Green Construction

Project
By Arthur Dufournier
Video Preview of my house

(The very subtle music in the background)

My goals and specifications for this project:

● My home must be energy efficient

● Cost efficient
● Sustainable
● A maximum budget of 75,000
The Location of my house and how i will adapt:
My house will be in a little village south of Amsterdam, named Cronenburgh in the area of Loenen aan de Vecht.
Below you can see a mini map indicating where it is. Right next to it is the year round weather of this area, As you
see the weather is overall pretty cold accompanied by a solid average of ten days of rain a month. So a strong
roof is the way to go along with a good water channeling system. Finally the wind speeds in the netherlands vary,
some go up to 20 miles an hour and some are as low as 6 but Loenen aan de vecht is in the province of utrecht
and as you can see in the image below they have an average of 7.6 mile per hour. This is also important to
account for with my renewable energy choices.
Dimensions:
Here are dimensions of my build, the height of the ceiling starting of from the floor
is 2.8metres. The length of my house is 7.06metres and the width is 8.62Metres.
Though these are the dimensions of my house this is counting in the extra
bathroom that is on the side of my house. So the more useful and accurate
dimension are the square metres which are 46.5 m² as you can see below.
Construction:
In the rest of the slides i will decide what features my house will have, starting off
with a 2 examples, explaining the pros and cons and making a decision, the order
will go as follows: Roof, wall insulation, then the windows, then the door, after that
which renewable energy source i should use, my flooring, the light bulbs and finally
the radiator.
 Choosing the roof of my house
The roof of a house, possibly the most defining piece of a house, in my case i have two main options - a
flat roof or a slanted one.
To start of these two are aesthetically very different, one looks more traditional compared to one who
looks somewhat futuristic. But aesthetics aside they are quite different, a flat roof is a lot more material
efficient than a slanted roof (because of the extra height there is more space to fill in). Next my house has
one bedroom so the owner(s) probably will not need to utilise all the space that was created by the roof
due to them having not that many belongings, but it will also cause warm air to accumulate up there
(because warm air rises) so the living space downstairs won't be able to feel the warm air. Once the roofs
are installed the flat one is a lot easier to fix due to its flat nature, but on the other the slanted roof is
usually very tightly packed together tiles therefore making reparations complicated. But on the other
hand flat roofs will not last as long as a slanted one typically, a flat roof will last around 30-50 years,
though this may seem quite poor from the outside, this actually isn’t as bad as it seems, the owners of the
slanted roofs will have saved so much money on heat and energy that replacing the roof won't be a
problem. So in conclusion I have chosen to go for the flat roof, below you will see two possibilities for a
slanted roof.
 Slanted roof option 1: Asphalt
Pros and cons of asphalt for my flat roof;
Pros
Asphalt can last quite long. It can withstand
normal weather conditions and being walked on. If
you install it properly and maintain it well it will last
for “30 years”
Asphalt is versatile. You can mould it into different
shapes to suit a variety of roofs. It’s also suitable
for any size of roof. THis is going to be useful for
my roof because it isn’t a basic square or
rectangle
It is quite easy to fix a hole in your roof by cutting
out a sheet that fits the hole and then replace it.
Cons
Asphalt can be affected by weather. In hot
temperatures it can become soft and malleable,
and cold weather can make asphalt weak and
susceptible to cracking. Brittle asphalt can
develop cracks or shatter on impact.
Asphalt is heavy. This means that the roof
structure it sits on must be strong enough to take
its weight without moving or buckling. So asphalt
isn’t a suitable roofing material for weak or flimsy
roofs.
Asphalt is quite expensive, it cost significantly
more than other roofing materials like rubber.
Slanted roof option 2: EPDM rubber.
Pros and cons of EPDM rubber:
Pros Cons

EPDM is extremely advanced compared Damage can happen to EPDM from

to its competitors, it is suitable for things like big branches and people
extreme conditions making for a very walking on it so you may have to opt for
durable and reliable roof that can last up a thicker membrane.
to 50 years!

