Social Media Marketing

Some of my friends (chicken littles mainly) think I have gone mad starting an architectural construction company, or indeed any business, in Spain in the current market. Actually the timing is perfect for many reasons and if I can just go off topic for a brief moment. People don’t buy or sell houses for the most part because there is or isn’t a recession. They buy and sell houses because they get married, divorced, have children, someone dies, they get a new job or they retire. None of this has stopped happening.
There are a hundred and one other reasons why the timing is right for us but this article is about social media marketing. And one of the reasons why now is a good time for us to start our business is that right now (August 2009) social media marketing is an open field. Very few people are using it and even fewer people are using it effectively. Social Media Marketing is how we are going to distribute our service / product.
Social Media Marketing is absolutely great because:
1. It’s free
2. It filters out the cads and blaggards
3. It requires total self expression so it’s fun
4. It requires you not ever to pitch or sell your service or product which makes some people uncomfortable
Before we get into it let me explain what it is in a way you’ll understand.
It’s Like Going Down The Pub
The world of social media is like a big jolly pub. It’s a busy place with a great atmosphere. There are all sorts of people there: shy, loud, thoughtful, serious, trivial, introvert and comic.
There are plenty of people lurking around in the background who don’t do or say much. Perhaps they’re too shy. Perhaps they don’t know how to start a conversation. Perhaps they just like to watch what’s going on.
Then there are people who walk in and then walk out again without saying anything.
Then there are the brash types who come barging in noisily stand on the table and shout at everyone and tell them to buy what they’re selling. The pub falls silent while everyone freezes in horror at the social gaff. Eventually they leave, leaving the place littered with their business cards, because no-one talks to them. Everyone is aghast at the goofiness of the blundering fool.
Then there are people who sidle up to the bar and introduce themselves affably, tell a joke and make us laugh, ask us how we are and listen to the answer, make interesting conversation, buy everyone a drink when it’s their turn. As you meet them every day you get you know them quite well. You become friends. You know how they make their living, you know about their family, what they like to do for fun. The most popular people in the pub are keen to make a contribution, help out other people, buy a round of drinks, organize the charity do, look after people, and get their round in.
The point is it’s an active community. Useful, helpful, authentic people are popular and make friends.
Now, when you need some advice you ask your mates down the pub. If the people you know can’t help you directly they’ll know someone who does. This pub has a really effective grapevine. The advice could be anything from who’s the best web designer for me, who can make me a special engagement ring, to who can build me a high quality eco friendly home? And when you receive the advice, because it’s from someone you know and like and trust, the chances are you’ll take it and say thank you. If you don’t you may come back to that person later or recommend them to someone else.
Now let’s say one of your mates down the pub is a web designer and you need a website. What kind of relationship do you have now with him? One of trust. If he’d try to sell you his services as a web designer before you made friends, or before he gave you some impartial advice on something else, would you feel the same way? No way. Just like in the pub you don’t try to sell your mates life insurance.
And in the unlikely event that he’s a useful member of your community but turns out to be a crap web designer or worse runs away with your money will he last long in the community? Not a millisecond.
Ok so let’s move on a bit. Can a business walk in the pub and be part of the community? No. A business isn’t a person. It’s that simple. There are plenty of businesses wasting their time and money with Facebook accounts and You Tube Accounts boasting about their stuff and no one is paying a blind bit of notice because a business isn’t a person and you can’t chat to them or see pictures of their children. (See footnote)
How do I Get Results?
Ok so now you know it’s a pub let’s look at actually how to get results in Social Media Marketing. There are four cornerstones to being effective and if you do each one of these correctly and you are persistent over time you will get results. It’s inevitable.
1. Personal Branding
2. Daily Activity
3. Content
4. Keyword Research
Personal Branding
This is my favorite of the four cornerstones and the thing that really excites me because you have to be authentic, have integrity, and make a genuine contribution if this is going to work for you. You can’t hide behind the company logo, slogan, rules or whatever. A few people in the corporate world seem to change their personality at the office and behave as if they are acting in a film and someone has written them a bad script. Forget about all that. Don’t pose or try to be cool. It’s essential that you are authentic. In fact I would go much further and say it’s essential that you are fully self expressed.
And best of all you never have to “close a sale”. That is the language of dinosaurs rapidly becoming extinct and you will only see fossilized versions of this anywhere in the commercial world in a couple of years let alone down the pub. So if your nature is pushy, tricky, or scratchy then start celebrating because this is your opportunity to become a great person. Either that or forget about ever selling anything and go back to your miserable life. Customer really is king now in a way he never has been before and none too soon in my opinion.
Let me underscore this point. This only works if you are genuine in what you have to offer (i.e. it’s worth more than the money you charge for it) and you yourself have total integrity.
So to be successful you are creative fun playful and authentic. If you’re not that by nature then become it. Remember this is not about hard work and it’s not about manipulating people and it’s not about being competitive. It’s simply about making yourself visible to people who are already looking for someone exactly like you. Do this well and you will stand out from the crowd because there are so many people at the moment who are shouting in the pub and trying to use social media to manipulate people. It won’t work.
Daily Activity
Go to the pub every day and have fun. Walk around introduce yourself to be people. Introduce people you know to other people you know that they may find useful. Network. Don’t keep secrets. Give away real value especially where your competitors are hiding things. You’ll blast them out of the water. Make comments on people’s blogs, photos, articles, answer questions on forums (forums are very powerful because you come over as an expert ……assuming you are one), share information, and help people. Do this consistently everyday for months and you will become not only visible but irresistibly attractive to people who are already looking for you. I never said this was effortless; free and fun yes but not effortless.
Content
There’s nothing new about this one. Internet marketing has always been about content. It should be informative, entertaining, personal, even quirky. You should make some content of your own which can be articles or videos. But the great thing is that you don’t absolutely have to have original content. There is masses of content out there and most of its crap. You can offer a really useful and attractive service by filtering out the rubbish. I might like to know that if I visit your You Tube Channel or your Blog that I am going to see the best most relevant material and I won’t ever see anything which is a waste of time.
Keyword Research
This is the killer factor that can get you on the first page of Google without SEO or PPC. No one knows the Google algorithm and in any case they’re always changing it. But we do know that Google favours all the social media sites. If you get a lot of clicks on your blog and if people leave a lot of comments on your content Google will notice that and you will quite quickly move up the ranks where you become more visible, so more people click on you in a positive feedback cycle.
Take a look for yourself. I have just done a search on Google for energy efficient homes. Number 4 took me to a page of videos on various video-sharing sites. I clicked on the first video and I saw a very informative video about awnings and how they improve the energy efficiency of your home. It was made by a guy called Michael Sahlin who clearly knows what he is talking about. Right at the end of the video I saw his tel number and his website address. He never once pitched to me. If I want an awning to improve the energy efficiency of my home the chances are I will contact him and ask for his advice. This is how you do it.

