SMART MATERIALS The construction material of the future is expected to provide a number of benefits for our health and

the environment. Increasing energy demands are causing a lot of researchers to look for new ways to make our homes and offices more efficient. For this reason, a team of engineers from Harvard University have developed material that regulates its own temperature. Construction Digital reports that researchers have created a material called SMARTS, which uses chemical reactions to fuel continual adjustments that enable self regulation of its temperature. This product could potentially be used to reduce heat loss through windows to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.Smart materials are replacing installations in architecture. Imagine replacing heating and conditioning installations with materials! A paint for energy, steps that control light, a bag of salt for cooling? Multifunctional, smart and interactive materials can dramatically change the future of buildings, making them more efficient and sustainable. ************************************************************************************************************************ WIND CATHER Background : Central Iran shows large diurnal temperature variation with an arid climate. Most buildings are constructed from thick ceramics with high insulation values. Towns centered on desert oases tend to be packed very closely together with high walls and ceilings, maximizing shade at ground level. The heat of direct sunlight is minimized with small windows that face away from the sun. The windcatcher's effectiveness had led to its routine use as a refrigerating device in Persian architecture. Many traditional water reservoirs (ab anbars) are built with windcatchers that are capable of storing water at near freezing temperatures during summer months. The evaporative cooling effect is strongest in the driest climates, such as on the Iranian plateau, leading to the ubiquitous use of windcatchers in drier areas such as Yazd, Kerman, Kashan, Sirjan, Nain, and Bam. A small windcatcher is called a shish-khan in traditional Persian architecture. Shish-khans can still be seen on top of ab anbars in Qazvin and other northern cities in Iran. These seem to function more as ventilators than as the temperature regulators seen in the central deserts of Iran. Structure and architecture:Windcatchers tend to have one, four, or eight openings. In the city of Yazd, all windcatchers are four- or eight-sided. The construction of a windcatcher depends on the direction of airflow at that specific location: if the wind tends to blow from only one side, it is built with only one downwind opening. This is the style most commonly seen in Meybod, 50 kilometers from Yazd: the windcatchers are short and have a single opening. To keep buildings free of dust and sand blown in from the desert, windcatchers were built facing away from the wind.

Function : The windcatcher can function in three ways: directing airflow downward using direct wind entry, directing airflow upwards using a wind-

assisted temperature gradient, or directing airflow upwards using a solar-assisted temperature gradient. Downward airflow due to direct wind entry: One of the most common uses of the windcatcher is to cool the inside of the dwelling; it is often used in combination with courtyards and domes as an overall ventilation and heat-management strategy. It is essentially a tall, capped tower with one face open at the top. This open side faces the prevailing wind, thus "catching" it, and brings it down the tower into the heart of the building to maintain air flow, thus cooling the building interior. It does not necessarily cool the air itself, but rather relies on the rate of airflow to provide a cooling effect. Windcatchers have been employed in this manner for thousands of years, as detailed by contemporary Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy Upward airflow due to temperature gradient:Wind-assisted temperature gradient Windcatchers are also used in combination with a qanat, or underground canal. In this method, the open side of the tower faces away from the direction of the prevailing wind (the tower's orientation can be adjusted by directional ports at the top). By keeping only this tower open, air is drawn upwards using the Coand effect. The pressure differential on one side of the building causes air to be drawn down into the passage on the other side. The hot air is brought down into the qanat tunnel and is cooled by coming into contact with the cool earth and cold water running through the qanat. The cooled air is drawn up through the windcatcher, again by the Coand effect. On the whole, the cool air flows through the building, decreasing the structure's overall temperature. The effect is magnified by the water vapour from the qanat. Solar-produced temperature gradient In a windless environment or waterless house, a windcatcher functions as a solar chimney. It creates a pressure gradient which allows hot air, which is less dense, to travel upwards and escape out the top. This is also compounded significantly by the diurnal cycle, trapping cool air below. The temperature in such an environment cannot drop below the nightly low temperature. When coupled with thick adobe that exhibits good resistance against heat transmission qualities, the windcatcher is able to chill lower-level spaces in mosques and houses (e.g. shabestans) in the middle of the day to frigid temperatures. Directing airflow upwards using wind-assisted or solar-produced temperature gradients has gained some ground in Western architecture, and there are several commercial products using the name windcatcher. ********************************************************************************************************************** EARTHSHIP An earthship is a type of passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials. the homes are primarily constructed to work as autonomous buildings and are generally made of earth-filled tires, using thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. They are usually passively ventilated by cross ventilation assisted by thermal draught (Stack effect). Earthships are generally off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. For example, windows on sun-facing walls admit lighting and heating, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. The thick, dense inner walls provide thermal mass that naturally regulates the interior temperature during both cold and hot outside temperatures. Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.

