Often up until recently, photovoltaic panels were added to a building as an exterior afterthought upon completion of the construction process. But with the development of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Technology (BIPVs), collecting solar energy can become an integral function of a building’s envelope. BIPVs can be used as façade, roofing materials like shingles, and can [...]
Archive for category Building Design Innovation
Structural Insulated Panels allow builders to cut down on on-site construction time and reduce construction waste, all while providing an airtight envelope that reduces noise and as an insulation rating superior to generic stick or metal framing. Like creating a life-size livable gingerbread house, SIPS are strong enough for to be a structural wall, but [...]
Recycling and filtering water from sinks, showers, and washing machines can provide a typical household with fifty to one hundred (depending on the size of the house and daily use) gallons of water for outdoor irrigation systems and toilet flushing, significantly lowering water consumption. Similarly, rainwater collection systems (depending on the region) can supply a [...]
Most people assume that a room full of daylight can only be achieved where windows and skylights have plenty of sun exposure. Not so with sunlight transport systems. Using fiber optic cables, it’s now possible to make a windowless basement feel like a glass-encased penthouse (though there’s not much cure for the concrete and cobwebs). [...]