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Building Design News (so hot that it caused a ruckus in St James' Palace, so we hear) that Prince Charles is to build a traditional-stylee eco-home at the BRE has thrown up some questions about what makes an ecological building. From our technicalist standpoint here at Zerochampion, it seems to us that the fact that HRH will eschew airtightness measures and the home will only reach CSH 3 or 4 suggests he has either missed a trick or lost the plot.
Perhaps he imagines a large wood hearth will heat the place, providing cooking and warm baths in a tub. But it recalls a report from Robert Adams Architects from July last year, suggesting that traditional buildings needed less cooling in summer and less heating in winter than 'modern buildings' due to their solid walls and cost 15-20% less to heat. Adams said architects had blocked plans for a brick skyscraper in Basingstoke despite its superior energy performance.
At the time, James Pickard, architect, said that building traditionally was slow and skill shortages slowed the industry down. "We're still building like the Romans did 2,000 years ago."
"Result!" I'm sure the Prince would say.
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