Designing the Optimal Solar Orientation of Your Villa in Spain
The angle at which the sun’s rays hit your home varies during the day and from season to season. It can have a big effect on your heating / cooling costs and on the overall sense of comfort your home gives you. It should be studied in conjunction with the layout and function of the rooms and outside spaces, the window placement, the insulation / thermal mass, and heating and cooling systems. Getting this right is a big part of designing a comfortable energy efficient home.
Continue readingWhy Build Green In Spain
1. Build Green in Spain To Save Money
2. Build Green in Spain To Make Money
3. Build Green in Spain To Be More Comfortable
Build Green for Regulatory Reasons
I was going to tell you about the regulations but after more than 20 years living and amongst my Spanish cousins I have become anarchic like them….. to hell with the regulations!
Top 10 Sustainable Garden Tips
When we plan a garden in Spain we like to create spaces for the different moods of the day: dappled shade, scents at night, spaces in full sunlight or for cooking and sharing a meal.
Continue readingGreen roofs in Spain: How they benefit the environment and your health
Green roofs in Spain not only look incredible, but they can also go a long way to keeping your energy-efficient home comfortable. It’s why building a living roof garden is becoming an increasingly popular practice for eco-conscious homeowners – especially in Spain. Here are Eco Vida Homes’ eight persuasive reasons why green roofs in SpainContinue reading
Building with a modern timber frame in Spain
Timber frame design and technology has come a long way in the last 40 years and Spain is slowly waking up to the benefits. These days, a modern timber frame building can actually outperform a reinforced steel concrete frame (which is almost the only Spanish house construction method) in most circumstances. While not totally unknownContinue reading
Container homes Spain: Can you build with recycled shipping containers in Spain?
Shipping container homes come in all shapes and sizes, from luxury villas made up of several containers, to single units for those looking for a way to get off-grid. But is it really a good idea to build container homes in Spain? While it’s entirely possible and there are a few good examples, there areContinue reading
Off Site Construction Spain: Is it Green?
Modern timber frames, kit houses, prefab buildings and modular homes in Spain have a number of advantages but are they particularly green? Not necessarily. The thing is you generally have more control so they lend themselves to energy efficiency. The question of embodied transport related energy needs to be asked. This needs to include transportContinue reading
What Makes a Home “Green”?
What makes a home green, eco, or sustainable? Here are the main features: 1. A green home doesn’t use fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contribute to climate change, are expensive, and can be dirty and smelly. 2. An eco home is energy efficient: i.e. they use less energy whether its fossil fuel energy or renewable energy.Continue reading
