May 10 2007
Zero carbon, wind turbines, solar panels - are you confused? Help is at hand with RIBA Architect in the House, offering homeowners the opportunity to speak to a local architect about design issues, including making the most effective ‘green’ changes to your home.
RIBA chartered architects taking part in Architect in the House will give hour-long consultations in return for a minimum £40 donation to Shelter, to help badly housed and homeless people. Homeowners can register interest for the scheme at www.architectureweek.org.uk and successful applicants will then be matched with a local architect during or after Architecture Week, which runs from 15 – 24 June 2007. The 2007 theme for Architecture Week is “How Green is our Space?” focusing on critical issues of climate change and sustainability, and aiming to inspire people to think creatively about the spaces around them.
Architect in the House asked architects Jestico + Whiles for some green tips for homeowners to think about when consulting an architect; their guide can be downloaded at www.architecture.com and includes tips such as:
- Unlock the potential -the key to being green is not to build unnecessarily: ask an architect to help unlock the potential extra space and light you need for your home
- Sun worship – as the weather continues to heat up, take advantage of the rays using solar panels to produce hot water. In the summer, just one or two solar panels can produce 80 per cent of hot water used by the average couple. Speak to an architect about where best to position the panel
- Keep it simple – consider energy saving light bulbs, double-glazing with low-emittance coating, draught sealing and extra insulation before putting a wind turbine on your roof - simple changes are often the most effective
- Keep cool – keep temperatures down and banish air conditioning by taking a tip from our Mediterranean neighbours. Add shutters or solar shading blinds to your windows to control glare and heat from the sun
- Keep warm - use sheep’s wool or recycled newspaper to insulate your loft and cavity walls to keep your home warm without needing to resort to central heating
Jack Pringle, President of the RIBA, said:
“This is wonderful opportunity for anyone thinking about design changes to meet with a local architect for some valuable no-strings advice, and in the process helping to improve someone else’s housing situation through the work of Shelter. With Architecture Week focusing on sustainability this year, it will be a particularly timely opportunity for homeowners to ask for advice on how to make their houses more energy and carbon efficient. ”
Adam Sampson, Chief Executive of Shelter said:
“One in seven children in Britain are growing up homeless or badly housed, with devastating effects on their health, education and future chances.
“The money raised by RIBA Architect in the House will be used to help Shelter’s vital work with homeless and badly housed people – and this year, you can also discover how to make your home more environmentally-friendly. Changing your home for the better could help transform the lives of those children and families whose futures are being wrecked by bad housing.”