The Sustainable Design of The Houl
The Houl is a green home design created by Simon Winstanley Architects that really concern on total sustainability concept. It is claimed as a zero carbon house as its green construction and its green technology. Sited in a hillside, this simple home has a complete features as a green inspiring home for the inhabitants.
The building materials had been considered very carefully to create optimum comfort and sustainability. The frame construction is from lightweight insulated steel and timber, clad in cedar weatherboarding allowed to weather to a natural silver grey color. Windows and external doors are triple glazed high performance timber in grey color. All of the insulations systems are designed to achieve Passiv Haus standards. To minimize the air infiltration heating, “whole house heat recovery ventilation system” is used through an air source heat pump. Wind turbines are used to produce electricity.
By all of this sustainable features, this environmentally friendly housing is believed to achieve zero carbon concept, by using non-carbon energy sources and optimizing the use of energy to be efficient.
Not only sustainable house design, this house also offers beautiful views, as it is located in a naturally concave area of hillside of the beautiful town of Castle Douglas, Scotland.
This house has two roof parts with different level, the higher one covers the main living space, while the lower one forms a reduced angle with the base of the higher roof to allow the natural sunlight into the main living area via the gaps. The entrance is also set to prevent strong winds, located in the north east side.
This green living is expected to compensate its carbon emission during the development process through all of its sustainable features, transferring zero carbon energy back into the national grid.
