ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the analysis of two Sieben Linden buildings: Libelle and Villa Strohbunt, for which sufficient data were available. Straw was partly from the first organic harvest of Sieben Linden fields and partly purchased in the area; clay and sand were dug from the ground of Sieben Linden. Another interesting comparison can be drawn between Sieben Linden buildings and average residential buildings. The building features continuous foundations of reinforced concrete, a layer of gravel and a concrete screed. The timber used in the construction comes from the ecovillage’s forest, hand-felled and hand-worked, and transported by horse to the building site; it was assembled using traditional tools. In terms of values per square metre, it is clear that in spite of similar building technology and energy performance, Libelle has a smaller impact on the environment than Wegmann-Gasser house. The chapter analysis the technical services are not taken into account, as information was available only for Libelle.