Notice I didn’t get straight to his website but straight to his video. If I like him I will find his website address there. This is what he did and you can do the same for very little money, just time a willingness to persevere, and a can-do attitude.
Notice also he gave me some useful information without asking for anything in return. Just like a good friend. This is key.
The next bits a bit technical so bear with me and if you’re really going to do this take the time to research what I am saying so confirm that I am right.
You will need an account with wordtracker. You get 7 days for free, which in my experience isn’t long enough. You are going to have to pay wordtracker one way or another because this is an ongoing thing not a one off. But it’s a maximum of $50 a month you can suspend your account and come back to it and its well worth it.
You are looking for keywords that are popular but not widely competed for. Wordtracker tells you how to do this and there are some helpful articles on their website. In other words you are looking for the words and phrases that people actually search for in Google but which not many websites have content on.
Then, step two, is to create some content around that keyword. Make sure it’s relevant, informative and entertaining. Then simply post it up on all your social media sites making sure that the keyword phrase is in the URL, and in the title of your content, and make you use it in the description and the tags. Tell a few people down the pub and some of them will have a look and leave a comment especially if you habitually leave comments on their material and Bob’s your aunties husband and the worlds your lobster. Give it time and you will rank highly for that keyword or phrase on the Google search engines.
It’s like everyone in the pub knows who you are. You’re like a magnet for your ideal prospects who come to you asking for your expert advice and who are happy to pay for it.
More Please
I have a list of social media sites divided into Media Sites, Bookmarking sites, Content Sharing Sites, Media Sharing Sites and Other. I am happy to share this with anyone who gets in touch with me. I am also happy to clarify any of the issues discussed.
Thomas Power articulates a lot of these on his series of You Tube videos eg:

Footnote: I think the real point here is that the internet has changed forever the relationships we have with our customer. Some businesses are using social media marketing effectively perhaps by making funny or quirky videos on You Tube or really courting the relationship with their clients. Thomas Power explores this in a series of videos.

Eco Living Walls

Introduction

It’s quite possible you’re already familiar with the idea of a ‘living wall’ – maybe you’ve seen old properties enveloped with vines, you might have seen the art project currently underway in Rio de Janeiro (see the picture above), or perhaps you’ve just been unlucky enough to witness a mildew outbreak in your house!  These are all examples of living walls, but don’t touch on the ecologically minded living walls, a more modern concept which is becoming increasingly popular within the circles of architecture and design.

Eco Living Walls – A Definition

Definition from www.knowledgerush.com:

“A living wall is a vertical garden. The plants grow in compartments on a porous vertical wall. The water drips down, and may feed moss and vines, other plants, some insects and bacteria. The water is captured at the bottom of the wall in a pool or pond to be re-circulated to the top.” (http://knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Living_wall/)

Definition from www.wikipedia.com:

“A green wall is a wall, either free-standing or part of a building, that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and, in some cases, soil or an inorganic growing medium.  They are also referred to as living walls, biowalls, or vertical gardens.”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_wall)

Eco living walls – exterior applications

The use of living walls in a building’s facade is an increasingly popular practice amongst architects, with examples popping up around the world, from Spain to the US to South Korea.  But, apart from the obvious, what makes these vertical gardens green?

One of the main environmental problems in cities arises from the huge surface areas of concrete, asphalt, and other similar materials created by densely packed buildings and extensive road networks.  These materials absorb radiation from the sun (heat energy) very efficiently, so the very fabric of the city is heated, and this energy is subsequently re-radiated, heating the air further.  As a result of these ‘urban heat islands’, cities are often 3-4 degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas.  The main knock-on effect this has for the environment is the increased use of mechanical cooling systems.

Eco living walls can help to combat this urban heat island effect, as can green roofs, since plants and other greenery absorb far less heat than massive construction materials.  The temperature of the building’s fabric is therefore lower, so as a result its contribution to the heat energy contained in the surrounding air is lower.  Problem solved!

‘Living facades’ can also have a positive effect on a building’s internal environment.  In winter months the air cavity between the living wall and the building’s structure acts as an extra layer of insulation, and the living wall itself acts as a barrier against winds.  The latter is especially useful since, in winter, wind chill factor can account for up to a third of heating demands.  In the summer, the living wall provides increased shading for the fabric of the building hence one will often see them used on South and West facing walls (in the Northern Hemisphere that is!).

Eco living walls – interior applications

As you can see from the image above, eco living walls aren’t just limited to exterior applications!  There is a growing demand for living walls inside buildings, the effects of which can also be highly beneficial to the living environment.  With the correct selection of plants, a living wall can actually remove or trap dust, toxins and other unhealthy contaminants from the air inside a building.  This is a great, natural way to achieve excellent air quality, and a good method to help prevent ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (yes, this does exist!)  The filtering effect can be made more efficient if the air a building draws in can be passed directly over a living wall as it enters the building.

Most eco living walls built for interior applications consist of a vertical arrangement of plants or organisms supported by a simple irrigation system.  These irrigation systems often feature a tank of water at the base of the wall, which has a cooling affect on the interior environment.

