Wer jetzt kein Passivhaus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt in einer normalen Wohnung lebt, wird da lange bleiben,
wird wachen, fachspezifische Hefte lesen, neue Pläne schreiben
und wird am Wochenende von 7-9 November hin und her
unruhig wandern, während die Flugblätter treiben.
(Herbsttag in German, and four versions in English) von Rainer Maria Rilke (site in German) (pages in English) *4. Dezember 1875 † 29. Dezember 1926)
Showing posts with label Passivhaus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passivhaus. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
A fairytale ending or the end of a fairytale?
Visitors to an exhibition in Hamburg's Europa Passage will be able to live warmly, and therefore presumably, happily ever after. However, if the Passivhausstandard is adopted in Britain, it may cause problems for an annual but popular visitor - Father Christmas.
Not only will children not be able to 'post' their wishlists to Santa by sending them up the chimney, but the rotund bloke with the generous amounts of white facial hair won't be able to get in to deliver them either... Passive houses don't need chimneys.
However, as Christmas traditions in Germany are different, the people who spend time looking at the display 'Our house saves energy - here's how' ('Unser Haus Spart Energie - Gewusst wie') on the top floor of the shopping centre can concentrate on the message therein: regardless of what sort of house you live in, or when it was built, there are things you can do that will reduce your heating bills.
Hamburg's fabulous open air pools closed at the end of last month, children are back at school and it's dark at 7.30pm. Winter is on its way so this exhibition is timely. It's also excellent and sets a standard other organisations would do well to emulate.
From a distance you can see red 'roofs' of six 'house-lets'. Houseowners are intrigued and attracted. Closeup they are not disappointed. The displays are attractive, engaging and accessible.
The designers haven't forgotten that the visitor is unlikely to be alone. There are hands-on elements for all ages, such as a cube you turn each visible side of which simply has one large image and the minimum number of words required to explain what sort of energy is produced by the subject of the picture. Even the youngest members of any party are catered for. There is a box of wooden toys to entertain them in situ and a wildlife colouring book and two storybooks, the latter with a sustainable theme, to keep them occupied while mum or dad is absorbed in the exhibition, but which they can take away with them.
Each house is dedicated to a different topic around the environment. However each is made relevant to the viewer because the underlying message is how you can improve the condition of your home and reduce its energy use and therefore your outgoings. In fact, each display is a sort of FAQ - from What are renewable sources of energy? to What is the difference between a heat pump and geothermal energy? Where appropriate, reference is made to the technology is available for homes, how it works, the situation for which it is suitable and, crucially, how much it costs and what the financial benefits to the home owner are.
Not only will children not be able to 'post' their wishlists to Santa by sending them up the chimney, but the rotund bloke with the generous amounts of white facial hair won't be able to get in to deliver them either... Passive houses don't need chimneys.
However, as Christmas traditions in Germany are different, the people who spend time looking at the display 'Our house saves energy - here's how' ('Unser Haus Spart Energie - Gewusst wie') on the top floor of the shopping centre can concentrate on the message therein: regardless of what sort of house you live in, or when it was built, there are things you can do that will reduce your heating bills.
Hamburg's fabulous open air pools closed at the end of last month, children are back at school and it's dark at 7.30pm. Winter is on its way so this exhibition is timely. It's also excellent and sets a standard other organisations would do well to emulate.
From a distance you can see red 'roofs' of six 'house-lets'. Houseowners are intrigued and attracted. Closeup they are not disappointed. The displays are attractive, engaging and accessible.
The designers haven't forgotten that the visitor is unlikely to be alone. There are hands-on elements for all ages, such as a cube you turn each visible side of which simply has one large image and the minimum number of words required to explain what sort of energy is produced by the subject of the picture. Even the youngest members of any party are catered for. There is a box of wooden toys to entertain them in situ and a wildlife colouring book and two storybooks, the latter with a sustainable theme, to keep them occupied while mum or dad is absorbed in the exhibition, but which they can take away with them.
Each house is dedicated to a different topic around the environment. However each is made relevant to the viewer because the underlying message is how you can improve the condition of your home and reduce its energy use and therefore your outgoings. In fact, each display is a sort of FAQ - from What are renewable sources of energy? to What is the difference between a heat pump and geothermal energy? Where appropriate, reference is made to the technology is available for homes, how it works, the situation for which it is suitable and, crucially, how much it costs and what the financial benefits to the home owner are.
There is a vast amount of information presented on the 'walls' of the cottages but in such a way and using so many devices - colour, images, 'real-life' stories, podcasts (an iPod is available in situ in exchange for ID or a deposit, or visit http://www.regionalbewegung.de/102/ ), a whiteboard with pen and calculator provided, a DVD ("Abenteuer Energiesparen" ["Energy Adventure"] which you can order by email from ausstellung@gusb.de for 15 € excl postage) - that the visitor will stick with it to the end.
On the final 'wall' are shelves of examples of magazines aimed at home owners and available through newsagents; books through bookshops or online; and brochures to take away or order from the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz and Reaktorsicherheit for whom the exhibition was produced.
The exhibition is part of the the first Hamburg Climate Week which runs until Sunday 26 September. However, it will then go 'on tour' and its next stop is 10-11 October in the Schaufenster Fischereihafen, Bremerhaven.
Recommended!
(Images courtesy of Gesellschaft für Umwelt- und Sozialbildung mbH.)
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Tour of architect's own passive house home
Architects Nisse Gerster (in red shirt, above) and Robert Heinicke (in white) explained the technology involved in constructing a building to passive house standard to visitors from the AZB Hamburg and the latter's Build with CaRe guests from Scotland.
The tour started at the offices of the Heinicke Architekturbüro where Mr Gerster and Mr Heinicke talked their visitors through the models they have on display of wall insulating materials, three layer glass windows and how to avoid thermal bridges when installing a front door.
From the architects' office it was just a short walk to Mr Gerster's home.
The immediate clue that this was not a house like any other was the lack of a chimney. A second sign was those three panes of glass in every window. The front door was attractive but extraordinarily heavy to push open. For someone trying to explain the concept of a paasive house to a potential buyer, the security afforded by the windows and the doors would be good selling point.
As Mr Gerster is still working on his home, visitors were able to see some of the layers involved in insulating the property. Some people are concerned about potential noise associated with ventilation that is an essential component of a passive house. Mr Gerster turned up the air exchanger to full capacity to demonstrate that it was inaudible even when set to maximum.
Three hundred metres of piping in the ground underneath the house help to keep the Gerster family warm in winter and cool in summer.
Internally, the layout is open plan with much natural (and untreated) wood. However, before the next winter arrives Mr Gerster will be installing safety glass between the sitting room and the hallway; he has found that when the front door is opened in cooler weather the temperature of his home drops noticeably.
All the visitors appreciated the time both architects set aside for answering questions and Mr Gerster's opening his home for inspection.
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