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the first conceptual sketch for the "round house": a passive-solar design utilizing advanced exterior & interior construction & a structural design optimized to reduce material use while maximizing useable square-footage, resulting in minimal embodied energy. The structure will ideally be a low to zero-energy unit. This will be achieved through extensive use of day-lighting, hyper-efficient appliances & fixtures, waste-heat recovery, passive & active solar technologies, geothermal heating/cooling systems, CHP and sustainable water management. There are two main features to this design: it is highly efficient and eco-friendly, & it is composed primarily of curved sections accessible across all four levels by ramp without an elevator or stairs.
Eco-Round The "round house", "Eco-Round', or "EcoRound" is a passive-solar design utilizing earthen & straw-bale construction resulting in minimal embodied energy. The design has several key parts: it is composed primarily of curves, not straight lines; it does not require the use of stairs to reach any location within it, despite being split into 4 levels; and it utilizes as many eco-friendly technologies and principles as possible. The structure will also be a low to zero-energy unit. This will be achieved through extensive use of daylighting, hyper-efficient appliances & fixtures, passive & active solar technologies, geothermal heating/cooling systems, passive solar design and water management. Note the additional greenhouse drawn in the 3D sketch. This design, for all of its interesting features, has one more interesting characteristic: it can easily be scaled up or down quite a bit without much effort(re-arranging interior walls mostly). Any feedback will be Greatly Appreciated!