Depending on your choice of plants, your living wall can also become an ‘edible wall’ – sounds like something out of Willy Wonka’s factory!  A lot of herbs, salad greens and other vegetable plants are suitable to use in living walls, so they can even help to cut your food bills!

And Finally…

Let’s not forget amongst all these green benefits, eco living walls are also beautiful.  They are often received as works of art and provide excellent focal points both inside and outside buildings.  So, they are good for the environment, good for your health, good for your food bills, and great to look at.  Not bad for a few plants on a wall!

Bio

Written by Simon Thorpe, a 3rd year Architecture Undergraduate at Magdalene College, Cambridge.  Simon spent 2 months in the summer of 2009 as an intern for Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building experts.  Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com.  Contact Simon at simoncthorpe@hotmail.co.uk

10 of the World’s Best Eco Houses

Introduction

In this article I’ve put together 10 of my favourite eco houses from around the world.  As you’d expect with the current popularity and poignancy of terms like ‘green homes’, ‘eco friendly buildings’ and ‘sustainable construction’, there are hundreds of houses to choose from when compiling a list like this, which is a great thing!  Because of this I realise I’ve hardly scratched the surface with my research and I’d love to hear any feedback, comments, criticisms or suggestions on the buildings I’ve selected, as well as any you feel I’ve left out…

The Eco Arch, Kent, England

This rather iconic-looking home, shown on Channel 4’s Grand Designs series in the UK, features an unsupported parabolic arch made up of thousands of tiny clay tiles.  This unprecedented feat of engineering is also highly insulated and is covered with layers of gravel and soil to allow wild grasses and flowers to seed.  Underneath it, a super air-tight modern home is laid out to face the huge south facing windows, which harness the energy of the sun to heat a heavy ‘eco-concrete’ floor slab.  This “creative, risk-taking and groundbreaking” building is an architectural first and we can learn a lot from it!

More information at…

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/grand-designs/episode-guides/weald-of-kent-eco-arch-the-story-09-02-18_p_1.html

The Active House, Lystrup, Denmark

With a cheeky play on words, this house is looking to match and surpass the standards of the ‘Passiv Haus’ widely used around parts of Europe.  The aim of the building is to provide a zero-carbon eco home without compromising on supreme comfort and usability, which is an idea that I love, and something I definitely believe to be achievable.  The house uses solar-generated electricity, solar heating and an advanced computer system which controls the interior climate, opening and closing windows according to the temperature, season and time of day.  This technologically advanced design is really interesting as an alternative approach to the so far unquestioned passiv haus system.

More information at…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/21/active-house-denmark-zero-carbon

LivingHomes RK1, Santa Monica, USA

This house caused a pretty big response amongst the press and building worlds when it was build back in 2006, since it was the first house to receive a ‘Platinum Rating’ in America’s LEED sustainable design rating system.  To be honest all the attention seems to be deserved – the home uses zero net energy and water, and produces zero net waste, carbon and emissions.  Pretty impressive!  This house is a model for the ‘RK1’ prototype offered by LivingHomes, a spacious 5-bedroom structure with options for customisation of finishes applied and technologies used.

More information at…

http://www.gearcrave.com/2008-07-21/the-best-of-modern-prefab-santa-monicas-livinghome/

Flow House Design Concept, New Orleans, USA

Intended for the Lower 9^th area of New Orleans, devastated by hurricane Katrina, this design is brimming with sustainable design features.  Photovoltaic roof panels, rainwater harvesting and ‘rain gardens’ act alongside passive design features that allow natural ventilation and plenty of daylight.  What makes this project stand out is the ‘cradle to cradle’ design philosophy applied by architects William McDonough + Partners.  This means that, once the building is no longer in use, all the materials used can either be recycled or returned to nature.  Similarly admirable is the amount of attention the architects paid to ‘community design workshops’ to ensure the houses were really tailored to the local people.  Great stuff.

More information at…

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/13/william-mcdonough-partners-flow-house-in-new-orleans/

The Brooks Avenue House, Venice, USA

This modern Californian house extension takes the concept of green rather more literally than others!  One section of the structure is covered on three sides with a living wall system, fed with captured rainwater and recycled domestic water.  Above this the roof houses a highly productive vegetable garden, a nice alternative to popping to the shops every day for your fresh veg!  There’s a strong connection between inside and outside, and the architecture harnesses principles of natural lighting and ventilation.  Of course, all the other ‘sustainable boxes’ are ticked – the building is packed with solar panels, led lighting, low-flush toilets, and green materials.

More information at…

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/19/the-brooks-ave-house-a-californian-study-in-green/

Residence Amongst Trees, Sydney, Australia

The beauty of this house for me lies in its delicacy in dealing with the surroundings.  The thoughtful design carefully sits on 8 steel pillars amongst a host of council protected trees, and goes to such an extent to avoid disruption that it even features a 30ft eucalyptus tree growing through the deck.  I can only imagine how tranquil it must be to live here, engulfed in nature.  The house also has a unique ‘butterfly’ roof, which helps to harvest rainwater for the toilets, laundry, landscaping and gardening, and also allows natural light to flood into the upper floors.  Perhaps that childhood dream of a treehouse wasn’t so fanciful after all…

More information at…

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/11/30/living-lightly-among-the-trees-in-australia/

Hof Country Residence, Skakafjordur, Iceland

This beautifully creative country residence is said to be inspired by the landscape and climate of Iceland, and you can easily begin to see how when you look over the volumes gently rising from the ground, covered by the turf that their construction displaced.  The architects, Studio Granada, find a wonderful harmony between rustic traditionalism and modern chic, juxtaposing concrete, oak and steel to great effect.  Not forgetting their environmental obligations, the designers use the exposed mass of the concrete to stabilise internal temperatures, geothermal energy heats the house’s water supply, and the little electricity that is required is generated by hydroelectric sources.  A thoroughly beautiful design.

