Efficient House Design for the 21st Century in the United Kingdom

Abstract

An "Efficient house design" is a design that uses materials and methods which reduce the environmental impact and has low carbon emissions, and does not compromise the health and well-being of today and future generations. Issues like a waste (solid or liquid), energy and water use, etc., are considered while trying to achieve an efficient design. The different techniques and methods suitable for designing efficient housing using sustainable technologies available in the 21st century are discussed. The techniques include utilizing sustainable building materials and discussing their role in reducing carbon emissions and their impact related to embodied energy. Incorporating photovoltaic cells and passive solar heating techniques to make the buildings more energy efficient is also presented. All the methods discussed are those which are suitable for house designing in the UK. Several examples from case studies have been presented to illustrate the use of efficient design techniques, sustainable materials and renewable energy systems. As for the conclusion, an effort has been made to design a Zero Carbon emission house, and the proposed design has been presented along with the report. The report is an effort to offer an alternative to building design, specifically housing design so that implementing the techniques described can help minimize carbon emissions and preserve the natural resources that are exhausting day by day.