Passive Design

Passive design is a concept that has interested me on green housing which does not need to be heated in winter; all it needs is the sun to shine on it. In constructing such a house a number of factors need to be considered such as:

Taken fom : MrGreen

·         Efficient ventilation

·         Sun angles

·         Excellent thermal insulation

·         Efficient energy appliances

In South Africa, aesthetics and costs are in most cases the determining factor when choosing residential appliances. Therefore, houses end up being built with no insulation, and then retrofitted with piping and cabling appliances which are usually preferred only when occupying and furnishing the house.

In order for us (humans) to survive, we need necessary shelter. The big concern is the impact of building on the environment and the need to live in a healthier environment are the active motivations to change of new materials; such as:

·         Cordwood

·         Adobe

·         Straw bale

·         Rammed Earth

·         Cob



Taken fom : MrGreen



The above mentioned materials are a few that have been used successfully across the world in building passive design housing. These innovative approaches are an introduction of a new way of thinking in reducing the ecological footprint of the building process.

Other routes one could undertake in lowering the carbon footprint would be:

·         The use of natural plaster as a finishing touch

·         Recycling of building material currently on the site

Taken fom : MrGreen

NOTE: The end result of building with the traditional materials such as Portland cement will negatively impact the environment. For instance; for every one ton of Portland cement produced, one ton of CO2 is released.