More information at…

http://www.trendir.com/house-design/sustainable-house-in-iceland-grass-topped-house.html

The Woodman’s Cottage, Sussex, England

A homage to material sustainability, this humble woodman’s cottage, as feature on Channel 4’s Grand Designs show in the UK, is set deep amongst a sweet chestnut forest.  The cottage is constructed entirely of locally sourced materials – the wooden frame is filled with recycled newspaper and straw bale insulation, which is then coated in clay and lime plaster.  Instead of completely felling the trees, the owner coppices them to encourage rapid re-growth.  The result is a charming yet simple rustic abode which presents a nice paradox to the more modern approach to ‘green architecture’.

More information at…

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/grand-designs/episode-guides/sussex-the-woodman-s-cottage-08-06-11_p_1.html

Villa UH1, Nacka, Sweden

This Swedish bunker-style home represents a more contemporary, clean-lined approach to ecological house design.  The design is apparently inspired by a WWII-era German bunker, but I definitely know which I’d rather live in!  Comfortable, luxurious furnishings offset the sleek, minimal surface finishes to produce an inviting modern home.  Let’s not forget it’s green credentials either – built into the side of a gently sloping hillside, and covered in a sedum living roof, the structure is highly insulated and thermally stable.  The design also harnesses geothermal energy, with a heat pump providing heating and cooling for the entire house.  Quite a contrast to the Woodman’s Cottage, but still a beautiful design!

More information at…

http://www.trendir.com/house-design/bunker-style-houses-eco-friendly-house-in-stockholm.html

Shelter House, Yport, France

Do not be deceived by the simple, rustic appearance of this hillside residence in Normandy.  Designed by Franklin Azzi Architecture with sustainability and the environment firmly in mind, the house exists independent of the national grid, generating it’s own electricity, heat and water using solar panels, geothermal energy and rainwater harvesting.  All materials are sourced from within 100km of the site, and all are recyclable – of course!  The design is quite beautiful and considered too, with two ‘wings’ protruding from either side of a more traditional-looking central structure.  At present these wings provide shade and shelter on the lower level and terraces with incredible views on the upper level.  However, they also give the opportunity for expansion should the owners require more interior space.  One of my favourite aspects of this building is the subtlety of transition between interior and exterior – you can really imaging life spilling out onto the decks and terraces!

More information at…

http://www.trendir.com/house-design/eco-house-design-is-heavenly-complete-with-wings.html

And Finally…

So there you have it – 10 great eco homes from around the world!  I think this collection is a great way of breaking any myths about what an eco homes is.  It shows they can be any shape, size or style you like whilst still maintaining high standards of comfort, sustainability and environmental awareness.  As technology moves forward and prices begin to fall it really is becoming difficult to justify not making your new-build house an eco-house!

Bio

Written by Simon Thorpe, a 3rd year Architecture Undergraduate at Magdalene College, Cambridge.  Simon spent 2 months in the summer of 2009 as an intern for Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building experts.  Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com.  Contact Simon at simoncthorpe@hotmail.co.uk

Poll

PVCU Windows

Is pvcu the most toxic synthetic material to contaminate the environment man has invented or is it a safe material for window frames and superior to wood or aluminium?

In this article I am going to tell you what pvcu windows are, address the debate about whether they have a negative or positive effect on the environment, discuss their performance and compare it with the alternatives of timber and aluminum, and finally draw some conclusions and offer some advice.

pvcu Windows What Are They?

Let me quote Thermalframe, a company in New Zealand, which supplies pvcu windows. Here is their website http://www.epcsheerframe.co.nz/

“PVC windows, PVCu windows, uPVC windows and vinyl windows are the same thing – PVC windows.  People from the USA or Canada tend to call them vinyl windows, people from UK / Europe tend to call them UPVC, or PVCu windows.  With regard to strength of PVC windows, the vinyl windows of USA/Canadian origin tend to be lighter with less wall thickness than their UK / European counterparts and therefore are a little less suitable for the size of windows we tend to build in New Zealand.  Either way, advancements in the polymer industry has seen these take over the world.”

“PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride. The ‘u’ means that the PVC is unplasticised, i.e. rigid.  PVC is a major thermoplastic material used in a wide variety of applications and products. The essential raw materials for PVC are derived from salt and oil. The electrolysis of salt water produces chlorine, which combine with ethylene, obtained from oil, to provide vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Molecules of VCM are polymerised to perform PVC resin, to which appropriate additives are incorporated to make a customised PVC compound. PVC can be plasticised to make it flexible for use in flooring and vital medical products for example, or rigid “PVCu”, the U stands for “unplasticised” – which is used extensively in building applications including window frames.”

pvcu Eco Friendly or the Devil in Disguise?

For many people the major problem with vinyl is the negative effect its production and incineration has on the environment. The process creates significant toxins, including dioxin, one of the most toxic compounds known. For this reason, vinyl windows are often discouraged for “green” projects. Joe Thornton a research scientist at Colombia University wrote a paper in 2005 outlining the dangers and toxins associated with pvcu which can be found here:

http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/ThorntonPVCSummary.html

As you might expect Thermalframe, a company which distributes pvcu, window frames have a robust defense. Let me quote their website (which is http://www.epcsheerframe.co.nz/)

“Thermalframe is as conscious of the environment as you are.”Green” is not a fad; it is a way of life we must all adapt if our children are to have the same quality of life we now enjoy. The environmental impact of any product must be measured from cradle to grave, taking into account the impact of each phase of its life cycle. PVCu is a safe choice in all phases. PVCu requires substantially fewer resources to produce than metal alternatives. When PVCu is used as a substitute for wood precious hardwood forests are spared… the plentiful, replaceable pine is not suitable for windows. It would take quite a few hardwood trees to replace the 20-25 million PVCu windows installed in Britain. PVCu joinery lasts longer and needs little maintenance and no painting. The long life means fewer resources are needed to replace it later and the low maintenance spares the environment exposure to harsh chemicals involved with preservatives, paint and associated solvents. It is an environmentally friendly product composing 55% salt and is recyclable. Thermalframe PVCu joinery is all made from organic calcium based profiles and are completely lead-free.”

