INNOVATION IN USE OF STEEL

Our main consideration has been to explore how to use the material properties of steel to their advantage from an environmental perspective, especially with regard to the huge temperature variation and the different seasonal demands that an environmentally responsible building in this location must deal with.

The proposal makes use of the thermal conductivity of steel to increase the performance of the passive responsive materials incorporated into the structure.

By building up the thickness of the walls in layers, e.g. building plastic tanks of water into the wall structure, we can mimic a high thermal mass, lessening the effect of extreme or sudden changes in external temperature on the internal environment.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY - CHANGING STATES

The structure of the house is a complete passive responsive system.

The method of construction seeks to deal with changes in temperature in an active manner. The idea relies on the rapid heat transfer capabilities that are intrinsic to plate steel to suggest that the whole house could be considered as a heat exchanger - rapidly absorbing energy from the sun to heat water and consequently the internal spaces or alternatively to be used as with phase change materials to provide cooling through the inside skin of the building.

Envelope

The envelope of the house is comprised of layers of steel sheet - the dark outer layers form a basic solar collector across the elevation of the house

Internal

The internal layers are exposed to a cross flow of air to assist with cooling, and the internal space will be sealed to provide a high level of air tightness.

Each responsive material works to stabilise internal temperature over a different timescale:

• Mineral wax
• Daily temperature variations
• Water incorporated into panels
• Larger climatic variations
• Minimal mass of ground slab
• Seasonal variations

The use of phase-change materials can dramatically increase the thermal performance of the building fabric. The materials, such as mineral wax, have melting points close to room temperature. As they do so the latent energy associated with the melting absorbs heat from the space to prevent overheating. In the winter the phase change can absorb solar energy during the day and release it at night reducing heating demands.

By incorporating material innovation into these new build housing projects, we are able to maximise the natural properties of readily available materials, making them work harder for our benefit.

• << Prev
• Next >>