Sustainable_Project

media type="custom" key="8889584" **GREEN BOX **

GREEN BOX is the first modular Garden-House that is prefabricated, reusable, transportable, has an infinite life cycle, is bioclimatic, has zero energy consumption, and does not generate waste.  Designed by the architect Luis de Garrido (recently chosen as “Architect of the Year 2008” by the International Steel Building Association ISBA, and American Institute of Architects AIA), the home could be an international benchmark in sustainable architecture, as it comprehensively meets all of the known sustainable indicators. In fact, Luis de Garrido states that GREEN-BOX is the building that is nearest to his conceptual architectural model of “Artificial Nature”.  In addition to its totally ecological character, the home is very economical: Building it costs half what a conventional building would cost (about 550 euros m2), so that it could become a building model for the new social and economic system. The home has zero conventional energy consumption, and regulates itself thermally through its bioclimatic design and optimum use of geothermal and solar energy. In the same way, the home’s design and construction has been carried out with the aim of reducing its energy consumption to a minimum in both its building process and its dismantling process.

 All of the building’s components have been designed in a modular way to be dry-assembled. Thus, just as occurs in building it, dismantling it does not generate any waste and all of its parts can be used again. Hence, by repairing or replacing each one of the parts, the building has an infinite life cycle. That is to say, its useful life is infinite. The supporting structure of the homes has been made with prefabricated panels of reinforced concrete, sandwich panels of cement-wood and metallic panels. The purpose of all of this is to show in one building the three most suitable systems of modular construction (steel, wood, concrete). Nevertheless, in spite of all of the characteristics described, no doubt the most important and unique feature of GREEN BOX is the landscaped, sloping garden roof and the vertical garden. Both gardens have been made with autochthonous Mediterranean plant species, which ensures that they hardly need water (just rainwater) and their beauty is permanent, every day of the year. Of course they do not need maintenance. The sloping garden-roof enables the building to be integrated into any environment, since it becomes established as an extension to the surrounding ground. On the other hand, the vertical garden stands proud, becoming the home’s identifying hallmark. The same vertical garden is to be found in the home’s interior patio.




 * GREEN-BOX has the highest possible level of sustainability **

The prototype complies perfectly with the five basic pillars on which Sustainable Architecture rests: <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">1. Optimization of resources and materials <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">2. Reduction of waste and emissions to the environment <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">3. Reduction of energy consumption and use of renewable energies. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">4. Improvement of human quality of life and health. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">5. Reduction in the building’s price of construction and maintenance. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Use of recovered, reused and recycled materials. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">All of the materials used in GREEN BOX are reused and recycled. In the same way, all of the materials can be recovered, reused and recycled. With no exceptions whatsoever. Reuse <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">All of the prototype’s components can be used again and again, so that their life cycle is infinite. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Zero toxicity. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The materials used do not have any kind of emission nor substance harmful to the environment. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">High durability. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The prototype has infinite durability since it can be easily repaired.
 * <span style="color: #c22483; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">1. Optimization of resources and materials **

<span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In manufacturing the materials <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In obtaining the materials that make up GREEN BOX no type of waste nor emissions have been generated. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In building the prototype <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">No kind of waste will be generated in setting up the prototype. The parts will simply be put in place by pressure, gravity or cable ties, so that all the components can be recovered and reused again. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In the building’s useful life. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">There is neither waste nor emissions during the prototype’s useful life. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In dismantling <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The prototype has been designed in such a way as not to generate any waste upon dismantling. All of the materials will remain intact and ready to be used again as many times as necessary.
 * <span style="color: #c22483; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">2. Reduction of waste and emissions[[image:greenbox.jpg width="354" height="211" align="right"]] **



<span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Obtaining materials <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">All of the materials have been chosen due to their low energy cost. In addition, as all the materials are pre- fabr icated, the necessary energy consumpt ion has been reduced to a minimum. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Construction <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Minimum energy is going to be used as a modular building system has been employed. For this reason, a team of only 5 people will be needed to set it up. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Dismantling <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Dismantling is very simple and consumes very little energy, since the parts only have to be removed in reverse order from which they were placed upon setting up. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Transport of the material and workforce <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The materials and workforce will be from Barcelona. There is no need for specialised labour. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Useful life <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">It can be said that an infinite useful life has been achieved for the prototype, since if any part breaks it is simply repaired or replaced with an alternative.
 * <span style="color: #c22483; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">3. Reduction of energy consumption and use of renewable energies. **

<span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">There are no emissions harmful to people, animals or the environment at any stage of manufacture of any of the prototype’s parts, nor during its useful life (if it is built to be permanent), nor in dismantling it.
 * <span style="color: #c22483; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">4. Improvement of human quality of life and health **

<span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The prototype’s maintenance costs are very low. The only maintenance in the short term is cleaning. <span style="color: #739f32; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">As for cleaning staff, this has not been necessary for the prototype.
 * <span style="color: #c22483; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">5. Reduction in the building’s price of construction and maintenance **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Font: www.luisdegarrido.com