Building 8: Factor 10 House
Like the Z6 House, Chicago's Factor 10 House gets its name from its philosophy -- the claim that the structure consumes one-tenth of the environmental resources that the average home uses (in other words, it minimizes the ecological footprint by a "factor of 10"). In an effort to find affordable methods to green build, Chicago's Department of Environment and Housing held a competition for designs, and Factor 10 was among the winners.
The Factor 10 house incorporates dozens of creative green building techniques, not the least of which is the solar chimney, which both warms and cools the house using fans. In addition to temperature functions, the solar chimney, which harnesses sunlight from windows for warmth, also provides light for the house, so to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and electricity.
In addition to appliances and low flow fixtures that reduce energy and water use, the house uses a green roof planted with sedum. This roof both significantly reduces water runoff and causes evaporative cooling. Architects also oriented window placement so that few windows face north and south to reduce heat loss in the winter.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the house is a wall made of water bottles. Not only is the material itself being recycled, but the wall serves as a heat sink which collects heat all day and releases it into the house during the cool night. Insulation for the house was manufactured from recycled paper, and the concrete used for foundation incorporates fly ash (a substance produced during the burning of coal.) Even the carpet consists of recycled materials -- specifically, material from recycled plastic bottles.
Read on to the next page to find out how a bowling lane can be used as a longer-than-average table for students.
