Example 2: Student work

Image of eco friendly house removed for copyright reasons

(source outlined below)

MYP5 Design

Unit Title: Zero Impact

Statement of Inquiry: Communities consider sustainable resources available when designing

environmentally friendly homes.

Image of eco friendly house removed for

copyright reasons

(Source outlined below)

Image of ‘100% eco friendly

stamp’ removed for copyright
reasons

(Source outlined below)

The Pictures above come from the following sources:

[Link]

[Link]
6432/

[Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

Inquiring & Analysing

Design Scenario: Your task is to design an ecologically friendly house. You should ensure that you are
designing the building using the most environmentally sound products available to the building industry
and try to develop a building which has a Zero Carbon Footprint. The house can be based anywhere in the
world but you should remember the plot area that you have to work within is a 1/4 acre in size.

The Problem: To answer this Design problem I have to design an ecologically friendly house. I will
design a house that will be built in my home country of Bermuda. This design has to consist of the most
environmentally sound products in the building industry, as I will try to create a building which has a zero
Carbon Footprint. In order for my design to be successful I will need conduct research to obtain the
knowledge needed to create a nice, efficient, running house. The house must also not be larger than ¼ of
an acre in size.

The Global Context for this project is Sustainability and Globalisation. I think this fits perfectly with this
project, because we are trying to design a house, which is ecologically friendly by making sure it is built
using environmentally sound products. Our living style today is affecting the environment in a number of
different ways.

Aims/Goals and Objectives for the research: In order for me to create a successful design, I will need
to talk to different construction workers/ builders in Bermuda, in order to discuss with them their thoughts
on the project, and ask for their input and opinion. My goals/ aims for this project are to create a
successful house, which follows all the requirements needed in order to achieve a high grade. These
requirements are to create an ecologically friendly house based in Bermuda, using the most
environmentally sound products in the construction industry, in order to develop a structure which has
Zero Carbon Footprint, and is within the scale given (which is no larger than ¼ acre). Also, I would like
my house to visually appealing.

Research: The following research that I have conducted incorporates primary and secondary sources I
have been able to find. Included in the separate sections I will explain which features may be used in the
final designs.

On the right you can see an image of an ecofriendly house.

The reason I picked this picture is because today our living Image of eco friendly house removed for
style is affecting the environment in a number of different copyright reasons
ways. This picture demonstrates how it is possible to
convert your house into an environmentally friendly "Eco- (Source outlined below)
House", and at the same time reduce your carbon
footprint.1

Zero Carbon Footprints: A Carbon Footprint is the measure given to the amount of greenhouse gases
produced by burning fossil fuels, measured in units of carbon dioxide. In order to reduce the damage we
are causing to environment, the eco-friendly house we are designing will have to contain zero carbon
footprints. In order to try and have a zero-carbon footprint house, I will need to lower the amount of
energy the building/ house is consuming in order for there to be a smaller amount of energy required to
power the building. This process is called “reducing the load”. In order to construct an efficient
economically friendly house, high levels of protection will be needed to reduce or loose energy; therefore
the adding of insulation will be needed wherever possible. Also, an alternative energy system will be

1
"Eco House Agent." Carbon Neutral- Green Living, Eco Friendly Products , Houses & Energy. N.p., 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.
[Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

needed in order to power the house, for example, solar thermal panel energy for hot water and/or
photovoltaic panels to make electricity. One of the key things to remember is to try and implement
strategies, in order to save energy and money, as renewable energy can be expensive. 2

Renewable Energy Resources: Most renewable energy comes directly or indirectly from the sun.
Sunlight or solar energy, can be used for heating and lighting homes/or other buildings, for generating
electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of other industrial uses. The sun’s heat
also drives wind whose energy is captured using wind turbines. How this works is the wind and the sun’s
heat cause water to evaporate; therefore once the water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill
into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric power (a form of electricity
generated by means of water pressure)3; however because the house needs to an economically friendly
house in Bermuda, this type of energy is not applicable to this project as Bermuda does not contain
mountainous, rivers, or stream, and due to the climate, it cannot produce snow; therefore the renewable
energy which fits this project the best is solar energy.

