora, rain, winds, etc.) and to practice a construction with the minimum environmental impact

It is possible that the illustrations that we present are not the latest in technology as well as the content of the book, but it is possible to recognize that the quality and the way of expressing the content are worth a post as well as a help to introduce ourselves in the different concepts that encompass bioclimatic houses and the traditional form of construction that is fortunately recovering.

Bioclimatic architecture manual

The present bioclimatic design manual It is made up of several files taken from the book "Practical renewable energy" and is divided into the following sections that formulate all the parts to be considered in the design of the house:

Human habitat and its evolution.
The middle. Some basic tips.
Saving. The house that does not degrade its environment.
Renewable energy.
Bioclimatism.
Catchment. Passive solar sizing.
Feng-Shui.
Geobiology.
Materials suitable for green building.
Ways suitable for life.
Permaculture. Sustainable culture.
Permaculture. Biodiversity to power.
Great examples.
Reflections

Someone has come up with, let's say "hang on the net" The copy of the book … HERE so that we can all have access. We also strongly recall access to two articles of interest:

Urban bioclimatic design
Construction guides in adobe and earth
Guidelines for biosustainable design
The sun and the wind as design elements

Bioclimatic architecture definition

The term of bioclimatic construction encompasses a wide range of options, although in general terms the description of bioclimatic architecture It consists of the design of buildings or houses taking into account the climatic conditions, taking advantage of free resources (sun, flora, rain, winds) to reduce environmental impacts, trying to reduce energy consumption.

This type of construction is closely linked to the green building, which refers to the structures or construction processes that are responsible with the environment and they use resources efficiently throughout the life of a construction.

Design

The sequential process is essential to achieve the maximum environmental quality and efficiency with the minimum investment:

1.- The urban and architectural design must be appropriate for the main environmental factors, it is the «climatic architecture«, Such as Temperature and Humidity, considering the formal project of the building itself in relation to the location and nature of the territory, the topography of the plot or the obstructions of the environment.

2.- Orientation will be essential as an adaptation system that allows the use or protection of the different directional climatic impacts, essentially derived from the Sun and the effect of the wind, in addition to natural light, views, rain, pollution or the noises, among the most notable points.

3.- The architectural design and the technology used will be a subsidiary of the previous ones, helping the interior architectural spaces to achieve the set objectives of environmental comfort, improving those environmental aspects that the formal design is not capable of ensuring.

The design of passive environmental conditioning systems, such as high insulation and / or thermal accumulation, together with adjustable solar capture and / or protection systems, allow the environmental quality to be increased with a reasonable initial investment, which will pay off quickly with the Zero or reduced energy consumption throughout the life of the building.

4.- Finally, the technical equipment for artificial conditioning would only be necessary in
those extreme climatic or employment conditions, in support of bioclimatic design measures, benefiting from less dimensioning and energy consumption.

An example of good and simple design …

History of the bioclimatic concept

Although it seems like a new term, the history of bioclimatic development it is not; a case of this, are the whitewashed houses in Andalusia or the south-facing roofs in the northern hemisphere of Spain in order to take advantage of the inclination of the sun.

As examples, the chalets in the Alps or the rural houses in many parts of the planet, can be considered as great adaptations of rural life while they are configured as constructions that respect nature and adapted according to the time of year, providing examples of bioclimatic dwellings .

In these 2 types of residences indicated, the barn on the ground floor served as a radiator in winter (due to the heat released with the fermentation of straw and manure) and the animals were taken out in summer to graze, then serving as moderate thermal insulation.

In addition to the aforementioned, the second floor or attic originally served as a hayloft or haystack throughout the winter, which isolates the living area on the first floor from the cold outside. And in Galician rural residences, the exterior access to the first floor where the rooms are located is designed in a traditional way to avoid the usual passage through the stable.

In the same way as an example ofbioclimatic building seeks to conform to the time of the location and its characteristics, users must have an adaptive behavior. It implies that there is a double concept, time and culture, which leads to a modification in the behavior of individuals over time and in their cultural habits to improve the standard of living, always respecting the environment that surrounds us.

Characteristics of bioclimatic architecture

Adaptation to temperature could be the most common point in a bioclimatic project based on four key points and bioclimatic techniques that at the same time are interconnected by different methods:

The orientation
Sunshine and sun protection
Thermal insulation based on techniques and material use
Crossed ventilation.

It implies the integral design of the whole of the buildings, of a house or of a constructive element and its environment, with appropriate solutions adaptable to the climatic conditions of the site, projecting itself from the beginning in the project to be built. The adaptation implies that the work and construction itself can change its environmental behavior, with absolutely different thermal adaptations for summer or winter conditions.

In the following diagram we can recognize and compare the "classical" building and the bioclimatic building with respect to the use of natural resources.

To understand more we can go into the article Costs and benefits of sustainable construction where the bioclimatic construction system is analyzed from an economic perspective.

Example of bioclimatic architecture

Bioclimatic architecture projects There are many examples of houses with bioclimatic elements. Although, in the infographic Following we can understand the concept of climate adapted to modern housing where technology gains strength in the construction and works of new sustainable homes that increasingly assume a new role with greater presence and with bioclimatic materials that are responding to consistent and environmental needs.