At the Centre for Alternative Energy in the UK (a registered charity) they have come down firmly in favour of wood. It’s interesting that Thermalframe the main proponents of PVCu windows only talk about PVCu being preferable to hardwoods and they may be right. But there are many other sustainable sources of timber frames. This is what the Centre for Alternative Energy say:- (here is a link to the full paper I am quoting from http://www.cat.org.uk/information/pdf/GlazingOver.pdf )

“Timber, uPVC or aluminium frames? If you are replacing windows, wood is the best option. There are many environmental problems associated with the manufacture of PVC. High levels of dioxins and other organochlorines are found around PVC plants and are released to the atmosphere on combustion. They’ve been linked with cancer, immune system damage and hormone disruption. Although manufacturing techniques are improving, disposal at end-of-life is still a problem.

PVC manufacture uses lots of energy; far more than wood production. Wood frames can last for over 50 years, and then be renovated rather than replaced. uPVC windows usually need replacing after a much shorter period. Although uPVC window manufacturers claim they are maintenance free, Dulux recently brought out a uPVC frame paint, recommended for use every 6 years! Aluminium manufacture involves a lot of energy use and pollution. The coatings on some frames make recycling difficult – not ideal for such a high value material, so look for anodized frames if you do choose aluminium.”

Another problem with pvcu is that it is relatively weak so the frames have to be quite thick reducing the glazing area and transmitted light. So pvcu isn’t suitable for large windows on this account alone. Another problem is vinyl’s tendency to expand and contract with normal temperature fluctuations which can cause loosening of seals and corner cracks.

Certainly aluminium frames on their own are not appropriate because they conduct heat with great efficiency and where used there are problems of condensation forming on the frame. However aliminium is strong and can be combined with wood or vinyl in a number of different ways to incorporate thermal breaks. These pictures illustrate how:-

http://www.efficientwindows.org/ftypes.cfm

The key message here is that the most earth friendly option is wood. The material comes from sustainable sources and it’s a strong low maintenance material.  So for “green” projects wood is best. Aluminium is an option too where it is blended with other material to incorporate thermal breaks. The principal advantage is its strength for large windows.

So wood is best and the best timber framed windows are manufactured in Scandanavia where you can source splendid prefabricated ecologically friendly windows including triple glazed argon or krypton e-coated windows at reasonable prices.

Other Key Components in Energy Efficient Glazing

1. Fitting: the quality of the seal and the workmanship here is critical to the performance of the window and the energy performance of the building. This is the most important factor of all. A bad window system well fitted is probably better than a good window system badly fitted. So be wise in your choice of fitter and by the way this applies to the whole building.
2. Window panes: this is a massive area I will address in another article.
3. Shading and Shutters: also a critical factor in the overall performance and the subject of another article.
4. Placement and Orientation: also a key factor in the energy balance of the building.

And finally

Windows used to be considered the inevitable weak point in insulating your home. But with significant changes in technology over the last twenty years which allow light to pass through but not heat (or sound) this is no longer the case. Indeed these days you can have it all. You can have enormous windows which are pointed at the best views and you can have the internal layout that you want without compromising the energy efficiency of the building. It’s a question of getting the energy balance of the building right and a key part of this equation is the glazing. Watch this space for more information.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

Preguntas Mas Frecuentes Sobre Sistemas de Estructura de Madera

¿Los sistemas de estructura de madera son fiables? Después de todo sólo son casas de madera, ¿no?

SEM es un método de construir diseñado por ingenieros cualificados, de calidad asegurada y  probada y es muy común en la mayor parte del mundo desarrollado. Nosotros construimos hoteles, colegios, bloques de apartamentos usando SEM. Como en cualquier otra forma de construcción, el techo, suelo, y paredes pueden ser de ladrillo, azulejos u otros materiales. Los edificios de SEM son construcciones complejas donde la madera es solo uno de los componentes. Ciertamente es una estructura seria.

Puede mirar las fotos de nuestra página web donde encontrará edificios que presentan la misma apariencia exterior que una estructura de hormigón y acero.

SEM son estructuras ligeras. Sin embargo son fuertes, duraderas y de gran precisión. Existen muchos ejemplos de edificios con estructuras de madera que tienen cientos de años. Además la tecnología en cuanto al tratamiento de la madera y la construcción ha avanzado mucho durante los últimos veinte años por lo que este método tan antiguo es actualmente superior al tradicional de hormigón y acero en casi todos los aspectos.

En España no hay tradición de construir con madera. ¿Puede ser esto un problema?

La estructura se construye por partes en una fábrica en Inglaterra y un equipo especializado la monta en el terreno. Una constructora española que controla todo el proceso termina el edificio. Lejos de ser problemático, las obras de mantenimiento son más fáciles porque los cables y los tubos son accesibles y los cambios de la configuración del edificio son simples y se  pueden hacer fácilmente.

¿Son las estructuras SEM apropiadas para el clima caluroso y seco que tiene España en verano?

La madera lleva un tratamiento llamado vac vac que la protege de hongos y cualquier  tipo de insecto. El clima caluroso y seco no deteriora la madera en ningún modo. La mejor prueba de ello es  Estados Unidos que ha promovido este método de construir con excelentes resultados. Su clima varía entre subtropical, desértico y condiciones árticas y construyen con SEM en cualquiera de estas condiciones.

Si el edificio tiene una masa térmica baja se va a sobrecalentar durante el verano. Este es la gran ventaja de construir con hormigón y acero ( o piedra).

Los edificios de SEM pueden y suelen tener un aislamiento muy fuerte, algo que es fácil de conseguir. Este aislamiento es tan eficaz contra el sobrecalentamiento durante el verano como contra el sobre enfriamiento durante el invierno. En otras palabras podemos construir con SEM y lograr las mismas ventajas de tener un edificio con una masa alta térmica.

¿Se ve afectado el valor residual?