Likewise geothermal energy (a thermal energy generated and stored in the earth that determines the
temperature of matter4), bioenergy (a renewable energy made available from materials derived from
biological sources5), and Ocean energy (a type of energy carried by ocean waves, tides, salinity, and
ocean temperature differences where the movement of water in the world’s ocean creates an immense
store of kinetic energy, or energy in motion, which can be attached to generate electricity to power homes,
transport and industries.6) are other examples of renewable energies; however as mentioned above, solar
energy is the most effective type of renewable energy for creating a house, due to Bermuda’s climate and
topography.

As I mentioned above, renewable energy is an important aspect, which needs to be addressed when
building an economically friendly house. One of the most common types of renewable energy is solar
energy, created using solar panels. Solar panels collect energy from the sun, which then heats the fluid in
the solar panels. When the fluid in the panels is hot enough, the pump station inside the panel circulates
the hot fluid around the system and the fluid reaches the coil at the bottom of the cylinder and heats the
water contained there. Solar panels also contain a solar controller that is often referred as the “brain” of
the panel as it is in charge of managing the solar system during the daylight hours as well as enables you
to time the hot water, (like a central heating programmer,) and measure the amount of energy that you
have gained from the sun. If the temperature sensor in the cylinder become aware that the solar panel has
not collected enough energy to heat the hot water to the temperature needed, the supplementary heat
source in the panel assists and helps/tops up to create the temperature of the hot water needed, so that it
comes out of the taps at the temperature required. On average throughout the year, up to 70% of a house’s
hot water requirement can be provided by solar power.

There are two main types of solar panels; these are solar thermal panels and Photovoltaic Panels. Solar
Thermal Panels are primarily used to heat water, while photovoltaic panels are used to produce electricity

2 "Zero Carbon Footprint - Home Page." Zero Carbon Footprint - Home Page. 2006. Web. 27 May 2012. [Link]

3 "Types of Renewable Energy." Renewable Energy [Link]. 2012. Web. 27 May 2012. [Link]

4
"Geothermal Energy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 May 2012. Web. 27 May 2012. [Link]

5 "Bioenergy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 May 2012. Web. 27 May 2012. [Link]

6 "Ocean Energy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 May 2012. [Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

for the home. The most common photovoltaic panels are called PVs (thin strips of silicon which are
sliced and glued onto glass, which generate electricity when the sun shines on them). Solar thermal panels
are made up of three different parts: a solar thermal collector; a fluid system to move heat from the
collector to its point of use; and a tank for heat storage. 7

The following are pictures of solar thermal panels and photovoltaic panels.

Image of solar thermal panel removed for Image of photovoltaic panels removed for
copyright reasons copyright reasons

(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link]
energy/Solar+Thermal/
[Link] 1

In order to determine the number of solar panels your house will need, you need to determine the amount
of kilowatt-hours your house/household uses a day. This is done by looking at your electric bill and
dividing your monthly kWh measured by the number of days in the billing cycle or you can also look at
your year-end kWh usage and divide by 365 (the number of days in a year). 8

The pictures below demonstrate how Photovoltaic Panels function and what they look like.

Image of photovoltaic panels removed for Image of photovoltaic panels removed for
copyright reasons copyright reasons

(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link] 1 [Link] 1

Light Tubes: Solar light tubes are an excellent way to bring natural light into dark areas of a house. Light
tubes collect light from all directions through a vault/dome on the roof, and then bounce it through a
reflective tube into a room below. The light tube shines through a diffuser. Light tubes can provide bright
light not only during sunny days, but can also produce light during cloudy days as well as can extend
through attics and even around obstacles to get light where you need it; therefore I believe that this is an
efficient way to have light in the rooms needed in my house. 9

7 Pantiel, Mindy. "Aiming for Zero: How to Build a Zero-Carbon Home." Natural Home & Garden. Feb. 2009. Web. 27 May 2012.
[Link]
8 Miller, Nathaniel. "How to Calculate How Many Solar Power Panels Are Needed for a Whole House." EHow. Demand Media, 25 Mar. 2009.
Web. 17 June 2012. [Link]

9 "Reviews Lighting, Renewable Energy Solar Light Tubes." Solar Light Tube Recommendations and Reviews. 2012. Web. 27 May 2012.
[Link] light tubes

