On March 7th, 2013, the 5×4 Hayes Lane Project Team had a design and development meeting at GHD. Attendees included Craig Chatman from ARKit, Tai Hollingsbee and Chris King from GHD, and Ralph Alphonso from Barley Store. The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the best combination of systems and construction materials to be used that would achieve the smallest ecological footprint possible.
Points of discussions were:
– the insulation system
– solar panels
– water/ irrigation system
– wood as construction material
Some of the possible technologies considered included:
– phase-change material (PCM) for heating
– rainwater collection as an eco-friendly water source
– hot water ring
– fake grass (e.g. summer envy)
– PV-cells
Overall, various materials and systems were brought to the table. The meeting saw even more opportunities for a sustainable build and the designs were further developed.
There are still various issues to be considered before making final decisions about the materials and technologies including:
– costs
– impact on infrastructure
– embodied energy
We will resolve these issues in future meetings.
(To see the sketches that were drafted at the meeting, click on the image below)