The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated often with two layers of four inch poly-iso insulation for energy efficiency. The interior climate of an Earthship is stabilized and made comfortable by taking advantage of many phenomena. Mainly, the Earthship tries to take advantage of the properties of thermal mass and passive solar heating and cooling. Examples are large front windows with integrated shades, trombe walls and other technologies such as skylights or Steve Baer's "Track Rack" solar trackers (doubling as an energy generation device and passive solar source). The load-bearing walls of an Earthship, which are made from steel-belted tires rammed with earth, serve two purposes. First, they hold up the roof, and second, they provide a dense thermal mass that will soak up heat during the day and radiate heat during the night, keeping the interior climate relatively comfortable all day. In addition to high thermal mass, some Earthships may be earth-sheltered. The benefits of earthsheltering are twofold because it adds to the thermal mass and, if the Earthship is buried deep enough, allows the structure to take advantage of the Earth's stable temperature. The Earthship is designed in such a way that the sun provides heating, ventilation, and lighting. To take advantage of the sun, an Earthship is positioned so that its principal wall, which is nonstructural and made mostly of glass sheets, faces directly towards the equator. This positioning allows for optimum solar exposure. To allow the sun to heat the mass of the Earthship, the solar-oriented wall is angled so that it is perpendicular to light from the winter sun. This allows for maximum exposure in the winter, when heat is wanted, and lesser exposure in the summer, when heat is to be avoided. Some Earthships, especially those built in colder climates, use insulated shading on the solar-orientated wall to reduce heat loss during the night ********************************************************************************************************************** LIGHT TUBE Light tubes or light pipes are used for transporting or distributing natural or artificial light. In their application to daylighting, they are also often called tubular daylighting devices, sun pipes, sun scopes, or daylight pipes. Generally speaking, a light pipe or light tube may refer to: a tube or pipe for transport of light to another location, minimizing the loss of light; a transparent tube or pipe for distribution of light over its length, either for equidistribution along the entire length or for controlled light leakage.

A tube lined with highly reflective material leads the light rays through a building, starting from an entrance-point located on its roof or one of its outer walls. A light tube is not intended for imaging (in contrast to a periscope, for example), thus image distortions pose no problem and are in many ways encouraged due to the reduction of directional light. The entrance point usually comprises a dome (cupola), which has the function of collecting and reflecting as much sunlight as possible into the tube. Many units also have directional collectors, reflectors or even Fresnel lens devices that assist in collecting additional directional light down the tube. Light transmission efficiency is greatest if the tube is short and straight. In longer, angled, or flexible tubes, part of the light intensity is lost. To minimize losses, a high reflectivity of the tube lining is crucial; manufacturers claim reflectivities of their materials, in the visible range, of up to almost 99.5 percent.At the end point (the point of use), a diffuser spreads the light into the room. To further optimize the use of solar light, a heliostat can be installed which tracks the movement of the sun, thereby directing sunlight into the light tube at all times of the day as far as the surroundings limitations allow, possibly with additional mirrors or other reflective elements that influence the light path. The heliostat can be set to capture moonlight at night. ************************************************************************************************************************ PHOTO VOLATICS Commercially available since the 1970s, photovoltaic (PV) technology converts energy from solar radiation directly into electricity using semiconductor materials. It has no mechanical moving parts, so it lasts for decades and requires only minimal maintenance. Photovoltaic projects range from small-scale projects for lighting and pumping to large-scale projects for whole buildings and even utility-scale photovoltaic "farms." In general, solar electricity is more expensive per kilowatt (kW) than many other sources of electricity, but it has a number of advantages. Because a photovoltaic system can be located at the user site, it can often offset the full retail electricity rate of the facility, rather than the wholesale power price. In addition, photovoltaic electricity often matches peak demand very well, especially in warmer climates, and can offset peak electricity rates. It is modular and can be installed in any size necessary, with the only limitation being the availability of a sunny roof or ground space. Additionally, photovoltaic technology often qualifies for more incentives than other renewable energy technologies.

