ECOLOGICAL HOUSE: INTRODUCTION
The ecological house is a real sustainable home consisting of materials and energy systems that minimize the negative impact on the environment. But not only that. The gain is both in environmental and economic terms. Structural strategies aimed at energy saving and even at the construction of zero impact and self-sufficient buildings are applied.
It is the so-called passive house, that is, the one that manages to meet its energy needs through the use of renewable energy, being even able to be built without heating.
CHARACTERISTICS
Ecological house means a house made of materials with low environmental impact, non-polluting and which limit energy expenditure as much as possible. The concept of ecological house is closely connected to the concept of “passive house“.
This is because the ecological house is built with high efficiency energy systems and systems that make maximum use of renewable resources.
Furthermore, the concept of respect for the environment is closely linked to the concept of sustainable development. The latter, in fact, concerns a process aimed at achieving ecological, environmental and social improvement objectives.
This process therefore links, in an interdependent relationship, the protection and enhancement of natural resources to the economic, social and institutional dimension. This is in order to satisfy the needs of current generations, avoiding compromising the ability of futures to satisfy their own.
Finally, in green building respect for the environment implies the realization of ecological and eco-sustainable houses. In this regard, therefore, the use of materials with low environmental impact and which are in a continuous development cycle is preferred.
Wood, clay, mineral wools are the products that dominate the field of green building with regard to the ecological home. As far as wood is concerned, it is important to underline how it is necessary to prepare woods for timber use.
In this sense it is necessary to apply a targeted wood cutting criterion in order to avoid unnecessary waste of timber.
ECO SUSTAINABILITY
The term eco-sustainable is of Greek origin mixed with Latin, or “oikia” which in Greek means house and “sustinere” which from Latin means to keep. The union of these two words literally means “keeping the house rules“.
From this derives a definition. In fact, eco-sustainable is that material, activity or process that maintains the characteristics of the ecosystem reality in which it is located. This is to allow future generations to be able to take advantage of the same material, activity or product without interrupting this cycle. The eco-home encapsulates this definition in the best possible way.
ADVANTAGES
One of the most significant advantages of the ecological wooden house is its durability and resistance to the passage of time and weathering. But why?
This is because the laminated wood used is among the most resistant and, moreover, it undergoes a special treatment in specific ovens that reduce humidity to 12-18%, the optimum volume for not creating cracks and sagging, while maintaining the necessary elasticity.
In general, an ecological wooden house costs less than a traditional one: the foundations do not have to be too deep, as they have to bear less weight, and the laying time is reduced, and with it the costs. Basically, another advantage is the reduction in construction time compared to more common concrete or masonry homes.
Another advantage not to be underestimated is theanti-seismicity of the wooden structure. Just think of the post-earthquake reconstructions in L’Aquila and central Italy, made with prefabricated wooden houses.
COSTS
The costs of building an eco-friendly house vary depending on the materials used and the size of the house.
The cheapest and most famous ecological houses are those made of wood, but there are also other natural and ecological materials that can be used: plaster, cork, bamboo, straw and rock wool, to be combined with paints of natural origin. Turnkey prices per sqm start at €1,000. With this service will be included the interior finishing, electrical and plumbing, plumbing fixtures, boiler, flooring and doors.
On the other hand, at the advanced raw, that is complete with the external, structural part and ready to be finished, at a later date, we go down to 700€ sqm. Certainly, to avoid surprises with respect to the initial estimate you can opt for a prefabricated eco-friendly house. They are excellent in terms of efficiency and, above all, require much less time to install than traditional constructions and therefore less expense.
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Finally, if you need advice to furnish or make your home ecological, send an email to valeriadesign@casaomnia.it!