EPDM is environmentally friendly, it is It does not catch people’s eyes because

made up of recycled materials which is of its dark black colour with a little shine,
enough to beat most flat roofing it doesn't look great from close or far
materials out there. away

“Due to its natural properties” the rubber EPDM expands and contracts with
will be completely resistant to blistering, changes in temperature.
cracks and any rot.
My final roof and its cost.
I have chosen to go for the EPDM rubber roof because it will overall last a lot
longer, less susceptible to get damaged by the weather and it is pretty clean for the
environment, for my roof i will have 3 layers, i will have my chosen roof material
which is EPDM then i will have a layer of my fibreglass insulator than a concrete
ceiling, I have chosen to go for a middle of the pack EPDM thickness which will cost
me 8 dollars per square meter, next i will be using the same fibreglass as my walls
which costs 3.904$ per square meter final my concrete ceiling which will cost 50$
per square meter so if i do all of that added times 46.5 i will get the amount of
money this will cost. My roof will cost me 2878.54$ which is 2.373,19 Euros.
Wall insulator:
In the next couple of slides i will cover which wall insulators i will use for my project,
the two options i have to choose from are: Foam Board insulation or Fibreglass
insulation.
Foam Board Insulation:
Pros and cons of Foam Board Insulation:
Pros
● Most foam board products are water
resistant and can be buried to insulate
foundation exteriors.
● Foam board is the only type which does
not use HCFCs in its production, so is the
greenest choice.
● Foam Board can be used underground if it
is bought with foil and plastic facings
Cons
● Foam board insulation in wall cavities
must be tightly fitted to stop air infiltration.
● Rigid foam is susceptible to sunlight. UV
rays damage it, so it must be stored and
installed appropriately.
● “The air bubbles inside expanded
polystyrene board (EPS or beadboard)
stop heat transfer but can accumulate
moisture and thus become ineffective. A
moisture barrier may be needed,
depending on the installation location.”
Fibreglass insulation:
Pros and cons of fibreglass insulation:

Pros Cons

Fibreglass is inexpensive and effective Fibreglass is quite toxic and must be

applied using protective gear to avoid you
inhaling the chemicals

Fibreglass will not expand or shrink with It doesn’t fit super tightly in each nook and
fluctuating temperatures cranny.

Fibreglass does not burn because of the “Some fiberglass insulation still uses formaldehyde
materials and chemicals in it but its as a binder, which leaks out into the air. This
surroundings probably will. product may also cause cancer.”
My chosen wall material and the final cost
I have decided to go for fibreglass insulation, i need to find one which does not use
certain toxic chemicals but otherwise i should be fine, i chose fibreglass because it
is inexpensive yet effective, my total wall square meters is 157.7 square meters and
so if it times that by the cost of one square meter of fibreglass (which is 3.904) and
we have 386.92 which is the cost for all my wall insulation.
The Final cost for the insulation for 157.7 square meters is 386.92 dollars, and
converted to euros it is 319.20 euros.
But this is only the insulation, i still need a brick wall as the outside of my house, the
brick wall will cost me 10.347,77$ converted to euros its 8529,67 so if add that to
the insulation it is 8848.87 that is the final cost of my walls.
Windows
For the windows there are two options which fit the energy efficient criteria, double
glazed windows and triple glazed windows, they might sound pretty similar but
there is a big price jump so i want to figure out if its worth it to buy the triple glazed
or i should just go for the double glazed below are two slides with the pros and
cons of both.
Double glazed window
Double glazed windows pros and cons:

Pros Cons

Double glazed windows are very strong therefore There's a high initial cost and if you are replacing
they could stop any inbreakers from coming in. any old windows it may be even more

Prevents condensation, with the two sheets there i They are very hard to repair, if there is a hole and
always the air in between the two sheets keeping vacuum between the two sheets is breached you
them at the right temperature. can cause condensation which would completely
hide the fact that you have a window there.

They also reduce noise pollution, they cancel out the

noise from the outside with the extra sheets of glass.
Triple Glazed Windows
Pros and cons of triple glazed windows:
Pros Cons

Double glazed windows are extremely strong There's a very high initial cost and if you are
therefore they could stop most inbreakers from replacing any old windows it may be even more
coming in.

Completely stops condensation, with the two sheets
there i always the air in between the two sheets
keeping them at the right temperature.
They are extremely hard to repair, if there is a hole
and vacuum between the three sheets is breached
you can cause condensation which would
completely hide the fact that you have a window
there.