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 Example 2: Student work

Heat Exchange System: Heat exchange systems cover a range of different technologies, but work with a
goal being to take heat from the earth, bodies of water, or straight from the air, raise its temperature, and
use it to heat your home. A heat pump is a simple concept where heat exchange takes place. How heat
pumps work is air is taken from an exterior source and compressed, causing for the temperature to rise.
Once the temperature has been increased, the heat is siphoned (liquid is transferred from one container to
another through a tube using atmospheric pressure, which allows it to make it flow), for heating purposes.
Since the air has now had the heat extracted, it is sent around the loop again to repeat the process. There
are three different types of heat pumps, these are: ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, and
exhaust air heat pumps. The following explains how each of these heat pumps function:

1. Air Source Heat Pump: functions by extracting its heat directly from the air in order to heat or cool a
home. One of the problems with air source heat pumps is its ability to work in a cool climate, as it is
taking the exterior air, and heating it; however, it can operate as low as 20°C (-4°F); therefore this
will not be a problem for Bermuda’s climate as it is mostly warm, and generally does not go lower
than 50°C. Air and water heat pumps make heating a home and hot water much cheaper and are
environmentally friendly. By improving naturally occurring energy from the air outside to heat a
home and/or hot water, it allows there to be less CO2 releases compared to the burning fossil fuels
being used today as a heating system for homes.

2. Ground Source Heat Pumps: is a system that extracts heat from the ground, upgrades it to a higher
temperature and releases it where required for space and water heating. Ground source heat pumps
begin with pipe work buried in the soil, which can be laid in a horizontal loop or vertically in a drilled
borehole (a deep hole drilled into the ground to help release or extract water/oil). How Ground Source
Heat Pumps function is by using the warmth which builds up underground from different seasons of
the year and using a heat pump, it captures and upgrades the naturally occurring warmth, during the
seasons in the year it can heat or cool the house as well as provide enough energy to maintain a
comfortable indoor temperature. Installing a ground source heat pump can lead to a reduction in
energy consumption of up to 80%. The reason for this is that a ground source heat pump uses the
ground and surface soil as its main energy source.

3. Exhaust Air Heat Pumps: allows there to be fresh air supplied to the house through cleanable outside
vent holes. The air overflow occurs under the door or through the overflow vent holes. The warm air
inside is drawn into the ventilation system. Warm exhaust air is supplied to the heat pump for heat
recovery. When the inside air has passed through the heat pump the discharge air is released into the
open air. Before this, the heat pump has extracted sufficient energy from the exhaust air to produce
hot water. Exhaust Air Heat Pumps allow there to be ventilation in the house. In every building there
is a certain amount of ventilation, for example, air coming through windows and doors. Controlled
domestic ventilation can be used in both low-energy and older houses. In low-energy houses, the
controlled ventilation system guarantees the required air exchange rate, even with the doors and
windows; however because money has to be taken into account when building a house, my house will
contain lots of windows in order for there to be a good amount of ventilation in my house as I do not
think it is necessary for me to spend money on an exhaust Air/ Ventilation pump or system. Also,
because the Air Source Heat pump like the Exhaust Air Heat Pump also heats water, I do not need to
spend money on two different pumps which produce the same amount of water/ does the same thing.
10

10 "Renewable Energy Solutions: Heat Exchange Systems-Fleming Homes Timber Frame Scotland." Renewable Energy Solutions : Heat
Exchange Systems. N.p., 29 Sept. 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2012.
[Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

The following are pictures that show how the Ground Source and Exhausted Air Source heat pumps
work:

Image of ground source heat pump Image of Exhausted Air Source Heat
removed for copyright reasons Pump Photovoltaic panels removed for
copyright reasons
(Source outlined below)
(Source outlined below)
[Link] 1
[Link]

Energy Saving Building, Materials, Products:

Products, which save energy, are11:

-Side Wall Insulation and Siding

-Energy Efficient Windows and Doors

-Attic Insulation

- Roofing

The following are different energy saving tips/ products, which will help energy loss and will help make
the house efficient.

1. Foundation: If you have a small amount of space under your home, energy can become a problem;
therefore by installing a crawl space vapor barrier, it will close the space, allowing for the heating and
cooling products and installations to work to be more efficient/ work better. Also with this plastic
vapor wall, a dehumidifier, and a crawlspace door, it will prevent the home from containing mold,
mildew, rodents and energy loss.

2. Covering: Plywood, OSB Radiant Barrier and paneled siding are examples of structural coverings
used for roofs, walls and floors in order to prevent radiation energy from entering a house, resulting in
keeping the building cooler. 12

11 "Energy Loss Solutions." Energy Saving Building Products: Modern Builders Supply. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. [Link]
[Link]

All of the information above comes from this source.

