As a result of the pandemic, we have recently been spending much more time at home than normal. A situation that has heightened our awareness of the shortcomings of our homes. Indeed, aspects such as spaces for working, studying or spending our leisure time, thermal and acoustic comfort, material quality, light and energy consumption are now valued far more highly than they used to be.
In all likelihood, this is the reason behind the sharp rise in the number of people interested in bio-passive homes in recent months: in fact, enquiries have increased tenfold, whilst the offers and signed project agreements have grown fivefold and threefold respectively. An authentic “flood” of contacts that has led us to reflect on the reasons why our proposals fit in so well with the changes in demand.
When it comes to housing, preferences have altered and priority is being given to the special features of our constructions, including health care and low energy consumption levels. Our “bio-passive home” product, developed and perfected over more than 15 years and backed by tens of completed projects, is the perfect solution for these new requirements.
The bio-passive house of El Papiol (BCN) in the program 'Repor TVE' about new preferences in housing
What are the advantages today’s homebuyers see in our building model?
Space
Homes are no longer merely places to return to have a meal and go to bed. Working from home is becoming a way of life, enabling us to abandon our city apartments and purchase a home with more space both indoors and outdoors in more peaceful and less contaminated locations for the activities family members used to have to do elsewhere.
Energy savings
Spending longer at home means greater energy consumption for heating and cooling. Bio-passive homes can save between 75% and 90% in comparison with conventional housing. With our building system, the “energy mortgage” becomes a thing of the past.
The savings are thanks to the bioclimatic design of the home, which put the natural resources to optimum use and apply Passivhaus criteria to the building process. They include the installation of extremely thick thermal insulation in the building envelope, the use of high performance windows and guaranteeing a high degree of airtightness.
Light
Our houses are bright and filled with light, an essential requirement for healthy homes. The bioclimatic design of bio-passive homes seeks to make maximum use of the sunlight as a natural and free energy source. What’s more, we work with the finest window manufacturers and installers on the market, using certified products for low energy building, which allow for large openings whilst at the same time preventing heat loss. In the warmer months, systems such as adjustable slat blinds prevent excessive heat whilst maintaining natural light levels.
Acoustic comfort
Spending longer at home means that we not only appreciate the absence of noise during our rest time, but also throughout the day. In addition to the installation of soundproofing and the benefits wood offers in this regard, all House Habitat projects include an acoustic study with an action plan aimed at minimising noise and vibration levels.
Rapid execution
In many cases, there is a pressing desire to move. Our building system allows for a high proportion of pre-fabrication that will cut building times. Moreover, budgets are not overrun thanks to the greater degree of control that industrialisation can exert over the entire process. Customers can take possession of their homes in just 6 months, with no fear of delays or unforeseen circumstances.
Sustainability
The pandemic is also leading us to reconsider the way we treat the environment. A number of studies associate this with climate change or deforestation. Our homes are built with wood from certified sustainably managed forests. Wood is a natural, renewable and reusable material. Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere whilst they are growing, which is then stored in the wood used for building. Estimates put the ecological footprint of a wooden structure at between 60% and 75% lower than that of an equivalent constructed in steel or cement.
Health
We have left the most important aspect until last: health
Our vision of what homes should be like is changing. We are now much more appreciative of health and wellbeing, aspects that begin in the home. Our building model takes elements from bio-construction methods such as the use of toxin-free natural materials, optimised acoustic and light standards or the natural regulation of interior humidity and temperature levels in order to create healthy, contamination-free homes that guarantee the right air quality, backed up by dual flow mechanical ventilation.
Another advantage of wood is that it is a biological material that creates warm settings, suitable for rest and relaxation, and thereby contributing not only to our physical health but also our mental wellbeing, which is in need of care and protection in the light of the stresses and strains of the last year.
These are the reasons why House Habitat’s bio-passive building options are the best possible solution for our changing needs.
