Morning, noon and afternoon sun and shade
Eco build guide
New builds: Positioning your house
House in the middle of plot: useless space
Garage at the far end of garden: lots of hard surface instead of greenery
House to front and one side: maximum useful space
East or west-facing plot: house along north boundary, no windows in that wall.
Day points out there are ways to keep things clean, tidy and organised but he doesn’t touch upon the convenience aspect; wouldn’t everyone want to use the washing machines at the same time, say, on a good drying day or at the weekends? That said sharing does provide considerable savings: it minimises capital cost, embodied energy, raw material and energy use. You could apparently save 35-40% on your electricity bills if you partook in equipment sharing! House building costs are reduced too – think of the savings associated to not having to build a utility room. And so Day has a section within the Site Choice and Planning chapter dedicated to grouping homes. Ireland is full of residential estates which could be put to use. ‘Eco’ communities such as Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, exist already, (in this case it relies on district heating, one mega boiler feeding heat to the whole estate), but more can be done. www.SelfBuild.ie
Striving to be happy
South-facing plot: house set back from the front boundary, hedge dividing semi-public area from wholly private realm.
Day starts off the book with the simple question, why build an eco-house? Nowadays eco has in many circles come to mean energy-efficient due to the easily quantifiable cost savings. But there are many other, at times surprising, aspects to consider, including mental health. A chapter that you won’t find in every house building book is the one about keeping your spirit and soul healthy. It’s common knowledge that daylight makes everyone happier but did you know it’s recommended to spend at least an hour outdoors in the day time? It’s amazing to think most of us can’t achieve it. Day then goes on to delve into the concept of psychological space and sensory nutrition. “Uncluttered spaciousness is about freedom from pressure. It’s calming; it relieves stress,” he says. “However, this isn’t only about generous space to
Pros and cons of different house positions. Top left: consider where and when you’ll get shade.
49