12 Nguyen, ThienVinh. "Energy-Efficient Building Materials For Your Home." The Huffington Post. [Link], 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 27 May

2012. [Link]

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3. Insulation: Insulation provides homes with thermal protection, which keeps it warm and cool,
depending on the season. Penetrations (entering or leaving of air) in your home's walls, ceilings, roof
and floors cause significant air loss, which can cause a large percentage of the home’s heating and
cooling system's to loose energy; therefore it is important to seal penetrations in homes.

The following pictures are of crawl space vapor barrier insulation and an OSB Radiant Barrier covered
house.

Image of crawl space vapor barrier Image of OSB Radiant Barrier covered
insulation removed for copyright reasons house removed for copyright reasons

(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link]
[Link] [Link]
repair/[Link]

Image of crawl space vapor barrier Image of crawl space vapor barrier
insulation removed for copyright reasons insulation removed for copyright reasons

(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

The following picture shows the different energy saving products and names of brands which sell these
products, in order to help resolve energy loss:

Image removed for copyright reasons

(Source outlined below)

[Link]

The diagram below also shows which places in the house loose the most heat.

Image removed for copyright reasons

(Source outlined below)

Energy Efficient Windows and Doors:

Windows and doors are key components that make up a home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Windows
that are responsible for a large percentage of the wasted energy in homes and buildings are not good
windows. In the winter, windows can leak heat or block too many of the sun's warming rays; therefore
because of this we burn more fuel and pay higher bills. In summer, poorly performing windows let cool
air escape and fail to reflect outdoor heat. Today, windows and doors are far more energy-efficient than
those of even 10 years ago. Energy-efficient windows and doors can save you up to 15 to 25 percent on
your monthly heating and cooling bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Today, there are now windows with multiple glass layers that contain special coatings on the glass, in
order to reflect sunlight and ultraviolet rays without dimming the view. Inbetween these layers are gases
which are injected between panes, in order to create an extra insulation. 13

All of the information above comes from this source:

13 "ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS." Energy Efficient Windows and Doors. N.p., 2012. Web. 17 June 2012. [Link]
features/energy-efficient/

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 Example 2: Student work

The following are pictures of Energy Efficient windows and doors:

Image of energy efficient windows

removed for copyright reasons
Image of energy efficient windows and
doors removed for copyright reasons
(Source outlined below)
(Source outlined below)

[Link]
energy-efficient-windows [Link]

Hurricane Shutters: “Hurricane shutters are the most reasonably priced and efficient solution for most
houses as they serve to protect windows from the storm, using their strong durable material. Hurricane-
proof glass is also useful; however unlike the shutters, they are permanent. The shutters can be removed
from your windows once the hurricane has passed; therefore not changing anything” 14. This is a feature,
which is particularly important when designing a house in Bermuda due to our geographical and
meteorological implications. Based on averages Bermuda is hit by Hurricanes and adverse weather
approx. every 7 years, therefore Hurricane shutters could be considered imperative.

Sketch up Tutorials: The following are three different sketch up tutorials from YouTube which I find
very helpful. I will be using these tutorials to guide me if I decide to use this software:

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

The first video is of a person explaining how to build a simple house. The second video is of someone
building a house, but without sound, the third one is of someone building a second floor of a house on
Google Sketch up, and lastly the fourth is someone adding molding details to a house which was
constructed beforehand on Google Sketch up. Each of the houses being shown in each of the videos are
different; therefore they will help me when I will need to use this software to build a house, as I can use
the different building tips which each of the videos contain.

The information above comes from this source:

14 "Hurricane Shutter Guide: Compare Types, Calculate Costs-South Florida [Link]." Hurricane Shutter Guide: Compare Types,
Calculate Costs. N.p., 31 Aug. 2012. Web. 8 Sept. 2012. [Link]

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Pro Desktop (An Alternative to Google Sketch up): The following are tutorials for Pro Desktop, which
is a program/software, which is similar to Google sketch up only Pro Desktop; however it does not have
the tool in which you can enlarge shapes; therefore instead you must adjust them using the tool presets.15

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

The first video is of a person explaining the basics on how to use Pro desktop. The second video explains
how to build a 3D cube shape using the software. The third video explains how to textruize or how to
change the color of your creation/ product using Pro Desktop. The last video (fourth) demonstrates how to
assemble and put different objects/ parts together using Pro Desktop. In this specific video it shows you
how to assemble the different parts of a chair.

