Imagine a different way of constructing or rehabilitating buildings that takes into account their local environment, their location, the climate of the region and the general conditions surrounding the house. And all to make it more environmentally responsible. Now stop imagining, because this way of building houses has a name: it is bioclimatic architecture.
What is bioclimatic architecture?
This concept refers to the construction of buildings adapted to the climate of the area, instead of applying the same type of architecture regardless of where the house is located. Since building in Galicia is not the same as building in Seville, bioclimatic architecture seeks to adapt the construction to the humidity and temperature conditions of the area, among other criteria, to improve energy efficiency.
In a way, this is not something new. If you travel around the world or even just around Spain, you can see how the size or arrangement of windows, roofs, height of buildings, etc. changes. However, with bioclimatic architecture, the aim is to take advantage of architectural, technical and technological innovations to get the most out of this idea.
In addition to the above, bioclimatic architecture also bases its philosophy on avoiding polluting materials, improving the well-being and biodiversity of the place, making efficient use of energy, taking into account the type of materials for construction and also optimizing the use of water.
Thus, a cold and humid area will need more insulating materials or even thicker walls than a warmer area. The same applies to windows, their arrangement, their orientation based on the hours of sunlight, etc.
Objectives of bioclimatic architecture
At this point, the first thing you need to know is that buildings are responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of energy consumption in the European Union. For this reason, Brussels has launched a series of initiatives requiring new buildings to be emissions-neutral from 2030 onwards.
All these regulations, and the climate challenge itself, are what drive bioclimatic architecture, as it seeks efficiency and the reduction of the carbon footprint of construction. Although, perhaps, this approach goes a little further, as it also seeks to be respectful of the environment, for example, when it comes to isolating noise or respecting the biodiversity of the area.
Principles of this model of designing houses
The principles of bioclimatic architecture are very clear: respect the surroundings and the environment and adapt the construction to the climatic conditions of the area. To do this, different construction strategies are applied for which current technology is used. Thus, it is possible to know the average temperature of that specific area, the exact humidity, the hours of sunshine, the orientation and all the technical details necessary to plan the construction of the house in the most efficient way.
All of these principles aim to increase efficiency in electricity consumption, especially. Above all, to avoid spending so many resources to keep warm in winter, being able to replace hours of heating with more insulating materials or a better orientation of the building. The same occurs in summer with heat and hours of air conditioning.
Strategies of bioclimatic architecture
Now that it is clear what bioclimatic architecture seeks, let's see how all these concepts are transferred on paper to the reality of construction:
- Orientation: the orientation of the building is essential to prioritise the hours of sunshine in the coldest areas and thus reduce electricity consumption to maintain heat. However, in warm areas it is equally important to try to prevent the sun from entering during the hottest hours of the day.
- Size and height: The size of the building or house is equally important. In warmer areas, lower and wider houses can be chosen, while in colder areas, buildings can be taller and narrower.
- Color: Color is also essential, since white repels the sun, while dark tones attract more sun rays and heat.
- Windows: the arrangement of the windows, their size, height and placement, as well as the materials used, are essential to play with the hours of sunlight and adapt to the climatic conditions of that specific area.
- Materials: the materials, in addition to being insulating, must be as non-polluting as possible to avoid damaging the planet, just as is the case with sustainable decoration .
- Ventilation: Ventilation of the building is essential to prevent heat leaks, cold ingress and improve the quality of the internal air. The heat from the air expelled through ventilation is transferred to the fresh air entering through a heat exchanger, which helps to prevent thermal losses.
- Water use: Efficient water use is another major challenge. To achieve this, pipes that prevent leaks are used, as well as shower or tap systems that prioritise saving.
- Vegetation: In hot areas, external vegetation can be used to prevent heat from entering the building and keep the interior cooler.
- Thermal accumulators: heat exchangers and heat pumps have the capacity to capture and retain heat produced by heating systems or solar radiation, which helps prevent energy losses.
- Hygrothermal comfort: this has to do with the use of systems that prevent condensation in the home, to avoid having to ventilate and lose heat or cold.
Advantages of sustainable architecture
Bioclimatic architecture not only helps the planet, but also the well-being of the tenants with buildings and homes that are much more adapted to the local climate. In this way, it is possible to reduce electricity consumption, the carbon footprint, noise or light pollution and a series of other factors that benefit local biodiversity and the tenants of the home, as well as long-term savings in terms of electricity bills.
These principles can be applied in the construction of buildings and also in the self-construction of your own home and its self-promoter mortgage .
