House in Carrer Amor in Manacor

This is the home of one of the studio’s partners; it is thought and constructed like a laboratory, following sustainability rules, efficient energy and healthy, that is, with bioconstruction rules. In it we were able to experiment with multiple alternative construction system, ecological materials, efficient installations, passive systems… By living here, we can feel the difference and show that all these systems are perfectly acceptable and attainable. Everybody is invited to a commented visit.

It is an attached house with ground floor, first and second floor, with a simple volume and line up street façade. It was planned searching spacious and flexible rooms, without losing sight of compactness, in order to free up the courtyard. The outline is spacious main area and lateral services area.

The ground floor is destined to garage, entry and small covered courtyard, which gives light and air circulation to other spaces. The first floor is practically only one kitchen-living-dining room space opened to courtyard, with a green space and a beautiful tree. In services area there are a bathroom, an open kitchen and a porch. On the second floor there are a studio and two rooms, one of them can be divided. If we go up we will arrive to the roof, which is flat and has a green space destined to urban garden. There is also a compartment destined to installations, where the boiler is placed. Solar panels are situated on top of staircase exactly south oriented.

BIOCONSTRUCTION RULES

1. SUITABLE LOCATION: The first step was the house location in the plot, for this reason a geobiological study was made before starting the project. It was picked up a waterway which went through the plot, and Hartman lines and Curry were placed.

2. GOOD ORIENTATION: The main façade is east-oriented and courtyard is southwest-oriented. Sun protection is made with wood sliding shutters. The right openings position permits cross ventilation in summer to cool the interior environment.

3. ENERGY MANAGEMENT: The building does not require cooling system, because it works passively, only using wall thermal inertia, good insulation and shutters suitable use. Regarding to heating, it consists of an underfloor heating with collector heated up by five solar panels, with the only biomass boiler support, which also provides hot water. This system is supported by hydro chimney located in the living room, with zones adjustment and programming control. We must specify that on the first floor, an underfloor heating has been made. However, on the second floor it is a heating ceiling.

4. GOOD MATERIALS USE: Façades are made with one ceramic brick and natural cork isolation put outside, so, thermal bridges are absolutely eliminated. Roofs are entirely made by wood: laminated fir beams and structural wood boards OSB. Mortars are made with hydraulic and aerial lime, reducing concrete use at maximum. All isolations are also natural. In roof, it has been put eight-cork centimeters, in wall rooms, it has been put eight-grain centimeters and on top of heating ceiling, it has been put six-wool centimeters. Waterproofing is made with rubber (EPDM) or breathable polyethylene. Joinery is made with wood with FSC certification. Regarding to electrical installation, conduits are made by PE, not with PVC, wiring is halogen free, and electrical disconnect have been put in rooms to avoid electromagnetic pollution.

5. WATER MANAGEMENT: We must emphasize that hot water installation consists of a solar panel system, over normative, with only biomass boiler support. Besides, it has water-saving mechanisms, bath and shower water taps are thermostatic, and those of washing machine and dishwasher are bithermic. Also sewage treatment has been pre-installed for reusing it in the future. Rainwater is collected in a buried tank to be used later as drinking water. Existing well water is used for watering the garden, the urban garden and for supplying toilet tanks.

6. URBAN GARDEN: In this house, we wish to emphasize that a part of the roof is used as an urban garden, about 40 square meters. A green roof has a lot of advantages: pavement zones are reduced, oxygen is produced and carbon dioxide is consumed, air is cleaned, environmental temperature is regulated, humidity is also regulated and besides there is a great thermal isolation and soundproofing.