ECO-means ecology. ECO also means economy.

The ECO HouseA project brief

UN Millenium Declaration“........Respect for nature. Prudence must be shown in the management of all living species and natural resources, in accordance with the precepts of sustainable development. Only in this way can the immeasurable riches provided to us by nature be preserved and passed on to our descendants. The current unsustainable patterns ofproduction and consumption must be changed in the interest of our future welfare and that of our descendants.”......

Sustainable Development IndicatorsThe EU Sustainable Development Strategy, adopted by the European Council in Gothenburg in June 2001, and renewed in June 2006, aims to reconcile economic development, social cohesion and protection of the environment............... A parallel objective is to inform the general public about progress in attaining the commonly agreed objectives of sustainable development. / Source: Eurostat, 2007/

The tendencies to obtain own house is constantly growing in all EU. That has leaded to growing prices of the building materials as well service costs in recent years, withdrawing only in last 2 years. It is expected that number of habitants in EU 11 countries by 2050 will grow up for more than 28 %, which will lead to more and more demands of number of flats to be built.

Luck of the building materials in some countries is continuous. Wood as the material is exceeding, but cement industry produce a lot of CO2 ..... alternative is composite type of building materials and systems to be further developed.

1. The Basic

Energy saving and ecology is one of the most important attentions of nowadays civilization.Into the buildings people spend no less than half of their life. Energy consumptions to make the building and exploitation are significant.Nowadays global economy slow down impress also the needs to choice economical type of the materials and human resources consumption needed for building works.

Many countries have realized the projects we can call as Eco-House- form total ones until technical parts, devices or materials development. In many cases, the eco houses had costs neither more nor ordinary ones and have been done for the research needs. The same time, many experiences have been collected, and it is reason to think that collection of the best experiences worldwide can be implemented into one project.

There are several pilot developments of eco-building running allover the Globe- UK, Germany, N-America, Japan----

Is the ecology expensive? How much expenses we will have additional during the exploitation of the house? Can we build inexpensive house with good ecology aspects?

The Delicate Eco project team has decided to start a new project of sustainable living house, with the targeted pilot project / ready house / within 24 month since the project start.The project team thereby is looking for good co-operative partners with specialists, venture capitalists and banks, building companies, material suppliers, engineers, people having interest in a such of the project.

2.The Goal

Is to carry out a new generation pilothouse where ecology and economy have the main topic. Using the best building logistics both functional and building-up, as much as possible recycled, natural and sustainable materials, economy water use systems, energy savings, the Team believe to develop an Eco House, lovely to live, not expensive, sustainable. The Team also will use the best praxes of the eco-building field all over the World, in the way providing the meeting point for experiences of different countries.By careful estimations of different projects GRENN is running now, and looking to themost needed for additional serious developments, budgets needed, we have decided that building elements / systems made of organic fibers filled plastic/ organic matrix is the most attractive one.Based on previous developments of Delicate Eco team, where principally it is solved the manufacturing method/ multi – extruders adjusted in one line, co-extrusion used / it is necessary additionally to investigate following technical aspects:

Die designs , capable to form the large size organic fibers filled, complex, many segments design profiles with high speed extrusion capacities. “Greiner” (Austria) has agreed to carry out the dies design, making it as well extrusion line development, 0-series building blocks layout.

Economy sound, accessible organic fibers sources and their properties. Compositions formula, having high flow properties but the same time –maximum organic fibers load into matrixes / as much as possible-organic or biodestructive, with stabilized properties of aging /.

Additional research of the building blocks and elements in connection with:A/ extrusion method usedB/ material propertiesC/ die designD/ requirements to building / construction, thermal insulation level, design, mounting-dismounting/E/ environmental impacts / from cradle to grave- including energy and sources, recycling, lifecycle/F/ actual tests of the building blocksD/ design of the blocks and variations of the uses in different design housesMain goal of GRENN is to develop a building system which is easy to manufacture, use, and to lead the development process to pilot plant establishment, with obtainment of additional investments since the development process is finished.Investigated are the locations of such a plant.

3.The vision

3.1. The problem.

Many families with medium or less incomes are pressed to live in rented flats or in limited spaces, in districts with no-comments. Parking of the cars is a problem or takes additional costs. Not always recreation area around the house is available. The building materials used does not meet highest ecology standards because of wrong-planned economy for the building since beginning. The exploitation costs thereby becomes up to the lodgers. Many materials used in buildings, does not have long-life constant properties.

In many areas over the Globe there is many multi-family houses built up on 70-ies, 80-ties. It is estimated, that totally for 24 % of global CO2 pollution non-sustainable buildings are responsible.

3.2. The problem solving

1. As one of the way, is Community Houses, mean times very popular in a couple of countries / Finland, Sweden, Norway/. The principle of such a house owners association is collective inputs since the building start, and administration during the exploitation. Sine involved from early stage, people have top interest in economy at all. The target is not to exceed the building costs USD 600 per square meter for 5 floors, 60 family building, and the same time having maximum ecology inputs.

