Grants Precast is producing the precast concrete panels and columns for the Lafarge Eco House being displayed at this years Eco Build 2012 Exhibition at London’s Excel. The event runs from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd March – so why not come and have a look. From a sustainable construction perspective, there is no “ideal” building. The characteristics of an energy-efficient home can vary according to the climate, the building’s size, and its function or spatial organization for example. Lafarge have developed 20 simple rules for sustainable construction, which will be put into practice at next years biggest and best Ecobuild, these rules look at passive design measures to reduce energy demand, active renewable energies and other aspects of sustainable construction, including: 1. Select a compact building shape to minimize envelope surface area. 2. Opt for a building orientation and openings to reduce loses and increase energy gains. 3. Use high thermal insulation to reduce energy demand for heating and cooling. 4. Avoid thermal bridges to reduce energy losses. 5. Ensure superior air tightness of the envelope to reduce energy losses. 6. Integrate exterior solar shading devices to avoid excessive solar gains. 7. Select reflective roofs or green roofs to […]