http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x180992Oh my.
depakid (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 05:44 PM
Original message
No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in ‘Passive Houses’
From the outside, there is nothing unusual about the stylish new gray and orange row houses in the Kranichstein District, with wreaths on the doors and Christmas lights twinkling through a freezing drizzle. But these houses are part of a revolution in building design: There are no drafts, no cold tile floors, no snuggling under blankets until the furnace kicks in. There is, in fact, no furnace.
In Berthold Kaufmann’s home, there is, to be fair, one radiator for emergency backup in the living room — but it is not in use. Even on the coldest nights in central.....blahblahblah.....it's a long article, with photographs, about heating homes.....
A couple of Fat Ches pop up in the punch bowl:
shraby (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 05:49 PM
Response to Original message
1. It looks to me like the German home has a lot less square footage than the other one. A lot less.
pending (490 posts) Mon Dec-29-08 05:54 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. yea, 500 sq ft per person
Thats pretty tiny.
salvorhardin (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 06:12 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. That's not too bad for a family of four
About 2,000 square feet is not too bad for a family of four. Most homes built through the 1950s were in the 1,500 - 2,200 square foot range, concentrating toward the lower end. That's enough for a decent sized living room, dining room/office space, kitchen, two or three nice bedrooms, and a bathroom. My partner's house is 1,800 square feet and has three bedrooms but we both agree that with everyone in the house at once it's too small. Eventually we hope to finish off the basement, along with putting in a half-bath down there, and rec room.
500 square feet is not too awful even for a single person. My apartment is 538 square feet and includes a living room, kitchen, bath, bedroom and utility area (for washer and dryer). Storage space, especially in the kitchen, is at a premium though. Just a few more closets and an extra small room for my office and it'd be perfect for me. I think 700 square feet is just about right for a single person. Of course, others' mileage may vary.
pending (490 posts) Mon Dec-29-08 06:17 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Now that you put it that way.
yea about 2k is about right for a family of four. Kids definitely take up alot more room than adults I think.
I personally wouldn't want to go below about 1300 sq for 2 people though. Sometimes you need your space
I guess it depends on how much "stuff" you got, of which I'm of the mind that most people have to much of.
Yeah, the primitives being gluttonous materialists, have way too much stuff.
It'd simplify their lives if the primitives weren't so materialistic.
salvorhardin (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 06:35 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. Absolutely, you need your space
It's just that in pre-surburbia, people used to walk to the local pub, club (social club, not dance club), library, park, etc. to get a little "alone" time, or just time socializing with somebody you're not sleeping with and/or feeding every single day. Also, man caves have been around for as long as there have been men. It used to be the garage, basement workshop, VFW, or the aforementioned social club. Witness the proliferation of how-to magazines in the 40s-70s. Guys didn't really take up woodworking because they liked knotty pine -- it was a chance to get away from all the noise, confusion and honey-dos. Now we all hole up in our houses like we're under siege (I'm as guilty of this as anyone, perhaps more so).
oldnslo (90 posts) Mon Dec-29-08 05:56 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. That German couple is sitting in a room that looks to be the same
Size as my home office--about 10x10. Pretty small for a living room, and it doesn't take a lot of heating tech to heat small sq. footage pretty cheaply. Bet it takes awhile to roi, and can't be retreo-fitted to existing homes, obviously.
It will be a while....don't hold your breath, we've got bigger fish to fry over here.
Then Pedro Picasso, displaying his expertise in advertising layout and design:
Atman (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 06:12 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. That room is small, but it's no 10 x 10.
The perspective of the photo is tricking you. Those doors are wide enough to walk through, and there are two of them. The depth of the room is unknown, unless you're assuming the photographer is squished up against the opposing wall. I think not. Again, it may not be an American-style "great room," (WTF is that, anyway?) but it's not 10 x 10.
When 0bama gets around to redistributing the wealth, including housing, to be sure that everybody's equal, Pedro Picasso better leave the kitchen appliances in his second house, the house 0bama's going to give to franksolich.
Atman (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-29-08 06:09 PM
Response to Original message
5. McMansion owners can do this by hooking up a vent to the tailpipes of their Hummers...
...and running into their living rooms.
Seriously, fuggedaboutit. This is America. Here, we'd have talking heads on air all the time saying "We don't want to live in tiny shoe boxes! We need space to avoid our kids and wives!" We've got many, many years of terrible habits to overcome.
Yeah, Pedro Picasso's got to overcome this habit of using two homes.
