A bio-climatic house is a building designed in a way that allows occupants to benefit from the natural properties of its environment. This leads to high thermal comfort and big energy savings.
Bio-climatic design is the first step towards having a passive house or positive.
Use the sun’s heat to your advantage
If the following objectives are met, solar heat will contribute in naturally heating the house:
- Window orientation : 50% facing south, between 20 and 30% facing east, 15% facing west and between 0 and 10% facing north.
- Indoor layout: rooms that do not require much solar heating face north (i.e., corridors, staircases, hallway) and living spaces placed facing south, east or west (i.e., living room, kitchen, bedrooms).
Avoid overheating
Excessive solar heating can lead to overheating in summer, especially in warm regions. As a result, it is important to plan:
- Overhangs above windows that are facing south
- External blinds on west and east facing windows
- Vegetation to provide additional shading
Keep the heat
Maintaining a comfortable temperature in a house is possible when the following suggestions are met:
- Design a compact building. Buildings with a second floor will have less heat loss through walls than a building with only one floor
- Choose walls and windows that have a high thermal performance
- Ensure air-tightness of the house frame to prevent uncontrolled air inlets and outlets
- Install heating, cooling and ventilation equipment adapted to PopUp Houses
Follow our detailed guide for more information on bioclimatic design.