No existe ninguna razón para ello. Los edificios de SEM duran más, son más fuertes y superiores en casi todos los aspectos comparados con edificios de hormigón y acero.

¿Por que compraría el SEM a Telframe / Eco Vida y no a cualquier otro proveedor?

Somos expertos en lo que hacemos. Usamos los mejores métodos y los mejores materiales. Tenemos 30 años de experiencia. Además tenemos una presencia física en España y un representante cualificado. Además con la bajada de la libra un SEM que podría haber costado €100,000 durante el verano de 2008 ahora solo costaría €65,000.

¿No va a reducir el empleo en la economía local?

Como las construcciones SEM son mas rápidas, más limpias y mas fáciles que las tradicionales se puede hacer más trabajo y así se puede dar empleo a más personal y crear empleo. Se seguirá necesitando las obras de ladrillos y desgarrador y cimentación y como SEM es mas rápido se puede hacer más en el mismo tiempo. Además existe todas las posibilidades de que una vez esté de moda se montaría fabricas en España lo cual crearía más empleo.

Ejemplos en España

Puedo proveer fotos de una casa recién construida en 2008 con SEM.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

Los Beneficios de Construir con Sistemas de Estructura de Madera

Somos una compañía que provee Sistemas de Estructura de Madera (SEM). Construimos desde viviendas hasta hoteles, oficinas, multi-viviendas, incluso pisos de hasta 7 plantas y edificios públicos. La construcción con SEM es un método de construcción flexible y aceptada globalmente. Es extremadamente rápido y supone una excelente relación calidad/precio respecto a los demás sistemas de construcción. Las piezas son prefabricadas y se montan en el solar. La apariencia del edificio puede ser al gusto del cliente. Una vez terminado no tiene por qué  distinguirse de un edificio construido de una forma tradicional.

Las ventajas son múltiples para el propietario del edificio, el ocupante, la promotora y el arquitecto.

Ventajas para el propietario del edificio

1. Son más rápidos de construir que con hormigón y acero (cuestión de semanas,  no de meses).
2. Son más económicos  que los sistemas de hormigón y acero. Le ofrecemos  un presupuesto para que pueda comparar precios.
3. Son mas ecológicos que los de hormigón y acero lo cual favorece la imagen pública.
4. Los edificios consumen menos energía (tienen menos gastos de calefacción, aire acondicionado etc.).
5. Los edificios son más fáciles de mantener y cuesta menos modificarlos o hacer pequeñas reformas en ellos.
6. Se puede aprovechar el espacio bajo cubierta (mas espacio = mejor valor)

Ventajas para el ocupante del edificio

1. Los edificios son más silenciosos.
2. Los edificios son más seguros frente a terremotos,  inundaciones e incendios.
3. Son más cómodos y más saludables. Se encuentran cerrados herméticamente lo que permite el  control total de la temperatura del aire y de las superficies del edificio. Y aun más si se combinan con varias tecnologías estilo Passiv Haus de las que nos consideramos expertos.  También pueden incluirse sistemas de ventilación mecánica que permiten  la regulación de la humedad del aire y la filtración del polen y del polvo.

Ventajas para la promotora del edificio

1. Durante el periodo de construcción el ambiente es más limpio.
2. Debido a que el edificio se fabrica fuera del solar, es decir, en la propia fábrica la precisión y exactitud con que se realiza conlleva  muchos menos  defectos de construcción y un trabajo, en definitiva, más fácil.
3. Las condiciones meteorológicas no afectan al periodo de construcción.
4. El edificio se crea inmediatamente impermeable y la construcción del interior puede empezar sin necesidad de esperar a que se seque el hormigón.
5. La seguridad de los obreros  se incrementa.
6. Hay considerablemente menos basura para recoger y eliminar.

Ventajas para el arquitecto del edificio

1. Los edificios son más flexibles en cuanto al diseño, por ejemplo, espacios  ininterrumpidos por columnas.
2. El arquitecto no tiene que añadir nada a su diseño tradicional y no necesita ningún conocimiento especial. Nosotros convertimos cualquier diseño en SEM.
3. El sistema, aun no tan común en España, ha sido probado y aceptado en el resto del mundo donde la técnica ha evolucionado de forma impresionante durante los últimos 20 años.  El 40% de los edificios construidos en Gran Bretaña actualmente usan SEM.
4. La  garantía por parte del fabricante es de 10 años.
5. La madera está tratada por un proceso vac vac que le protege totalmente contra hongos  e insectos.
6. Tienen todas las acreditaciones legales y superan los requisitos en muchos aspectos  como por ejemplo:-

• Nuevo código técnico de la edificación en España.
• Certificados de garantía de la madera y del sistema de encolado
• Marcado C de la madera
• CPD: EN 13986
• Eurocode 5
• European Technical Approvals (ETAs)
• UK Building Regulations
• TRADA Standards
• British Standard Institute (BS5268)
• Robust Detail Rules
• SAP Energy Rating
• NHBC & ZURICH Warranty
• ETAG 007
• CPD: EN 13986

Si necesita más información póngase en contacto con nosotros y estaremos encantados de responder a todas sus preguntas o si lo prefiere puede ponerme en contacto con su arquitecto o constructora para hablar de los detalles que precise.

Le ofrecemos un presupuesto para que pueda valorar  las ventajas en cuanto a precio, calidad y rapidez de construir con sistemas estructurales de madera.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

Energy Efficient House Orientation

At Eco Vida all our buildings are constructed on a giant revolving turntable which orientates the primary occupied rooms south in the winter for maximum solar gain and north in the summer for maximum shading. The dining room faces east for sunrise at breakfast and spins round west for cocktails at sunset………….only joking!

But such a fantastical proposition illustrates that you have to make some choices when choosing the layout and orientation of your building. You will need to take a holistic approach and consider everything at once. So what are the things to consider?

Where On Earth Are You?

First identify your main challenge from an energy point of view. Is it keeping your home warm in winter or cool in summer? In the northern hemisphere typically energy efficient buildings orientate the principal comfort areas to the south to maximize the effect of solar heating in the winter. If you are in a hot part of northern Europe you may want to do the reverse. Again it will depend on the total mix.

