British Expats - Eco-Building

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Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotor (Post 12338608)

The little critters usually find their way in within 10 years, especially in the campo from what I've seen, hence I would not use wood for structural work again.

Again all relative and depends on the skills and knowledge of the architect and the people building. You can also get cheap concrete houses that fall apart after a few years, or you'll find that it's not the type of concrete you know. I quite like the combination of steel and wood but as you know sky's the limit when it comes to architecture.

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses2013 (Post 12338605)

The problem again is that people only see what they know and when they here wood, think of the US etc. Even in Mallorca you'll find a combination of wood and other materials but you don't see it. A lot of the more modern villas you see have a wooden structure This is a company that does this kind of stuff Arquima

Maybe you're right, but around here, timber would be a lot more expensive with significantly lower quality and far more limited lifespan.

And again, with all the new construction going on around here now, I have yet to see one timber frame. Not one. But maybe I'm just blind.

Anyway, there are some new techniques being employed in brick and mortar structures which greatly improve energy efficiency, something builders previously didn't seem to put much thought into (as our non-freezing climate only gets rough from jan-mar). I see brick structures now being covered in thick insulation, then a faÃ§ade of thick stone on top of it. Tile roofs are now being insulated with interior faÃ§ades with timber (or coloured and grained concrete) beams to make it appear more traditional.

I'm currently in the market for a house, and for the first time, I'm seeing many more certified C and even B rated efficiency in the exposÃ©s. Previously, an E rating would be consideted pretty good for around here.

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideislas (Post 12338621)

Things change quickly but as always Spain is sometimes a few steps behind. Of course it's still not as common everywhere in Spain but it's certainly moving forward. The problem again is that most people who don't spend much time researching options, think wood is automatically negative and then think of a cheap wood garden shed. That it can be a lot more energy efficient and a better structure is unknown and you don't have to have a complete wooden house and can combine materials. For the Spanish climate it can often be a lot better. As said, a lot of the time you wouldn't even see the wood, especially when modules are made in factory and then delivered.

This house here in link
156 mÂ²

Energy Efficiency Rating
A

CO2 footprint
â€“ 170 KgCO2/mÂ²

Energy consumption for home climate control
18,7 kWh/mÂ²year

Construction time
10 weeks

NOEM | Modern wooden houses. Prefabricated houses design

Of course if you live on an island and have to ship materials etc. the idea of eco goes out of the window.

Re: Eco-Building

We have a roof consisting of faced polystyrene panels supported by laminated treated beams. The beams are a visual attraction but they were very expensive - like â‚¬10000 and that was 15 years ago.

The walls are double brick with a 10cm air gap and the inside of the outer wall was sprayed with foam. Combined, they offer pretty good insulation.

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses2013 (Post 12338635)

Of course if you live on an island and have to ship materials etc. the idea of eco goes out of the window.

Thanks for that. Fortunately for us, wood frame has little to do with efficiency. Design and insulation materials (along with double glazing and all the commonly known design aspects) have a significant impact, however.

I suppose where wood is cheap, so goes the cost of building. Along with the quality and longevity of the structure. Luckily, we aren't yet subjected to that.

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideislas (Post 12338667)

The cost of building would be roughly the same in Mallorca as it would be around Barcelona. â‚¬1000 per m2 is always a good guide. What I meant is that the term eco building is in relation to how far materials have to travel to get to the plot. Of course other things help to reduce footprint.

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses2013 (Post 12338728)

â‚¬1k MÂ² was the figure builders on the costas used to pluck out of the air over 10 years ago, how times changeðŸ˜Š

Re: Eco-Building

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotor (Post 12338756)

â‚¬1k MÂ² was the figure builders on the costas used to pluck out of the air over 10 years ago, how times changeí ½í¸Š

Yep and that was for a low quality standard build. No matter what type of build/material you go for now, you'll get a high quality build for that money now including architect:thumbup:.