Smart eco-village. HiTech + traditional adobe
The understated charm of a Managed Ecosystem*: full self-sufficiency and a negative carbon footprint, combined with an exceptionally comfortable microclimate
Managed ecosystems* - a long-term direction of research and development at Symbiosei. In our arsenal - a whole range of technologies, developed on our prototype of a cob house: managing the thermal balance of the room taking into account the thermal inertia of enclosing structures, passive solar heating, natural ventilation independent of the season, automation of gardening tasks, and much more.
In our view, modern smart homes made from classic cob are the ideal solution for developing ecotourism, reclaiming depleted and abandoned lands in steppe and desert climates.
We are looking for suitable land plots for construction or reconstruction!
Below is a brief overview of our position on why we consider Cob to be the ideal building material for a modern Smart home, as well as a brief historical background.
* By managed ecosystems, we mean objects where climate, water, energy, and agricultural processes are controlled by a single automation system
Why do smart home technologies and traditional adobe make such an ideal combination?
The basis of this synergy lies in two fundamental physical factors:
1. Energy buffer and phase shift
Modern engineering systems (solar generation, geothermal loops) efficiently accumulate renewable energy from the environment. However, the main challenge for them has always been the instability of these sources throughout the day.
The massive structures of a straw bale house solve this problem by acting as a powerful natural battery. They allow the stored energy to be preserved within the building itself: converting it into heat on winter nights or maintaining coolness in the summer heat. Predictive automation algorithms calculate this time lag (phase shift), minimizing the load on climate control equipment. The house is not dependent on weather fluctuations - it utilizes them.
2. Thermal homogeneity and radiant comfort
Straw bales have high specific heat capacity and balanced thermal conductivity. Due to the significant thickness and monolithic nature of the enclosing structures, the formation of "cold bridges" and corner freezing is completely eliminated.
The walls are heated (or cooled) completely evenly. Unlike standard convectors, which dry the air and stir up dust, massive walls create a soft radiant heat exchange. This ensures an exemplary microclimate and maximum thermal comfort inside the premises with minimal energy resource consumption.
Information on the topic
Modern adobe ecohouse
What is adobe and why is it a perfect material for a modern ecovillage?
Adobe consists only of natural ingredients: a mixture of clay, sand and plant filler in an optimal proportion for a current climate and location.
Adobe is humankind's oldest building material, with a thousand-year history and a zero carbon impact.
Adobe provides an almost ideal microclimate in the house because of its unique combination of high heat capacity and optimal thermal conductivity. Massive adobe constructions always have the same temperature, without hot walls or cold corners. This is the main advantage of adobe houses over stone ones.
Adobe is a cheap and democratic material. Building blocks can be made independently from scrap materials directly on the construction site.
An adobe house is more environmentally friendly than the most part of modern wooden houses. Almost all wooden houses built over the last 50 years are impregnated with numerous chemical compounds to protect against rot and fire. Glulam, the main material of a modern wooden houses, contains several kilograms of synthetic glue per cubic meter. Nothing of this is in a house made of adobe.
Material on the subject.
Adobe architecture, basic elements
Hi-Tech ecovillage made of adobe from Symbiose Intelligente, what it may look like
Why aren't all modern houses built from adobe?
The widespread increase in population has led to the fact that adobe, along with other environmentally friendly products, has become an item of elite consumption.
Due to its relatively low strength, adobe is not very well suited for the mass construction of multi-store social housing (however, in Yemen, a block of adobe skyscrapers was built more than 200 years ago — this is a unique object, and we will talk about it below).
Adobe exhibits its best qualities in one-level buildings, when the stability of the microclimate in the house is ensured by a large area of contact between the walls and the ground surface. Massive walls, the basis of the unique ecology of the adobe dwelling, occupy up to 50 percent of the house’s area. This makes it difficult to use adobe in mass development projects.
Материал по теме
Adobe, the history of the topic
Adobe is one of humanity’s oldest technologies. For thousands of years, adobe houses were built in all climatic zones of the Earth. The composition of the material, construction practice and microclimate of the home have been brought to almost ideal. If properly cared for, an adobe home will last for thousands of years.