What’s Really Good About Your Site?

What are the particular conditions of your site? Are there mountains or trees which will affect the solar impact during different seasons at different times of the day? Deciduous trees offer shade in summer when in leaf and let the sunlight through in winter. In which direction are your best views? Are those views the main reason why you bought the site?

And Just How Green Are You?

How important is energy efficiency to you? If you want to achieve passiv haus standards this will implicate many decisions. What materials are you using and what will the thermal mass of your building be? A building with a low-ish thermal mass may be susceptible to overheating in the afternoon if exposed to a westerly sun.

Clever Windows and Shading

Clever use of windows and high specification windows and shading can achieve a great deal? Windows used to be considered the thermal weak point in any passive design. With modern technology this is no longer the case but there are limits and the most efficient windows are the most expensive. Shading can make a great design feature with over hangs and covered patios and inside/outside areas. Shutters too can be used to great effect. We include total blackout shutters in our buildings for shading, comfort, and security.

Intelligent Internal Layout

Apart from shaded patio areas there are plenty of other buffer zones that can be used to protect the chief comfort areas from over heating or over cooling such as the garage, utility room, circulation space, washrooms. The kitchen which emits heat could be at the northerly side of the building where its heat effect is beneficial in the winter and will not exacerbate over heating in the summer. It will depend on your overall mix.

Roof Mounted Solar Energy Capture Panels

If you are mounting solar energy capture panels on your roof what is the optimal angle for them? The answer could affect the entire orientation of your building. Perhaps you are planning a flat roof or a green roof. Can you mount your solar panels on out-buildings or in the garden? All will depend on the energy balance of your building which needs to be planned at the outset.

Architecture which responds to people and to place

If the solution you are considering is modular or you have to have some kind of template design you severely restrict you’re options. Your builder and your architect need to respond to you personally and to the site you have bought or are looking for.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

Redefining The Word Comfort in “Comfortable Home”

I used to think a comfortable home meant one with lots of cushions and carpets. Having a comfortable home was a bit like having a comfortable bed. Well, let me tell you my eyes have been opened. Over the last several years since we have been developing our techniques and researching materials in low energy housing this word now has a completely different meaning to me.

A Comfortable Home is a Healthy Home

First of all it means healthy. A comfortable home is a healthy home. I used to think a healthy home was a home with healthy people in it. Now I think of it as one in which the air is fresh and continuously replaced. I wouldn’t dream of building a home now without a mechanical system of extracting stale dirty air from kitchen and bathroom areas and replacing it with fresh clean air filtered of dust and pollen gently propelled into the bedrooms and living areas.

A mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system also allows you to have the perfect humidity too by controlling the rate of replacement. However hot or muggy it is outside, inside you are comfortable. What a bonus!

Healthy means Lots of Natural Light Too

Healthy means lots of natural light too. Studies have proved that salesmen perform better if they are working in natural light rather than artificial light. Natural light is healthy. A comfortable home therefore incorporates lots of large windows and maybe skylights or light chimneys in hidden corners. Windows used to be considered the inevitable weak point in insulating your home. But with significant changes in window technology over the last twenty years which allow light to pass through but not heat (or sound) this is no longer the case. In fact these days you really can have it all.

Guilt Free Air Conditioning

Here’s the thing about standard air conditioning units. They use fossil fuels, which heat up the environment, to cool your home: a vicious cycle. Not clever. And have you ever stood next to the extractor fan unit located outside the space which is being cooled? It’s hot isn’t it? And noisy!

What would you say to an air conditioning system that uses solar power, is not electric, is silent, and cools the whole house not just the air i.e. the floors, the walls and all the surfaces? Well it now exists. How great is that for a hot Mediterranean climate? The hotter it is outside the cooler it can be inside. All the rooms in your home are always at the right temperature regardless of weather or season. If you go on holiday leave it on. It’s free to run. Now that’s what I call comfort.

By the way the same system heats the house in the winter and provides domestic hot water.

Living In Peace

I like to be able to sit in any room in my house in peace and read a book or just watch my thoughts. That peace and quiet is priceless. I do not wish to hear the loo flush upstairs. My ideal comfortable home has superb sound insulation inside and out.

And you know whatever your views on climate change wouldn’t it feel comfortable to know that you are living in balance with your environment? You are generating most of the energy you use, recycling your water and your waste material, using simple low maintenance systems.

I also like to know that maintaining this level of comfort doesn’t costs me much on a monthly basis. That helps me to feel peaceful.

So that’s what a comfortable home means to me. What does it mean to you? Why not get in touch?

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

How to Cool A Passive House In Spain

Well you’ve got three options. Break the rules and turn on the noisy fossil-fuel-burning electrical air conditioning and heat up the planet; incorporate passive cooling techniques into your design which frankly don’t work; or use a solar powered non electrical system which we install in our homes. Now I can hear you crying “hang-on he would say that wouldn’t he” so before I tell you about our system lets just have a look at the facts.

Cooling a passive house is a completely different problem to heating a passive house. We know the passive house technique works in cooler northern European countries. Seal the building and insulate it so no heat can escape and body heat and heat from cooking and appliances is enough to heat your home. Air quality is maintained with a mechanical ventilation system and heat exchanger (HRV). It can be minus 10 C outside before any artificial heat is needed inside.

What happens if we put the same building on a magic carpet and set it down in Andalusia Spain in August. Well it’s sealed and insulated so initially we are protected from the heat. But, big problem, we have to turn the HRV off because it’s hotter outside than it is inside. Soon we are breathing stale smelly air. And this is the big problem. If it’s hotter outside than you want it to be inside no amount of passive cooling techniques and clever designs are going to help you overcome this problem: stale air. You have no option other than to find a way of cooling the air in your building.

However there are some things you can and should be doing so let’s have a look at them.

