thermal mass

Melbourne’s St. Alfred’s Church Boasts Highly Sophisticated Passive Heating and Cooling Systems

Melbourne’s St. Alfred’s Church Boasts Highly Sophisticated Passive Heating and Cooling Systems

St. Alfred's Anglican Church consists of a main worshipping auditorium, a gathering foyer, meeting rooms, offices and a commercial kitchen as well as an outdoor play and barbeque area. One

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Bercy Chen Studio’s Earth-Bermed Edgeland House Transforms a Former Brownfield Site in Texas

Bercy Chen Studio’s Earth-Bermed Edgeland House Transforms a Former Brownfield Site in Texas

The form of the home itself is shaped like a scar, perhaps commenting on the site's industrial past, while the lush sod represents healing. According to the architects, the home is a modern

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Sharon Neuman Architects’ Minimalist Herzelya Home Keeps Cool With Energy-Efficient Design

Sharon Neuman Architects’ Minimalist Herzelya Home Keeps Cool With Energy-Efficient Design

Measuring over 215 meters in size, the Herzelya home has adapted to two very important factors: a narrow site and stifling adjacent homes. The design team at Sharon Neuman Architects knew that this long

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Höweler + Yoon Architecture’s Sky Courts is a Sustainable Development in China Made of Bricks and Cor-Ten Steel

Höweler + Yoon Architecture’s Sky Courts is a Sustainable Development in China Made of Bricks and Cor-Ten Steel

Höweler + Yoon Architecture is a multidisciplinary firm that believes in operating between the lines of architecture, art and landscape. The SkyCourts project exemplifies this principal by creating a

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Basalt Ca’Paco is a Quiet, Green-Roofed Home in the Canary Islands

Basalt Ca’Paco is a Quiet, Green-Roofed Home in the Canary Islands

Equipo Olivares' Ca'Paco house is sensitive to the environment while reflecting the surrounding landscape. In fact, the home has its own topography with a driveway that sinks down to a lower level with

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The Courtyard House Battles Extreme Heat With Passive Strategies In India

The Courtyard House Battles Extreme Heat With Passive Strategies In India

With this summer seeing record scorching temperatures and blackouts in India, the Courtyard House seems prepared to deal with the high temperatures. Designed by Mumbai-based Sanjay Puri Architects, the

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Think Thick: Thermal Mass Construction Produces Energy-Efficient Homes that Resist Fire and Decay

Think Thick: Thermal Mass Construction Produces Energy-Efficient Homes that Resist Fire and Decay

Most of us know that a full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one, because anything’s that denser than air will better store the cold. Opening the door of an empty fridge causes cold air

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Tree House Porch Renovation in Texas Turns an Old Home into a Dream Home

Tree House Porch Renovation in Texas Turns an Old Home into a Dream Home

The new porch was constructed out of western red cedar native to the western United States, which is ideal for deflecting Texas' vicious summer sun and yet retains some of the delicacy of southern living.

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Green-Roofed Chateau Barde-Haut in France Houses Vintage Barrels of Wine

Green-Roofed Chateau Barde-Haut in France Houses Vintage Barrels of Wine

Situated on a 17 hectare rolling plot, the winery was partly buried in order to prevent unnecessary digging. Combined with insulation provided by the vegetated roof, this smart intervention goes far to

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Solar Decathlon 2011: The CHIP House Wears Its Thermal Mass on Its Puffy Sleeve

Solar Decathlon 2011: The CHIP House Wears Its Thermal Mass on Its Puffy Sleeve

The roof-integrated photovoltaic panels will provide 7.8kW of energy. The CHIP team will slant the roof to achieve optimum solar exposure 365 days a year such that the home will have net-zero energy

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Chalkboard-Skinned Belgian Passivhaus is a Playground for Neighborhood Kids

Chalkboard-Skinned Belgian Passivhaus is a Playground for Neighborhood Kids

The most eye-catching aspect of the modern home is its front yard -- a basketball court, activity area, and chalkboard facade provide a playground for a neighborhood full of kids. The idea came as a way

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Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill’s New Vantone Center Will Be Tianjin’s Most Sustainable LEED Tower

Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill’s New Vantone Center Will Be Tianjin’s Most Sustainable LEED Tower

At a whopping 607 feet, the Vantone Center designed by Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill will be among Tianjin's tallest new towers. But it will also be the most sustainable as the architects aim for a

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Swirling Australian Earth House Looks Like a Green Crop Circle from Above

Swirling Australian Earth House Looks Like a Green Crop Circle from Above

The Earth House is a 4 bedroom, 465 sq m (5,000 sq ft) house composed of separate living modules including a lounge, a dining area, bedrooms, bathrooms, a study and a kitchen. The modules are connected by

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Gorgeous Green-Roofed Forum Homini Hotel Rehabilitates Cradle of Humankind in Africa

Gorgeous Green-Roofed Forum Homini Hotel Rehabilitates Cradle of Humankind in Africa

Although the existing buildings could not be incorporated into the new design, many of the materials were donated elsewhere or broken down and recycled as a new construction material. This includes much

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