Architect here. How can I be the most helpful?
Architect here. How can I be the most helpful?
I am a registered architect. As an active contributor to one of the most damaging industries to our climate (construction & building systems), I often daydream about pivoting careers into something more productive for the planet. I'm not talking about stuff like green washing or ~LEED accreditation~. Even sustainably-focused jobs are hard to come by and usually pretty regionally specific. Architects have a broad set of skills, and it's not always clear where I can take those skills and put them to better use.
Any thoughts/insight would be appreciated as I hop into my mid-life crisis before 30.
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Is there a set of standard guidelines for people who are retrofitting their own houses to use to make them as energy efficient as possible?
When I briefly looked into the space, nothing seemed accessible, lots of snake oil selling of products, but no overarching wiki energy doing cost comparison of each solution. Especially given that different markets have different item costs
two areas to look into – for the low tech approach, traditional building in your area and passive solar building – for the high tech approach, Passive House
for actual application, usually more a matter of focusing on generalizations
- insulation (and superinsulation) – thick walls, extra insulation, air gaps, double- or triple-pane windows
- avoiding thermal bridges – ie. direct connections between inside and outside allowing heat to conduct into the house in summer or escape the house in winter
- thermal masses (“heat batteries”) – thick slabs to store heat during the day and release it at night
- window overhangs that still allow natural sunlight in winter but shade windows in summer
To be honest, cost wise there are going to be big differences between regions. However what I learned from my own house improvement journey, the first step is insulation, always insulate as much as possible. Next up with insulation is ventilation, to make sure the air is clean for you to breathe. The the next step is looking into how much heating/cooling is still needed. And check if you can use a heat pump or aircon efficiently. And then when you know your energy need you can add solar. Although that can also be useful earlier in the process. But the first step is always insulation since it reduses your need for energy immediately and is usually one of the cheaper options.