Reduce Heat Gains in the Building

• Cook outside – not a bad idea we have a lot of barbeques in Spain. You could use an extractor fan in the kitchen.
• Use energy efficient lighting and natural light.
• People are a major heat source in passive houses so get rid of them (smile…I don’t think so)
• Look again at your domestic appliances, are they low in energy consumption and where are they located.

Design Your Building For A Hot Climate

• Shading : this is a vital part of a design in a hot climate. Shade to the south, obviously, but also to the west because the sun sets to the west and it is low in the sky making shading more difficult. Also the westerly sun is the afternoon sun and the thermal mass of your structure is more likely to have reached capacity. Shading includes overhangs, blinds, shutters and there are plenty of ingenious shutters that deal with the problem.
• Special Glazing: recent years has seen the development of window glass technology although it’s mainly for keeping heat in while still letting light through. You can install solar reflecting glass and solar absorbing glass and reduce your glazing to the south and west. This may compromise your enjoyment of the views and passive heating in winter so a balance needs to be struck.
• Thermal Mass: this is often the excuse for using vast quantities of concrete and is certainly why traditional stone buildings in Spain have such thick walls. Essentially you have bulky walls which absorb all the heat allowing you to stay cool inside. This method is entirely reliant on the bulk cooling down over night.

Make Yourself Feel More Comfortable

• Use cool colours: apparently psychologists propone this as a solution. I’m a psychologist and frankly I have my doubts.
• Move the air with fans.
• Use evaporation Techniques such as fountains and dripping walls which work well in dry climates but less well in humid climates.

Remember none of this is going to work in a hermetically sealed house if it is hotter outside than in because you won’t be able to use your HRV and the air quality inside will deteriorate to a point of being unsustainable.  You will have to open the windows and let all the fresh air, and the heat, in.

So How Do You Do It Then?

We install as standard in our buildings a revolutionary cooling system that uses the power of the sun to cool our buildings. Essentially this patented technology has achieved something which many thought was impossible: a “heat pump” with the unique ability to store energy and convert hot water to cooling and heating without the need for electricity. The same system, when installed, provides domestic hot water and heating in the winter.  We use an under floor distribution system so the very fabric of the house is at the right temperature, not just the air as is the case with electrical chillers and of course its silent and completely free to run.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.EcoVidaInternational.com

Hemp Insulation

Hemp is a very fine insulating material. This is a bold statement. So what qualities do you look for in an insulating material and how does hemp compare?

The Cost of Hemp Insulation

I have recently been quoted under €27 per square metre for hemp roof insulation and under €19 per square metre for hemp wall insulation. Cork by comparison was under €39 and  €27 respectively. This excluded transport costs which were clearly negotiable against quantity.

It comes in panels of 1000mm by 500 mm. The roof insulation panels are 200 mm thick and the wall panels are 140 mm thick.

So hemp insulation is a lot cheaper than cork and is generally very reasonably priced.

Thermal Properties of Hemp Insulation

Hemp has excellent thermal properties. To give you a precise idea the table below compares the U value of hemp with some other materials. U-values gauge how well a material allows heat to pass through. The lower the U-value, the greater a product’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.

Material	U Value – W/mK
Copper (included here to give an idea of the range)	380
Plaster Board	0.180
Dry Straw Bales	0.080 – 0.100
Strawboard	0.098
Woodwool slab	0.082
Sawdust	0.051
Foamed Glass Insulation	0.036 – 0.046
Cork	0.043
Fibre-glass Insulation	0.040
IsoNat hemp/recycled cotton insulation	0.039
Hemp and recycled cotton insulation	0.039
Thermalfleece sheeps wool insulation	0.039
Warmcel 500 wall insulation	0.036
Mineral Wool Insulation	0.032
Rigid polystyrene insulation	0.029 – 0.036
Rigid polyurethane	0.022 – 0.028
Rigid phenolic foam insulation	0.021 – 0.024

The Embodied Energy of Hemp Insulation

This is a measure of the energy used to process and transport the material and will clearly vary on how efficiently the hemp is processed and how far away manufacturing is from the building site.

Hemp can be and is grown across a wide area geographically widely including the UK, France, and Spain. It is a natural material and by comparison to synthetic materials, such as mineral and glass wool, it is probably safe to say it beats them all on the embodied energy measure.

However the whole picture would include a measure of the amount of energy saved by a material throughout the lifetime of its use. Having said that the embodied energy of almost any insulation material is insignificant compared with the energy saved by it over the lifetime of the building.

The Raw Material, Toxicity and Recyclability of Hemp Insulation

Yes, the environment is more than just an energy issue. What could be more environmentally friendly than growing the insulation material free from pesticides and chemicals? There is no toxicity that I am aware of in its manufacture, processing or usage. Hemp is an organic material.

Other Hemp Facts

• One of the earliest plants to be husbanded by man, hemp has been described as having the highest green credentials of any crop. It produces a huge variety of materials (fibre, wood, seeds), has a wide climatic range and a broad scope of uses. It has a high biomass and is an ideal rotation crop. It naturally suppresses weeds and so reduces the need for chemical or other treatments.
• Hemp wood chips can be mixed with lime to make Hempcrete which has a wide range of applications for insulating roof spaces, beneath or between floors, to build walls or as an insulating undercoat.
• The Hemp plant comes from the same family as the Cannabis plant the only difference being the quantity of THC produced.
• Before the industrial revolution hemp was the main source of rope and was in much demand by the world’s navies.
• Hemp is now used in the automotive industry for interior panels where it has proved superior to synthetic materials. It is also used in the manufacture of prestige paper.

Check out the informative Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

And Finally

As a final thought remember that the single most important factor in any insulating material is that it be installed properly.

Bio

John Wolfendale is an expert in energy efficient building and a director of Eco Vida, ecological architects and green building specialists. He graduated in Land Economy from Magdalene Cambridge in 1984, and has an additional first class degree in psychology. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for 23 years and lives with his Spanish wife and family in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Tel +34958126272, info@ecovida.co.uk, www.ecovidainternational.com