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Vastutimes
If You Want to Save the Earth, Build Your House With It!: What I find the most satisfying and exciting these days as an architect of over 10 years, is working with abundant, locally available natural building materials. In India that means clay, sand, stone, straw and timber (from bamboo sticks to the big stuff). I do not have to chase to the lumber yard and run up my tab, pay for far away transportation costs, dispose of packaging material, expose myself or my clients to toxins, nor worry about leaving a legacy of non-biodegradable substances in a landfill or the building itself. Disease...Building: 1. Someone who is told by their general practitioner that they have recurrent bronchitis may in fact have occupational asthma. Breathing difficulties that improve on days away from the workplace could be due to occupational asthma. 2. In one study, up to 10 per cent of workers in air-conditioned offices with humidification experienced chest tightness compared with about 2 per cent of those in buildings with natural ventilation 3. The sensitivity of the eyes to the atmosphere means that they are easily irritated, and symptoms such as soreness, itchiness, grittiness, watering and redness are common in buildings with indoor climate problems. Sustainability As a Lifestyle There are those of us who have a serious passion for something in life, a cause to die for, so to speak. We are trailblazers who will go the extra mile to see a project, dream or issue through. Over the years, working in environmental issues, we have known several extremely committed individuals who have tirelessly given of themselves. Some of these folks do, literally, die for their causes. Is our health sustainable? Are our relationships nourished? Are our obligations in balance with our resources? What do we need to adjust to make them so? When the pressures of life loom strong it becomes even more important to take stock and monitor our activity accordingly. Sustainability embraces all of our needs and wishes us well. It is with great appreciation for Healing Garden's immense support toward these aims that we share out of our very real experience. Breathing Walls…This House is Alive! The energy crisis of the 1970's prompted a trend towards making buildings more airtight. As a result, these “modern”, well-sealed homes have an air exchange rate of only once every five hours or longer. Problems with stale air are compounded by the thousands of chemicals from building materials that off-gas inside the house. Building Science tells us that the human body requires between one and two air changes per hour to maintain vitality, regenerate body cells and eliminate environmental toxins. Two styles of construction have arisen attempting to ensure fresh indoor air. One approach uses airtight construction methods and mechanically controlled filtered air systems. The other incorporates natural or non-toxic building materials that “breathe”. My experience in airtight construction methods over the years have resulted in some important realizations. In order for vapor barriers to be really effective, they have to be perfect. By perfect I mean absolutely no holes, all joints taped and places like electrical outlets, switches, fixtures and other building penetrations need special attention. A less than perfect vapor barrier allows water vapor to pass through the wall cavity. In this case, not diffusely through the wall, but in a concentrated venturi-like way through those few cracks, seams or holes. As this water vapor travels through the wall cavity towards the exterior in the winter, it cools and eventually condenses to water as it reaches the dew point somewhere within the wall cavity. In many instances this often means on the inside surfaces of materials with low vapor permeability. OSB or plywood sheathing, insulating foam panels, vinyl sidings, building papers even and some cement based stuccos have all shown the ability to trap moisture within a wall system.     |
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