Frustration with the architecture firm

[csintexas]

Hey John,
Good points, I guess that is why I don't worry too much when my clients ask for 58 recess lights

While I advocate doing what we can to conserve energy (because I think now we needlessly waste it) We have gotten so far from what would be an ideal architectural environment that it will be a very long road back.

I also agree with your points on resource usage (which was my complaint about the 58 lights) I don't think it has come to the point where we need mud huts yet but as the earths population increases and other super economies catch up with ours we will have to deal with increasingly stretched resources.

I'm not a pure environmental idealist, I would say that I am just advocating a more conservative attitude. I like Susanka's idea of building a bit smaller and increasing quality except for me I would say spend the money saved on energy efficiency instead of architectural detail.

It would be interesting to see how people coped with passive efficiency before the AC came along. Did they not know better and just designed without the sun in mind or did they have some strategy to deal with it?

[csintexas]

Now that I think about it more I guess the main difference between then and now is the modern window.

Back then windows where more expensive, harder to get and less efficient. The modern window gives us the potential to get a positive energy source. But it also gives us the potential to have a negative energy source which is by far most common since the advent of AC.

In the pre-AC past, even if a house had a front facade facing west it probably also did not have as much surface and window area.

[John Henry Architect]

Windows, in pre-Modern times, were nearly always vertical, and took up less than 20% of the surface area of the spandrel.
In hot climates, you will see this in southern France at least, the shutter in front of the window is pushed out from the bottom and while the hot sun is blocked, cool air circulates.
Before conditioned space by forced air, houses in warm climates had high floor to ceiling heights and thick masonry walls which allowed cooler air to stay lower and the effect of thermal mass to keep the inside cooler.
In northern countries where heating was more important to maintain floor to ceiling height is less (except in castles and public buildings, palaces, etc.) in order to have less volume of space to keep warm.
Wood framing, which was prevalent in the new world for expediency's sake, before modern insulation resulted in poorly insulated houses and much more energy (wood burning fireplaces) was required to keep them warm in the winter. Wattle and daub helped.

The ideal shape of a home would have to be an igloo for minimum material expenditure enclosing maximum volumne and for energy consumption.

If not an igloo, then we should all go back to square or rectangular footprints at 8 foot ceilings with expanded foam insulation in walls and ceilings to be truly Green as far as energy expenditure for heating and cooling.

[csintexas]

I don't know about an igloo but I do like the flying saucer shape (like some of those 50s houses of the future).

The round shape is very efficient and has the potential to produce many interesting possibilities I think. Getting a simple and efficient roof on one is more of a challenge but some interesting things are being done with sprayed concrete.

Oh yeah working shutters, Americans forgot about those along time ago.

[Luis M. Aguilar]

[BZ]

Hello yxh0300

I love the boomerang shaped house - try this link to find oddly shaped and very green houses.

This is more of a c shape, but it is a start =)
http://www.monolithic.com/plan-design/house_plans/1/1042.html

~BZ

[birgco]

I would never build or own a boomerang designed house.
A good friend of mine owned one and he hated it.
First he tried to sell it.
Then he reduced the price several times.
He even tried to give it away,

but it just kept coming back.............

[John Henry Architect]

nice one!

[ahmeds]

I would never build or own a boomerang designed house.
A good friend of mine owned one and he hated it.
First he tried to sell it.
Then he reduced the price several times.
He even tried to give it away,

but it just kept coming back............. -birgco

[yxh0300]

[phansford]

[birgco]

phansford,

you're right, but it was just too tempting to pass up.

btw, I gave up a long time ago trying make "funny" jokes, my goal is to be "mildly" amusing.

[phansford]

No - it was a good joke...... just seems to "flown" over some people's heads

Still would like to know the outcome of this situation. Is the house being designed and built?

[yxh0300]

Well, I hate to say that there has been no action yet.

[contact_if_interested]

Speaking of lights, we are planning to build a house and I really like recessed lights.
I am interested in using LED lights.
I am also thinking about solar LED lights for the dock and deck.
I am not sure if they are good as it is still a new technology without standardization. Anyone can shed some light. Anyone can recommend wher can we buy these at aresonable price.
Thanks
Judy