Developing Ideas
Below are the design specifications required to complete the project and designs.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create an ecologically friendly house using environmentally
sound products, which contains zero Carbon foot, and is no larger than ¼ acre in size. By doing this, I
will be helping to spread awareness on how we have the technology and knowledge today to build eco-
friendly houses, to live in with the purpose of saving and helping our environment. By completing this
project, I will hopefully be encouraging people to use natural energies and resources, which are
economically friendly, instead of harsh products and supplies, which are harming our environment. An
example of this is solar panel energy as opposed to burning fossil fuels.

Aesthetics: The house will be based here in Bermuda; however for this specific project, we have not been
given any guidelines on what the house needs to look like; therefore we are free to reign over the
appearance of the structure we are designing/creating. As a result, I would like my house to look modern
and antique, as well as aesthetically pleasing. I would also like my structure to be strong, in order for it to
withstand hurricanes and other natural disasters, which often occur in Bermuda.

Functional Target Audiences:

 The primary target audience for this project is the client we are building the house for; therefore
this would be the people working in the environmental office in Bermuda.
 The secondary target audience would be the people living in Bermuda (Bermudan residences)
whom would maybe want to rent or buy the house we are designing.
 The tertiary target audience would be the respective bios for the property within Bermuda/
environmental organizations.

Characteristics: The house which I will design serves to help the environment, as I will make it out of
environmentally sound products which are nor harmful to the environment. From the research that I have
carried out the house will have the following characteristics:

15 "Program Like Google Sketch Up?" Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. [Link]

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 Example 2: Student work

 I will be using a heat exchange system, which will be based on a ground source system. I have
investigated the different types of heat exchange systems and I believe that the ground source one
will be best suited to my designs.
 The roof of the house will be fitted with photovoltaic solar panels that will help to produce energy
required to run the household. The heat exchange system will help to heat or cool the house in
the summer and winter months.
 Light tubes will be installed to help light the house - this will in turn reduce the load for the
electrcity and provides a free light source. If there is any unused electricty this will be redirected
back into the Bermudian national grid for profit.
 The house will incorporate sidewall insulation and siding and attic insulation.
 All designs will incorporate energy efficient windows and doors to ensure minimal heat and
energy loss during the colder months whilst helping to cool the house during the hotter months.
 Since fresh water reserves are low in Bermuda the roof will be built using a stepped design,
which will allow for efficient collection of water. The water will filter down the limewashed roof
and will collect in the water tank situate under the house. The water can then be pumped round
the house using the elctricity collected via the panels.

Safety: I would ensure the house and the building regulations to be safe. I will also consider the fact that
Bermuda is subtropical island; therefore during the months of June-November (when we will be working
on this project and building/creating the eco-friendly house) is hurricane weather; therefore I will need to
make sure my building will be able to withstand this weather. I will ensure that house is fitted with
hurricane shutters, as the island can be prone to strong winds, tropical storms and hurricane force surges.
The windows are made to withsatnd these forces and storms however the shutters are still needed.

Scale of Production: I will design one ecologically friendly house, for Bermuda, which will be no larger
than ¼ of acre in size. I will try to scale the design to ensure a final product of quality.

Time and Resources: This project will take approximately 9 weeks to complete. The software/
resources, which I will be using in this project, will consist of the following:

 Microsoft Word (to write up the project),

 From my research I will be using Sketchup - this is the best software for me to use as I have used this
software in projects in other years through my time in the IB.
 Internet Explorer (to research materials and about economically friendly materials and products being
used to build houses).

Please note that for all three designs, the houses will contain solar panels on the roof as well as light
tubes, in order for the light and energy being produced from the panels, to be able to travel to the different
rooms, where the renewable energy is needed. Also, the three houses will include installation in order to
provide this home with thermal protection (to keep in warm or cool depending on the season). They will
contain energy efficient windows and doors, and coverings used for roofs, walls and floors in order to
prevent radiation energy from entering a house, resulting in keeping the building cooler. The houses will
also have hurricane shutters, which are removable; therefore they can be installed when a hurricane is
forecast. The house will also contain an exhaust heat pump to warm water for showers.