They nearly block all the noise from outside, they

cancel out the noise from the outside with the extra
sheets of glass.
Final choice and price of windows
My final choice is double glazed windows, simply because i am not ready to spend
50 thousand euros on windows, so in total i have 18.075 square metres of glass in
my house, and a square metre of double glazed windows cost 340 euros so my
final cost for all my windows is 8.253,41 euros.
Door
I will now have to make the choice between two very different doors, a steel one or
a fibreglass one, one is more focused on security whilst the other is very efficient.
This is a very important thing to get right, a door is the face of a house and it must
be done correctly otherwise the whole house will look off.
Steel door:
Steel door pros and cons:

Pros Cons

A steel door is affordable compared to most It can be easily scratched or dented which
other door materials you will be able to clearly see.

It is very strong so it provides good security It absorbs heat and cold instead of repelling
against robbers. it which doesn’t make it energy efficient.

Finally its durability completely blows the Over time it could start to get rusty if no
other doors out of the water. coat was applied.
Fibreglass door
Pros and Cons of fibreglass door:
Pros
Fibreglass doors are known as one of the
best insulating doors out there making it
very energy efficient.
FIbreglass doors are durable and resilient
they can resist the weather and even
criminals.
You can find fibreglass doors in almost any
shape or size which makes it a good option
for most builds.
Cons
All these positives come at a cost,
fibreglass doors can cost up to 4000 dollars
Installing fibreglass doors is a lot more
difficult because they come with the entire
frame included so replacing a door will
most likely cost quite a bit of money to
either make a bigger hole or fill it up.
“There is some data which suggests fiberglass in
the lungs may cause cancer, by slicing DNA and
causing cell mutation, in the same way as mineral
wool.”
Which door i have chosen:
I have chosen to go for a fibreglass door, i have quite a big budget left and the door
is the perfect place to use it on, below is the image of the door i will use for my
build, it is simple and plain so it will fit my house just fine, this door will cost 3730
euros due to the fibreglass and all the different linings it has to stop weather from
coming in.
 Green Power Choices:

For my house i have two options for electricity that i have chosen and
deemed realistic and useful. They are wind and solar energy. In the next
few slides i will explain my thought process and decide which one is the
better fit for me.
Wind Turbines Cons
I will start by explaining the cons to having wind energy as your main energy source, I have
collected a quote from the New York Times which will be my first point (the link can be found
below and in the citations): ”For a wind turbine to make economic sense, average wind speeds
need to be higher than they are in most places. The Department of Energy recommends a
minimum average wind speed of 10 miles an hour for a grid-connected wind turbine.” This brings
me to my first point, The average wind speed of my chosen provence is 7.6 miles per hour, 2.4
miles under the recommended speeds. Next, according to the New York times you’ll also need a
really long tower “typically 80 to 120 feet tall,” Mr. Welch said. In addition to that you will also need
to “ be prepared to shimmy up that tower for regular maintenance”. So along with a not very
discreet tower in your back garden you will either need to hire someone to go and maintain it for
you or do it yourself, so it will either cost you quite a bit of time or money. Finally the turbines can
disrupt local birds and plane signals, it can sometimes kill birds and their family or send then in
places where they didn’t want to go because they generate a lot of wind as well so if the birds get
caught in the turbulence it might the end of the road for them.