There are three common types of photovoltaic system design: The system is connected to the utility grid and has no batteries to store extra electricity The system is connected to the utility grid and has battery storage to provide emergency power back-up The system is not connected to the utility and uses battery storage to provide the power needs of the location. ********************************************************************************************************************

EARTH BAG CONSTRUCTION Earthbag construction is an inexpensive method to create structures which are both strong and can be quickly built. It is a natural building technique that evolved from historic military bunker construction techniques and temporary flood-control dike building methods. The technique requires very basic construction materials: sturdy sacks, filled with inorganic material usually available on site. Standard earthbag fill material has internal stability. Either moist subsoil that contains enough clay to become cohesive when tamped, or an angular gravel or crushed volcanic rock is used. (Sandbag structures with sand fills are an alternate technology and require very different construction details). Walls are gradually built up by laying the bags in courses forming a staggered pattern similar to bricklaying. The walls can be curved or straight, domed with earth or topped with conventional roofs. Curved walls provide good lateral stability, forming round rooms and/ or domed ceilings like an igloo. Buildings with straight walls longer than 5 m (16.4 ft) in length need either intersecting walls or bracing buttresses or piers added. Construction method The basic construction method usually begins by digging a trench down to undisturbed mineral subsoil. This trench can then be partially filled with cobble stones or gravel to create a rubble trench foundation. In high seismic risk regions a reinforced concrete footing or grade beam may be recommended. Above that, several rows of doubled woven bags (or tubes) are filled with gravel and placed into the trench and one or two courses above grade to form a water-resistant foundation. Each successive layer will have one or two strands of barbed wire placed on top. This digs into the bag's weave and prevents

slippage of subsequent layers, and also resists any tendency for the outward expansion of walls (especially with domes). The next row of bags is offset by half a bag's width to form a staggered pattern. Bags can be pre-filled with material and hoisted up, or bags or tubes can be more simply filled in place. The weight of this earthfilled layer pushes down on the barbed wire strands, locking the bag in place on the row below. A light tamping of the bags or tubes serves to consolidate the moist clay-containing fill and creates interlocking bags or tubes of a strength between adobe and rammed earth. The same process continues layer upon layer, forming walls. A roof can be formed by gradually sloping the walls inward to construct a dome. Traditional types of roof can also be made. Bag types:the most popular type of bag is made of solid-weave polypropylene, such as the type often used to transport rice or other grains. Bag-fill materials:Generally inorganic material is used as filler, but some organic material (such as rice hulls) can be used if a strong matrix like wire mesh reinforces the plaster. Filled with soils containing 550% clay, like reject fines, road base, or many subsoils, earthbags tamp into solid structural units but cannot withstand prolonged soaking. Forming the house:Various types of roofs may be used, including earthbag extensions of the wall which create barrel vaulted or domed roofs. Finishing:To prevent damage to the bags from UV rays or moisture, it is necessary to cover the exposed outer surfaces of the bags with an opaque material. There are many possibilities of what material to use, including cement-based stucco, or lime or earthen plaster. ********************************************************************************************************************** EARTH TUBE : EARTH

COOLING TUBES (cool tubes) are used to cool a space by bringing outdoor air into an interior space through underground pipes or tubes. The air is cooled (and possibly dehumidified) as it travels. The cooling effect is dependent upon the existence of a reasonable temperature difference between the outdoor air and the soil at the depth of the tube. A cool tube can be used to temper incoming air when the soil temperature is below outdoor air temperature, or to provide actual space cooling effect if soil temperature is below the intended room temperature. A cool tube can also be used to temper outdoor air in the winter, but it will not provide any space heating effect.Earth tubes are often a viable and economical alternative or supplement to conventional central heating or air conditioning systems since there are no compressors, chemicals or burners and only blowers are required to move the air. These are used for either partial or full cooling and/or heating of facility ventilation air. Their use can help buildings meet Passive House standards or LEED certification.Earth-air heat exchangers can be very cost effective in both up-front/capital costs as well as long-term operation and maintenance costs. However, this varies widely depending on the location latitude, altitude, ambient Earth temperature, climatic temperature-and-relativehumidity extremes, solar radiation, water table, soil type (thermal conductivity), soil moisture content and the efficiency of the building's exterior envelope design / insulation. Generally, dryand-low-density soil with little or no ground shade will yield the least benefit, while dense damp soil with considerable shade should perform well. A slow drip watering system may improve thermal performance. Damp soil in contact with the cooling tube conducts heat more efficiently than dry soil. Earth cooling tubes are much less effective in hot humid climates (like Florida) where the ambient temperature of the earth approaches human comfort temperature. The higher the ambient temperature of the earth, the less effective they are for cooling and dehumidification. However, they can be used to partially cool and dehumidify the replacement fresh air intake for passivesolar thermal buffer zone[2] areas like the laundry room, or a solarium / greenhouse, especially those with a hot tub, swim spa, or indoor swimming pool, where warm humid air is exhausted in

the summer, and a supply of cooler drier replacement air is desired.

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