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 Example 2: Student work

Design 1:

Pros:

- The house is modern as well as aesthetically pleasing

- The house contains a guest room with two twin beds, as well as a king bed; therefore up to 4
people could live comfortably in the house.
- The guest room contains two twin beds; therefore if the person purchasing this house has a
family, there is room for two children in one room.
- The house contains 3 bathrooms (1 with a sink and toilet, and the other two with a shower and 1
with shower as well as a bath).
- There are two different ways which you can leave and enter the house (just in case of an
emergency)
- The house is no larger than ¼ of an acre in size.
- The house has a renewable energy source (solar panels) as well as a light tube, in order for the
energy to travel into different rooms where needed.
- During the day, this house will be able to use natural light to see as it contains lots of windows,
which are energy efficient. This is helpful because all houses generally lose heat through their
windows. But energy-efficient glazing windows allow for your house to keep warmer, and also
helps to reducing your energy bills (significant for cool weather in Bermuda, during winter time,
as people generally spend a lot of money on heaters). And the house will also contain curtains, for
the summer, just in case the house becomes too hot. Having a lot of windows provides a good
amount of ventilation in the house.
- The house also hurricane shutters for protection.

Cons:

- There are three bathrooms as opposed to two; therefore the house will need to produce more
energy (which will be produced by the solar panels).
- There is a lot of excess space which is not needed.
- This house is depending on one type of renewable energy (solar panels) which will produce
energy for light and heat up water.
- The guest room contains two twin beds as opposed to a king size bed; therefore if a couple
visits the person owning the house, they will have to sleep in separate beds.

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 Example 2: Student work

Design 2:

Pros:

- The house contains two rooms, which could fit 4 people comfortably. (Two king beds).
- The house in modern and aesthetically pleasing.
- The house contains 1 bathroom; therefore compared to Design 1, Design 2 will need to produce
less energy for bathroom use.
- The house is no larger than ¼ on an acre in size.
- The house functions on renewable energy (solar panels) as well as a light tube, in order for the
energy to travel into different rooms where needed.
- The house contains windows which will provide good ventilation.
- During the day, this house will be able to use natural light to see as it contains windows, which
are energy efficient (which also helps to reducing your energy bills)
- And the house will also contain curtains, for the summer just in case the house becomes too hot.
- The house also contains hurricane shutters to protect itself from hurricanes which occur in
Bermuda through June-November.

Cons:

- The house contains two TVs as opposed to 1; therefore this house will depend on more energy
for cable usage, which is, for pleasure and is less important than bathroom usage, and other
needs (which Design 1 is depending on the extra energy for).
- Design 2 only contains one bathroom; therefore if a guest visits, the owner of the house will
have to share a bathroom with the guest (which could be inconvenient).
- There is only one entrance to the house/ one way to exit the house; therefore this could be
dangerous if an emergency (for example a fire) occurs in the house.
- The guest bedroom contains a king bed; therefore generally only one or two guests can visit this
house at a time, and there would not be room for a family which has two children to live
comfortably, unless the children are willing to share a bed.

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 Example 2: Student work

Design 3:

Pros:

- The house contains two rooms which could fit 4 people comfortably. (Two king beds).
- The house in modern and aesthetically pleasing.
- The house is no larger than ¼ on an acre in size.
- The house functions on renewable energy (solar panels) as well as a light tube, in order for the
energy to travel into different rooms where needed.
- The house contains windows which will provide good ventilation.
- During the day, this house will be able to use some natural light to see as the house contains some
windows, which are energy efficient (which also helps to reducing your energy bills).
- Because this house does not contain a lot of windows, heat will not be a big problem during the
summer; therefore curtains will not be needed as the house will not become too hot.
- The house contains 2 bathrooms (one for each room).
- The house contains hurricane shutters for protection.

Cons:

- The house does not contain lots of windows; therefore this house will not have good ventilation
unless an Air/ Ventilation pump or system is installed (which will cost money).
- There is only one entrance to the house/ one way to exit the house; therefore this could be
dangerous if an emergency (for example a fire) occurs in the house.
- The guest bedroom contains a king bed; therefore generally only one guest can visit this house at
a time, and there would not be room for a family which has two children to live comfortably,
unless the children are willing to share a bed.
- The house contains 3 TVs; therefore this house will depend on more energy for cable usage
which is for pleasure and is less important than bathroom usage, and other needs.
- The room with the pink sofa is the guest room. The only way to enter or exit this room is through
the kitchen. This is not a welcoming or convenient way to get to a room.

