What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
Passive solar gain with large window-orientation to the south. Solar gain with the solarium in the south acts as an additional cold-barrier in the winter. It is also very pleasant as a protection against mosquitoes while sitting outside of the house. The pane-angle is designed for maximum solar gain (perpendicular sun-radiation at it’s altitude in January) during the coldest average period. •Roof overhang is designed for maximum solar gain in the winter and maximum shade in the summer. •Open layout for radiant heat with wonderful light play falling in through the roof peak windows from three directions. •Square design: minimize the exterior wall surface, which minimize heating cost. •Exterior wall and roof with biological harmless cellulose insulation, permeable (airtight but breathable) with air ventilation behind the clapboards like the European standard. Constructed in this manner to prevent dew-water accumulation and structural rot due to mold build up. Unfortunately, many houses in North-America suffer from these conditions. •Avoiding or minimizing electro-smog: Electrical house service and shed wiring are underground. All electrical equipment is installed in the north-east, away from living space. All electrical wiring is made “tree-wise” (primarily vertical wiring) to prevent the dangerous effects of ring-wiring. •Extensive use of biologically harmless materials: All moldings, casings, doors, floors and structural material are made of local wood and are treated or finished with water based varnish, Trip-Trap” wood oil (Danish product on doors and seat at fireplace). The use of plastics was avoided due to their static fields. •Clay was used in different methods for several interior walls as a heavy, massive building material to absorb and store heat (or in summer the cold) necessary for passive solar heat to equalize the indoor temperature. 1) Clay is extensively the best material to absorb humidity out of the indoor air regulating the relative humidity. (My measurements show the relative humidity year round was between 40% and 60% which is a healthy average. Even the mirrors in the main bathroom never get foggy.) 2.)Clay has the ability of self-cleaning and filtering the air. The wall between the living room and bedroom, along with the one in the main bathroom are solid poured clay-walls following the principles of Prof. Minke (University of Kassel for Experimental Construction, in Germany). These principles were developed to use local clay and mix it with gravel, sand, sheep-wool, perlite or saw-dust. These walls then were shaped with clay stucco and like all other clay walls painted with lime-casein (milk-product) paint, which is humidity active (porous for humidity). 3.) The fire place was clad with unfired clay-bricks to create a massive, heavy structure for heat-storage and the regulation of moisture. 4.)The small wall in the living-room and in the bathroom surrounding the tub are also unfired clay-bricks, installed using a mortar free method. •The fireplace in the heart of the house is a sophisticated, very effective base developed in Ontario. Fire-resistant, heavy blocks were built on a foundation clad with adobes. The gas fumes are forced through a small slot above the fire-box where there is a secondary burning in a chamber above. All hot gases travel down through channels on each side; inside, and behind the fireplace and then through a horizontal channel into the chimney. Hot gases release heat through the system without allowing the cooler gases to escape through the chimney. Unlike other fireplace heating systems, (where the majority of hot gases escape through the chimney) this system is designed to transfer the heat into the structure that stores the heat, before the cooled down gasses are released through the chimney. When the fireplace is in use, it never cools down. With outdoor winter temperatures of -10°C (14°F) to -20°C (-4°F) a maximum of two full fires have to be made. After the wood is burned and there are only embers left, the damper at the top to the chimney can be closed and all the heat stays in the system until the next fire is burning. Even after one day the heat in the stove does not go down recognizably. The bench at the stove is the most popular seat in the house during the winter months. Warm radiation floats through the body. •The inside perimeter of the first floor of the house is a concrete slab, once again, increasing the heat/cold absorption features. Rebar were minimized but concrete dimension increased accordingly to minimize antenna effect and radiation. •In the areas of the exterior wall, an approx. 2ft wide perlite insulation was installed to avoid a thermal bridge through the concrete. •Before the start of construction a German dowser investigated the property. Based on this information, the house was oriented on a crossing of two positive (right turning) waterlines, now the area where the bench at the fireplace is located. •The back-part of the cellar is designed with just a gravel floor to create a moisturized room for storage of fruits and vegetables. •A rainwater collection was installed for garden irrigation. •All excess roof and drain-water are diverted through piping down the slope to the beach. With the technical support of the Dept. of Environmental Protection, a drainage was installed at the top of the bank (slope) to collect all surface water for controlled diversion. •Foundations for solar panels or collectors were installed for future installation.Property Description
The bio solar house was built with passive solar architecture; an example of an energy-efficient square design with large windows offering a southern exposure and fewer windows to the north. The room design is open and conceived for a passive solar effect. A greenhouse was added to the south to collect more solar energy and serve as another barrier in front of the large southern windows. A central clerestory thoroughly floods the room with natural light. With the square design, the building envelop is minimized relative to the square footage. Only natural materials were used in the construction such as wood, brick and clay. Plastic or synthetic materials were avoided, limiting harmful electrostatic fields. The exterior walls were designed to be permeable, employing a wind barrier (European model) on the outside without any vapor barrier. This method of construction prevents interior condensation which causes deleterious mold and mildew to grow while keeping damaging moisture from seeping into the house structure. The walls were insulated with cellulose because it does not contain harmful micro dust fibers. For wood surfaces, only water based varnish or wood oil were applied. The walls were painted with lime-casein paint (casein is a milk product) and mineral color pigments. Steer’s blood/iron oxide, as it was used centuries ago, was applied to the clay floor system to make it harder. Understanding the importance of energy fields, a dowser was employed in the selection of the exact location for construction and Bio-Geometry and Feng Shui were applied to the esthetic design of the house. Additional lots are for sale to ensure greater privacy.
Neighborhood Description
Rural, Residential, Farmland, Cottages. There is a new marina for private boats and a lobster wharf close by.Market Area
Tatamagouche is a small town in NS with 2 supermarkets, hospital, the next big city is Truro (40min) or Halifax (2h)School District
elementary and high-schoolCommunity
Location of Home or Land
Rural
Elevation of Home
Sea Level
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Solar - Passive |
| Cooling System | Passive Cooling |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Well |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Construction Type | Rammed Earth |
| Exterior Finish | Wood |
| Interior Finish | Other |
| Interior Paint | Other |
| Floor Material | Wood - Solid |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Vinyl or Vinyl Clad |
| Insulation Material | Recycled Newsprint |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | detached |
| Number of Cars | 4 |
| Garage Area | 1700 sqft |
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