Grants Precast is producing the precast concrete panels and columns for the Lafarge Eco House being displayed at this years Eco Build 2012 Exhibition at London’s Excel. The event runs from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd March – so why not come and have a look.

From a sustainable construction perspective, there is no “ideal” building. The characteristics of an energy-efficient home can vary according to the climate, the building’s size, and its function or spatial organization for example.

Lafarge have developed 20 simple rules for sustainable construction, which will be put into practice at next years biggest and best Ecobuild, these rules look at passive design measures to reduce energy demand, active renewable energies and other aspects of sustainable construction, including:

1. Select a compact building shape to minimize envelope surface area.
2. Opt for a building orientation and openings to reduce loses and increase energy gains.
3. Use high thermal insulation to reduce energy demand for heating and cooling.
4. Avoid thermal bridges to reduce energy losses.
5. Ensure superior air tightness of the envelope to reduce energy losses.
6. Integrate exterior solar shading devices to avoid excessive solar gains.
7. Select reflective roofs or green roofs to reduce excessive solar gains and increase occupant’s comfort.
8. Favor natural ventilation or hybrid systems for indoor fresh air renewal.
9. Opt for a heat recovery ventilation system to regulate thermal comfort.
10. Integrate ventilation system to the structural elements to increase comfort and energy efficiency.
11. Optimize glazing surface area of for best ratio between solar gains and heat losses.
12. Use opaque surfaces to store solar energy.
13. Exploit thermal mass with exposed concrete inside the building for a better comfort.
14. Plan for reflectors and/or windows high up for maximum natural lighting.
15. Favor equipment using renewable energies as substitute to fossil fuels (solar hot water, heat pumps, wind power, photovoltaic, biomass).
16. Ensure aesthetically pleasing design that allows future user flexibility to maximize building lifetime.
17. Plan building elements to achieve superior acoustic comfort.
18. Use rain water and grey water to reduce the consumption of natural resources.
19. Favor materials that are local, resistant, re-used, recycled, substituted for a reduced environmental footprint over the entire building life cycle.
20. Engage in an integrated design approach to minimize costs.

By incorportating Lafarge’s 20 rules of sustainable construction and designing a building based on the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lafarge’s presence at Ecobuild will be new, exciting and not only tell the story of sustainable construction but show visitors exactly what is possible.