Talpa House
Blog
Notes from building underground: engineering, owners’ experience, and what we learn on site.
5 REASONS TO USE RECYCLED CONCRETE
Concrete production has tripled since the 1980s. Every year the world produces 30 billion tonnes of concrete, which works out at 3.75 tonnes of new concrete per person (1.63 m³ per head). One of the main ingredients of concrete is gravel, and roughly 37 billion m³ of it has to be extracted from mountains and rivers every year.
Building an Underground House: What Challenges to Expect and How to Overcome Them
Underground houses offer unique benefits, such as energy efficiency, protection from the elements, noise reduction, and seamless integration into natural surroundings. However, constructing an underground house comes with its own set of challenges. Below is a guide to the key obstacles you may face when building an underground house and the solutions to overcome them.
The climate crisis is making cities uninhabitable. It's time to go underground.
Underground cities were long the stuff of science fiction, but recently cities and urban planners have begun to take the idea seriously. The biggest challenge is showing people that they can feel comfortable underground.
Heat-Recovery Ventilation: Legal Requirement or Real Necessity?
Since 2021, does every house need ventilation with heat recovery?
How should a house be laid out? Socrates' house (MEGARON)
We live in a technical age and talk about smart solutions. We measure everything in metric units (millimetres, seconds, kilowatt-hours). We need numbers to see whether we have met artificially set limits. But what do numbers and parameters actually say about comfortable living? Why does it make sense to take inspiration from the so-called Socratic house?
How do authorities and banks approach Talpa House?
Talpa House is a passive house with a green roof (under the Slovak STN and Czech ČSN standards, a nearly zero-energy building). It can also be energy self-sufficient. To give you a better idea: Talpa House has an intensive green roof and windows facing mainly towards the sun.
Jeff Bezos (Amazon) invests in saving the world's climate
Grants from the new Bezos Earth Fund will start being awarded in summer 2020.
OWNERS' EXPERIENCES: VENTILATION, HEATING AND COOLING IN A TALPA HOUSE
You may also be wondering whether there is enough light in an underground house, whether it is cold inside or, on the contrary, whether it overheats in summer. Are heat pumps or air conditioning necessary? As the energy-class requirements for houses tighten, people ask whether heat-recovery ventilation is really necessary. Let's take a closer look at the experiences of owners living in underground houses.
The shell of a Talpa House: what does it look like?
Building systems are so varied today that it is easy to get lost in the terminology. Some structures do not fit the usual definitions, such as the shell of an underground house.
SCIENTISTS CREATE LIVING CONCRETE
Original article by Amos Zeeberg
Underground Houses Explained: Why Building Underground is the Future of Sustainable Living in Europe
Underground houses are rapidly becoming a preferred choice across Europe, particularly in environmentally conscious countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. But why are underground houses gaining traction, and what makes them the future of sustainable living?