the secret of green technology... what the rich actually is paying for... is now yours for free.....the key is to know how air, water and earth...

A colleague of mine recently pointed out that a showcase sustainable house in Malaysia costs MYR9 million to be built. It has all the state of the art technology and design..but c'mon... MYR9million? You must be kidding me.

From my opinion, SD in built environment is all about low cost and simple simple solution utilising locally sourced materials. Our grandparents in the 'kampungs' applied SD principles in the constructions of the their dwellings and did not even have to cough out MYR1000 for it. Let alone MYR9 million???

This is the classic case where [technology = products = $$$]. Lets be realistic. No one can afford a MYR9million house. Maybe only a few of us in Malaysia. But SD is suppose to enjoyed by everyone and not only for the privilaged few.

I pointed out to this colleague that I can do that same house for less than MYR1million. He was surprised when I told him that. In my mind... the MYR figure was very much less.

How can this be possible? Well.. lets go back to SD 101. It's all about creating a built environment that churns out the most optimum thermal comfort for its occupants. Its not rocket science here.... all it is is recognizing that we only have to play with three basic elements.... EARTH, AIR and WATER....

Get this three basic elements right and optimal thermal comfort is there for everyone to enjoy....
Lets go into a bit more detail. What does all these three elements have in common? Simple.. they can all capture heat. Given the difference in density for each element, their thermal storage capacity is different.

I use the term earth loosely since it does not have to mean rock and sand.... Earth comprises of any natural ecological element such as plants...etc.

Lets put on a scenario where you want to design an SD house that will give you the most optimum thermal comfort for you and your family....

The figure below sums up this entry perfectly....




By applying simple design principle for your new house... even for rennovating your existing house... you can achieve 14 degrees in temperature difference. As a result you will live in a condition 3 degrees below the optimum thermal comfort condition for a tropical climate.

Will all these cost you MYR9million??? I dont think so.....

Next time you want to go SD... all you need to do is to think EARTH, AIR and WATER...

Have a good Sunday...