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 Example 2: Student work

Evaluating My 3 Designs against the Design Specification

Chosen Design: Design 1

Reason for Choice:

The house design, which I have chosen for this project, is Design 1, shown above. The reason I chose this
design is because compared to the others, this design seems to be the house which contains the best lay
out, contains the most and best environmentally sound products/ arrangements, and is the nicest, most
comfortable, and most convenient house for a person or family to live in. One of the key components of
this project is that we have to create an environmentally friendly house which contains a zero carbon
footprint; therefore the best environmentally sound products which this house contains are:

1. This house contains solar panels on the roof. On average throughout the year, up to 70% of a house’s
hot water requirement can be provided by solar powered energy. My house will contain a Ground
source heat pump, which will keep the house warm and cool during different seasons of the year,

Design Specification Design 1 Design 2 Design 3

Purpose √ √ √

Aesthetics √ √ √

Functional Characteristics √ √ √

Safety √ √ √

Scale Production √ √ √

Time and Resources √ √ √

Intended Audience √ √ √

when the temperature changes; This house will contain two different types of solar panels; these are
solar thermal panels and Photovoltaic Panels. Solar Thermal Panels are primarily used to heat water,
while photovoltaic panels are used to produce electricity for the home.
2. In order for this electricity to travel to the rooms needed around the house (ex: bathroom, kitchen,
living room for cable etc.) this house will contain light tubes which allow the energy being produced
from the panels, to travel to the different rooms, where the renewable energy is needed.
3. This house is made up of installation in order to provide this home with thermal protection (to keep in
warm or cool depending on the season).
4. The windows and doors are energy efficient (meaning that there will be less loss of heat through
windows as energy-efficient glazing windows allow for your house to keep warmer, and also helps to
reducing your energy bills (significant for cool weather in Bermuda, during winter time, as people
generally spend a lot of money on heaters). It functions by having the windows in the house double –
glazed, with two sheets of glass which contain a gap between them normally 16cm gap), which will
create an insulating barrier that keeps heat in.
5. This house also contains coverings used for roofs, walls and floors in order to prevent radiation
energy from entering a house, resulting in keeping the building cooler.

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6. The house contains many windows which will allow there to be healthy, good ventilation inside the
house.
7. The house also contains hurricane shutters to protect the windows and doors from the bad weather
which occurs in Bermuda between June-November.
8. During the day, this house will be able to use natural light to see as it contains lots of windows, which
are energy efficient (this will save power).

Because of all these reasons, I believe Design 1 is the best house design for a well functioning, zero
carbon, and economically friendly house.

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Creating the Solution

In this stage I will be creating a plan to guide me through the process creating the solution. The first step I
will do is identify the tasks which need to be completed for the project, and set a due date and start time
for the project, this will be displayed in a table. I will then use this information to create a GANTT chart.
If I have made any modifications to my design I will identify them as and explain the reasons for the
changes.

Key
Task 1 Open software (Google Sketch up).
Become familiar with Google Sketch up by playing around with the
software as well as looking at tutorials on YouTube.
Task 2

Task 3 Create chosen design using Google Sketch up.

Task 4 Create 3D Walkthrough for Evaluation
Task 5 Transfer Completion to Word Document.
Task 6 Print and Collect
Task 7 Test Product
Task 8 Evaluate Design Cycle.

Tasks Duration Start Date End Date

Task 1 1 25/09/2014 26/09/2014
Task 2 5 25/09/2014 30/09/2014
Task 3 28 02/10/2014 30/10/2014
Task 4 4 30/10/2014 03/11/2014
Task 5 1 04/11/2014 05/11/2014
Task 6 1 05/11/2014 06/11/2014
Task 7 1 06/11/2014 07/11/2014
Task 8 2 07/11/2014 09/11/2014

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GANTT chart:

GANTT Chart for Planned tasks

Date Range
9/25/14 10/1/14 10/8/14 10/14/14 10/21/14 10/27/14 11/3/14 11/9/14 11/16/14

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4
Tasks
Task 5

Task 6

Task 7

Task 8

Materials needed to create final product:

 Computer (for Sketch up, to type up the Word Document and Evaluate).
 Sketch up software (to create house on).
 Printer (to print out my finishes house/ design in order to test my product).

