SUNDAY, FEB 5, 2023: NOTE TO FILE
Bioclimatic strategies are a key element of designing sustainable houses. The aspect (relative position) of the building to the arc of the sun along with attention to specific site conditions is paramount in order to create an ecologically intelligent design. Where heating is a key issue, a passive solar design will determine the aspect of the building to the sun. Where cooling is an important consideration, landscaping can provide shading and the wind natural ventilation. More specifically; -
Source: https://www.solarmarket.com.au/residential-solar/considerations-before-installing-solar/
Functional Planning for Solar Gain. Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Room-orientation-related-to-the-movement-of-the-sun-throughout-the-day-Northern_fig1_319097274
Design for solar gain
Green roof design detail (Source: http://www.rooftoplandscapes.co.za/green.php)
· Shading with plants is landscaping with deciduous trees and extended roof lines to provide shading for summer cooling, whilst low sun in winter through bare trees can provide passive solar heating. Similarly, pergolas with vines over verandas can provide much needed summer shading whilst in winter the leaves will fall and allow winter sunlight for warmth, as illustrated in the image below.
Shading with plants (Source: https://www.lanser.com.au/2019/02/05/how-to-use-passive-design-to-save-money/)
· Natural ventilation is where it is necessary to have forced air ventilation for bathrooms and kitchens. There are also useful techniques for passive or natural ventilation, for example termite ventilation (see short video), which can be applied depending on the specific site and climate.
An iconic building which applied biomimicry to model termite ventilation is the
Case Study No.1: Biomimicry in ecological building design