MA1

Romeo Cuc MEMO-P502

Links between passive standards and the traditional way
of building
Student: Promoter:
Romeo CUC
MA1
Romeo Cuc MEMO-P502

1.Motivation
It is well known the nowadays trend of thinking, designing and constructing
buildings with high energy performance and sustainable development. If we
mention that the building sector represents 40% of the EU's total energy
consumption and it is responsible for 36% of the European Union's total CO2
emissions it seems that it's absolutly necessary.
There is a Directive of European Parliament from 2010 that impose reducing
energy consumption as a major priority. According to the document, member
states have made a commitment to reduce consumption of primary energy by 20%
by 2020.
As a consequence were introduced the passive and low-energy standards for
energy efficiency that impose for a building to fulfills some requierements
regarding to: - quality insulation
- superior windows
- ventilation with heat recovery
- airtight construction
- thermal bridge free design and others..
This goal had generated a lot of changes in the construction legislations
with an important impact on living quality, environment protection, infrastructure,
real-estate market, labor market, materials studies, building technologies etc . All
these elements had evolved and developed so much and in such a fast way that it
gives the sensation of an huge jump from the traditonal way of building with local
and natural materials, craftsman, old technics, context symbiosis etc.
It will be interesting a study on the connections and common aspects of
nowadays passive standards and the real traditional way of building with natural
materials like earth, wood, bricks or straw bales, with thermal insulation like wool
or hemp, with natural ventilation etc.
The idea of the research is finding out how possible is to build contemporary
architecture with traditional materials in a sustainable and energy efficient way,
and how the european Directive will affect in the future the using of traditional
materials.
The architectural forey need to pass also the theoretical phase showing the
approach of the two concepts separately and together.
MA1
Romeo Cuc MEMO-P502

2.Points of interest
- The evolution of energy consumption in Europe in relation with the pace of
building constructions over the last decades.
- Facts and statistics numbers regarding the passive and low-energy standards in
Europe.
- Design, construction and costs for building passive or low-energy buildings.
- The trend of urbanisation: from 72 % today , around 80 % of Europeans will be
living in urban areas by 2020. So ... is it possible to reborn the vision of the local
specific in a sustaineble way of living and could this influence for the future the
choice of rural living ?
- Make a prospective analysis of traditional buildings (natural materials, craftsman,
old technics etc) in different point of view: economic, sustaineble, social, health,
accessability etc.
- Testing with the latest software the energy performance of traditional buildings
(building elements or materials).
- How can be implemented the passive or low-energy standards to traditional
buildings.
- The architects position regarding the future of sustainable development. How
accesible is the information and how prepared is the market (developers, building
companies, regulations, financiers etc).
- Emphasize good examples of sustainable buildings executed in a traditional way
with natural materials and local resources.
- Concluding with the results and a new perspective on future energy performance
of contemporary buildings made with natural materials and incorporates an
sustainable way of living.
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Romeo Cuc MEMO-P502

3.Bibliography
- GERNOT MINKE Building with earth by Basel: Birkhauser; 2006
- GERNOT MINKE, MAHLKE FRIEDEMANN Building with Straw: Design and
Technology of a Sustainable Architecture by Basel: Birkhuser; 2005
- BOURGEOIS JEAN-LOUIS, DAVIDSON BASIL, PELOS CAROLLEE Spectacular
Vernacular: The Adobe Tradition by New York: Aperture Foundation; 1989
- THORBECK DEWEY Rural design: a new design discipline by Routledge; 2012
- PFEIFER GUNTER Masonry Construction Manualby Mnchen:Birkhuser;2001
- HUPPAUF BERND-RUDIGER, UMBACH MAIKEN Vernacular Modernism:
Heimat, Globalization, and the Built Environment by California: Stanford
University Press; 2005
-ASQUITH LINDSAY, VELLINGA MARCEL Vernacular architecture in the twenty-
first century: theory, education and practice by Taylor & Francis; 2006
- HERZOG THOMAS Timber Construction Manual by Munich: Birkhuser; 2004
- Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19
May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings Official
- JAGER F., Commission of the European Communities Solar Energy Applications
in Houses: Performance and Economics in Europe by Pergamon Press; 1981
- GROPP LOUIS OLIVER Solar Houses: 48 Energy-Saving Designs by New York:
Pantheon Books; 1978
- YANNAS SIMOINS Solar Energy and Housing Design by London:Architectural
Association; 1994
- VALE ROBERT JD, VALE BRENDA The Autonomous House: Design and Planning
for Self-Sufficiency by London:Thames and Hudson; 1975
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Romeo Cuc MEMO-P502

- LONGORIA RAFAEL, TANZER KIM Towards an Architecture of Ecology,
Economy, and Equity by New York: Routledge; 2007
- SMITH FRAN KELLOGG, BERTOLONE FRED J. Bringing Interiors to Light: The
Principles and Practices of Lighting Design by Whitney Library of Design; 1986
- BURGESS ROD, KOLSTEE THEO, CARMONA MARISA Challenge of
Sustainable Cities: Neoliberalism and Urban Strategies in Developing Countries
by N.J: Zed Books; 1997
- MOSTAEDI Arian Sustainable Architecture: Lowtech Houses by Barcelona:
Carles Boto i Comera; 2002
- HABERMANN KARL J, GONZALO ROBERTO Energy-Efficient Architecture:
Basics for Planning and Construction by Basel: Birkhuser; 2006
- WILLIAMS JOANNA Zero-carbon Homes: A Road Map by Routledge; 2013
- HAWKES DEAN, FORSTER WAYNE Architecture, engineering and environment
by Laurence King Pub; 2002
- PIGAFETTA GIORGIO Architecture traditionaliste : les thories et les uvres
by Sprimont; 1999
- BROWNELL BLAINE ERICKSON Transmaterial 2: a catalog of materials that
redefine our physical environment by Princeton Architectural Press; 2008
- JODIDIO PHILIP Architecture:nature by London: Prestel; 2006
- GALLENT NICK Housing in the European countryside: rural pressure and policy
in western Europe by London: Routledge; 2003
- GUTDEUTSH GOTZ Building in wood: construction and details by Basel:
Birkhauser; 1996
- WILLIAMS DANIEL EDWARD Sustainable design: ecology, architecture and
planning by Hoboken: Wiley; 2007
- RICHARZ CLEMENS Energy-efficiency upgrades: principles, details, examples
by Munich:Edition Detail; 2007