4. The ecology

The ecological aspects to be obtained in project have following basics:-Efficient erection , reduction of transport costs of the parts. Easy demolition-Recycled materials uses in building blocks / debris of old buildings, sawdust, etc/-Economy canalization systems / compression system/-Economy electricity consumption systems / economy lamps, proper installations, self -switch of- on systems in public spaces, solar-based energy outdoor lightening/-Alternative energy uses and supplementary heating of hot water, air-Efficient, natural materials based insulation

-Doors, windows made of recycled polymer and organic fibers composite / technologies and products from US, Austria, Sweden/-Ecological paints / floors, walls, ceilings/-Recreation zone possibilities at the roof of the house / where not available near the house/ with organic waste composting system-Parking of the cars at the first floor of the house, with water-economy car washing device-Household waste collection and separation system-Passive heating building principles implemented-Waste heat return system-Independent combined heating / energy station at the house ( like hydrogen systems combined with solar or small wind energy devices), with separate regulation possibilities for every family according the needs.However, complete house is to be designed to reach the Green Star standards.

2. Functional and efficient building worksAs the research and pilot project the working group will process a new system of the building elements at the place of the building.

During nearly the century ago LE Corbusier has developed a block-type building system, has been used in many countries. The efficiency of the building speed was reached. The problem of such a technology is the transport and limited space of the town environment somewhere.

Another efficient building technology is monolith concrete casting at the place of the building. Even if it take very limited space needed, the demolition of the building is a problem, and it suits most for public buildings, not families house. The costs for such a works is rather high.

Combination of monolith concrete molding systems and block-type of the elements could be a solution. Uses of really huge amounts of different waste materials like building debris , straws, waste textile fibers for ready-made blocks can be both ecologically and building works efficiency case reasonable. It also will give sound economies and will reduce waste wood/straws/textile sources, nowadays having no uses nearly not at all. The team believes to reach a new Patents Of Inventions in revolutionary building systems.

CostsTo lead the development up to pilot house and obtain necessary tests and certificates, 1,6 million EUR investment is necessary to invest in R&D process, time required- about 1.6 years.

It is estimated that self-costs of ready-made building blocks per m2 would be about 16 EURonly.

Complete manufacturing plant erection require about 14 million EUR. Its locations estimated are in Wales UK or near Hamburg, Germany. However, it is reason to think about plants erection in India, China as well other locations.

The plantThe plant design is processed already. It contain waste materials processing line into fibers and large scale on-line compounding-extrusion line and especially designed large scale 3D CNC router (up to 4000 kg per hour output).

Single plant capacity is up to 2,5 houses per day output ( 140m2 size)

5.Patents

Designer Raimonds Cirulis has developed and patented the construction of different building elements made of composites by extrusion method. The materials to be used is waste recycled textiles, paper/plastic packaging, wood, straws etc., bonded with organic latexes. The building elements include the basic wall segments, self-lock flooring systems, construction logs, with obtained on-line-processed thermo insulations. Insulation considered is foamed starch highly filled with shredded waste Tetrapak type of packaging .The material formulations are mentioned in accordance with the manufacturing methods of the building elements. The essence is easy mounting, ready-to-use elements, with no needs to use additional surface treatments excluding painting, and even not necessary.

However, additional development is a need in order to lead the development process to industrial scale.

6.The TeamFollowing specialists are considered to be involved into the project:

- Project management team- Bureau of architects- Designer (Raimonds Cirulis the initiator)- Manufacturing methods developing engineers (“Greiner” Austria)- Economist- Engineers: building materials; installations- Building company

7.The project steps

1. Pre-feasibility study1. Research of the problem and technologies, best praxes collection2. Creating the business plan3. Architecture conceptualization4. Creating the commune5. Risk capital and other source funds obtaining6. Experts involving, International funds, local government support7. Technical pre-feasibility8. Full working Team obtaining, agreements/ technical tasks prepared

2. Feasibility study1.New or incorporated venture establishment, financing obtained 2.Project processing and engineering4.Technical evaluation, expertise, research5. Purchasing of the land for pilot demo house erection6. Legal7. Technologies processing8. Economy/ environment impacts evaluation9. Actual engineering and design

3. Project implementation

1. Agreements of the commune with Venture company2. Agreements with sub-contractors3. Building works, supervision4. Turn-key5. Follow-up

8.The needsThe working group is looking for support of institutions/ specialists all around the World:

- To collect and obtain the knowledge- To get the material / know-how suppliers- To find the partnership for the project internationalization and financing- To realize the pilot project- To commercialize the project and developed know-how up to optimal

Side result of actual building elements developed, will be high capacity extrusion of complex profiles extrusion made of composites with new principles of the dies solved,allowing also to introduce another ambitious projects into life, requiring large scale profiles to be extruded.Direct additional result also will be high performance, but achievable waste materials fibers source composites developed, with high hope to reach the biodestructable ones. The binders used is high frequency reactive glues, while the materials can be any organic fibers like straw, wood, as well recycled paper, old clothes, etc etc.

“Ciirulis design” is looking for good collaboration with other partners, investors, in order to reach these ambitious targets -the best sustainable house ever- be developed, which fits at every climatic zone, is made of recycled and “green” materials.

There are about 4 different types of blocks designed and evaluated, including manufacturing methods, the plant is at technical sketch stage, and all equipments are quoted and checked.

Ciirulis Designlinija 14, Darzini,

Ogresgals , LV-5041Latvia

email:raimonds@ciirulis.com www.ciirulis.com