Link to the article: www.nytimes.com

Wind Turbines Pros
I will now talk about the Pros of wind energy, firstly wind turbines run strictly on
the power they generate, and since the turbines don't run on fossil fuels they
won't affect climate change. The wind turbines will also not disturb any farmland
or even any land that surrounds the stem. Energy suppliers can build their
turbines on pre existing farmland and pay the owner in the form of a contract or
a lease, so it is win win. Also it is the perfect for people that want renewable
energy but don't have the sunlight for example, so instead they can fully exploit
their surroundings and use wind energy.
Solar Panels Cons
To start of with the solar panel’s cons, they have a very high upfront cost, buying it
all in one go can be very expensive especially if you are hiring someone to install
them. Next solar panels are very weather dependant, if the sun isn’t there you gain
no electricity. Next storing the energy you have farmed is also very expensive and if
you can’t afford the big storage batteries you need to use it right away otherwise all
that energy will be wasted. Finally making the solar panels themselves isn't good
for our world, whilst being made the machines emit a lot of greenhouse gases, so is
it really worth it?
Solar Panels Pros
Firstly solar panels are probably the most discreet green energy generators, they
lie on your roof and most people won't even notice them, next they create a
completely environmentally friendly energy source. And if you are spending less
electricity in a month than you usually do it hasn’t gone to waste, you can sell the
electricity you have generate back to a company and make some money, along
with that the maintenance cost of solar panels is near to nothing, you might have to
occasionally wipe down your panels to keep them clean but otherwise they are
easy to maintain.
Conclusion and the final cost of Solar Panels.
In conclusion i think the right choice for my house is solar panels, even though the
production of the panels create some greenhouse gases it is quickly repaid once
you use them for a couple of months, I have decided to go for 6 solar panels to
make sure all my electricity bills are paid off, i will 5 300w panels, they produce
enough electricity for a couple in a 50 square meter home, Grape solar is selling
one for 350 so if i do that times 5 i will have to spend 1.750$ if i convert that to
euros it will cost me 1440,86 euros.
Engineered wood flooring or carpet?

I have two options for my flooring, engineered wood or carpet, they both look very
different and have different pros and cons below are the pros and cons of both and
which one i have chosen to go for.
 Engineered wood
Engineered wood pros and cons:

Pros Cons

The price of engineered wood is not even close to You have to do a lot of maintenance to keep your
traditional hardwood floors but it still has the same engineered wood floor to look shiny and new.
charm.

Engineered wood is very stylish, it can be made to fit Because this isn't real wood it will start fading over
your preferences and your style. time which will make it loose all its charm.

Engineered wood is a lot more resistant to the Also engineered floor are also potentially weak,
weather, it won't warp or absorb moisture or expand because manufacturers will use cheap and weal
and shrink as much as traditional wood. materials to build their flooring to keep the price
down.
 Carpet
Carpet pros and cons
Pros
Carpet is inexpensive even with it s stylish and
versatile look.
It’s very quiet due to its thickness and softness, you
have the sound of shoes walking on wood with this
flooring.
Carpet is an exceptionally good insulating material.
“Carpet fibres are natural insulators with low heat
conduction values. In addition, the surface pile of
carpet with its millions of tiny fibres traps air and
further increases its thermal insulation.”
Cons
Carpets show wear and tear, especially in high traffic
areas in your house you are sure to see some
discoloration.
It is very high maintenance, it needs to be vacuumed
very often to avoid dust from building up and if even
the slightest drop of any coloured liquid lands on the
carpet it will probably have to be replaced.
Finally carpet’s durability is not something it is known
for, it needs to be replaced periodically, that is where
it loses against wood.
Why I have chosen carpet and the cost
I have chosen to go carpet because it better fits the brief of energy efficient. Also to
make sure that this is done correctly I will also get a carpet underlay to make sure
my flooring is as efficient as possible. The carpet i have chosen is 28.49 pounds
per square meter next the carpet underlay cost 5.99 per square meter, i will now
multiple both prices by the amount of square meters i have in my house and then
add them together, once i have done that i am left with a final floor cost of 1603.32
pounds, converted to euros it is 1825,66 euros.
The Philips LED 461129 light bulbs.
I have chosen to go for a philips led light, even this light is on the more expensive
side it will quickly save you so much energy and won’t need to be replaced in
years, as you can see that below that a philips LED light uses 51.5 watts less than a
standard fitting. Next, they are very good for the environment, because of their long
lifespan they won't need to be replaced and thrown away every few months rather
every few years. Finally i will need exactly sixteen light bulbs, five above the dinner
table, 2 above the island in the kitchen, one in the lamp above the sofa, two in the
bathroom, and 6 in the bedroom arranged like the six on a die. They will cost me
28.99 euros.
Electric radiator
As the weather in the Netherlands is quite unpredictable, i will go for four radiators,
two in the main living are, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom. I have
chosen to go for electric radiators because i have quite a bit of extra solar panels
creating extra energy so this would be a perfect way to utilise that. To buy 4 it will
cost me 1476 euros.
Conclusion and final cost.
In conclusion i am very happy with how my house turned out and it is now time for
me to add up all the prices of everything so the final cost of all the construction of
my house is 27976.98 euros. In the end i am very happy with my work and below
are the final images of my house.
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