Urban gardens are gaining popularity all over the world. As reported by the United Nations, 68% of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities by 2050. Scientific studies have proven that urban gardens, woodlands, and parks reduce depression. A study by the University of Leeds, also revealed that they can help preserve the environment. In this article, we look at 7 of the most famous eco houses ever built.
These Are The Most Famous Eco Houses Ever Built
1. One Angel Square
Located in Manchester, England, One Angel Square serves as the head office of the Co-operative Group and considered one of Europe’s most environmentally friendly buildings. With construction costing more than €100 million. Due to its double-façade which heats in the winter and cools in the summer and the fact that it is powered by biodiesel and rapeseed oil, One Angel Square became the first building in the UK to receive an outstanding rating from the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).
2. Eco Arch, Kent, England
Shown on the Grand Designs series in the UK, the Eco Arch in Kent, England is an iconic-looking home. Showcasing an unprecedented feat of engineering, this eco-house is highly insulated and is covered with layers of gravel and soil to allow wild grasses and flowers to seed. Underneath is an air tight modern home laid out to face the south facing windows harnessing solar energy to heat the eco-concrete floor slab.
3. Beach Eco Home, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Before settling down at its current location in Wellington, New Zealand, the Beach Eco Home first traveled worldwide. It was originally designed and built by architecture students from the University of Victoria. Located at Waimarama Beach in Hawke’s Bay on the North Island of New Zealand, it runs on a solar energy system designed by Solar City. Aside from that, it was designed to have an energy surplus, helping generate more power it needs to.
4. The Active House, Lystrup, Denmark
The Active House uses solar-generated electricity, solar heating, and an advanced computer system which controls the inner climate. The computer system is also responsible for opening and closing windows according to the temperature, season, and time of day. Its aim is to provide a zero-carbon eco home without compromising superior comfort and usability.
5. Flow House Design Concept
If you are looking for a sustainable design, the flow house design concept is loaded with lots of them. It features photovoltaic roof panels, rainwater harvesting, and rain gardens designed to allow natural ventilation and plenty of daylight. This eco house concept is designed for the lower 9th area of New Orleans, devastated by hurricane Katrina.
6. Villa UH1, Nacka, Sweden
Inspired by a WWII-era German bunker, Villa UH1 represents a more contemporary, clean-lined approach to ecological house design. Built into the side of a gently sloping hillside, this Swedish bunker-style home features a sedum living roof, comfortable and luxurious furnishings, and minimal surface finish. This eco-house harnesses geothermal energy wit a heat pump generating heat and cold for the entire house. These 7 eco-houses usher in the new-age of residential design. Today’s designers are looking forward to eco-friendly materials in creating the ideal home.
Villa UH1 Nacka Sweden
7. The WIND House
Set at the top of a hill in the north of Netherlands, the WIND House is a single-family eco home designed by world renowned international architecture firm UNStudio. It offers an elegant and highly modern home, the WIND House is considered a “smart” home. It comes with a complex automation system that allows its residents to have full control of all tech from a central touchscreen located in the living room. It uses a lot of sustainable materials like solar panels, natural building materials, central air, water heat pump, and a waste heat recovery system.
