ABSTRACT

Sue Roaf is famed for her approach to design and her awareness of energy efficiency. Here she reveals the concepts, structures and techniques that lie behind the realization of her ideals. By using her own house as a case study, Roaf guides the reader through the ideas for energy-efficient design or 'eco-design'.

Now in its fourth edition, the bestselling Ecohouse continues to be both a technical guide and an inspiration for thousands of architects, designers and eco-builders all over the world.

Ecohouse provides design information about the latest low-impact materials and technologies, showcasing the newest and best ‘green’ solutions. Revised and updated, this edition also includes new case studies inspiring readers with more real-life examples of how to make an ecohouse work.

chapter 1|27 pages

Starting your design

chapter 3|32 pages

Pushing the building envelope

chapter 4|15 pages

Designing for body and soul

chapter 5|25 pages

Ventilation

chapter 6|34 pages

Health and happiness in the home

chapter 7|17 pages

Passive solar design

chapter 8|32 pages

Photovoltaics

chapter 9|17 pages

Solar hot water systems

chapter 10|22 pages

Using water wisely

chapter 11|12 pages

Small-scale wind systems

chapter 12|14 pages

Micro- and pico-hydro power

chapter 13|9 pages

Ground-source heat pumps

chapter 14|14 pages

Lime and low-carbon materials

chapter 15|20 pages

Biomass: making the right choices

part |2 pages

Case study introduction: towards the new vernacular

chapter |12 pages

Tools for understanding the case studies

part |2 pages

List of case studies

chapter 1|145 pages

Oxford Ecohouse

chapter |9 pages

Glossary

chapter |2 pages

Conversion factors