I have not made any changes to my design; therefore this is not applicable/ necessary for me to do.
Overall I feel I have planned for the successful completion of the project. I have made sure that it does not
go over the due date, but instead insured that my last task finished a day earlier than needed, that way I
have time to go back and fix the areas which need more work. I plan to follow this timetable, in order to
finish on time. I have also realized that for my final product I will need to use Audacity to record the
voiceover, as well as Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 to create my 3D walkthrough, as well as my voice
over together at the end.

Process Journal:

Friday September 28th

Today was my first day using Google sketch up. I spent my double period in tech class playing around
with the software, trying to familiarize myself with the tools, in preparation for when it came time to build
my house. I also watched a few tutorial videos which the software provides, and followed them using the
software. These tutorials taught me how to use the rectangle tool, the push/pull tool, it taught me how to
create walls for a house, and also how to move and rotate objects. I think this lesson was very productive,

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as I am slowly finding Google Sketch up easier to use. I think that after one more class of familiarizing
myself with this software, I will be ready to begin building my house.

Tuesday October 2nd

Like last lesson, today I continued familiarizing myself with the Google sketch up software and tools.
Today I focused on learning how to measure objects, in order to insure that when it comes time to do my
house, I am doing everything to scale. I watched a tutorial provided my Google sketch up which taught
me how to use the measuring tool (which lines up everything, so that when you use the pencil, you know
exactly where to draw). This helped my work be more accurate and precise. Next lesson I will begin
creating my design.

Friday October 5th

Today was my first day working on my design. I began by opening up my word document, in order to
follow my design and make sure that I am drawing everything correctly. I was able to draw the base of
my house, the majority of the rooms, and my garden. During the lesson, I was having some trouble
drawing the walls, as every time I tried doing this, the length of my house would shift; therefore I referred
to the Google sketch up tutorials it comes with, and they gave me some guidance on how to avoid this
from happening. He explained to me that you must first draw a rectangle on the space where I would like
a wall to be placed. Then using the push pull tool, you pull the rectangle outwards to where you would
like it to end, and make sure that you adjust the thickness of the wall. After showed me how to do this,
this process became easier.

Also, note that I have made changes to my design.

My house no longer has a bathroom in the corner of
the living room, as I do not think it makes sense, and
by having an extra bathroom the house will need
more electricity; therefore I changed my design by
taking this out; therefore in my evaluation I will need
to mention this.

My goal is to continue working on my house this

weekend, and maybe begin to put some furniture in as
well as create a tank at the bottom.

The following are pictures of what I completed during

my double period of Design.

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Sunday October 7th

Today I began putting furniture in my house. Last class, a few of my classmates figured out that Google
sketch up provides furniture which you can put into your house; therefore I decided to do so. Using my
design, I began choosing and placing furniture where I had said it would go. The following is a picture of
my house furnished (note I was not able to do the kitchen so I will finish that next class).

Also I was able to create a tank for my house, but

next class I will continue working on this, put in the pumps, add water to my tank, and maybe put one
more tank in my house too.

Tuesday October 9th

Today I spent my technology lesson trying to build the roof of my house. Because for my 3D walk
through (which I will be making after I am finished making my house) I need to be able to see the rooms
and the inside of the house, I decided to only do a roof on half of the house, so you can see the rest;
however for my normal building it would be fully covered. I tried creating my roof by using and
following different Google sketch up videos on YouTube, and in the end after watching a few different
videos, I found the follow me tool, for the inside layer of the house, in order to show that the rainwater

would travel from there to my pump. The

following picture is the completed half roof on my house which I finished this lesson.

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Saturday October 13th Today I worked on building my solar panels and I also built the water system on
the roof, which allows rain water to travel to the pump. I went on windows components and found the two
different types of solar panels I had said I would like my house to include in my design. These two solar
panels were the solar thermal panels and Photovoltaic Panels. Solar Thermal Panels are primarily used to
heat water, while photovoltaic panels are used to produce electricity for the home. I also finished
furnishing my house (specifically the kitchen which was the last room I needed to furnish.

The following is a picture of the progress I made. The first solar panel is the Photovoltaic Panel (the
dark/black panel), and the second solar is the
Solar Thermal Panel (the navy blue solar panel).

My goal for next class is to implement my

windows and doors into my house and begin
thinking of how I will incorporate the light
tubes into my house.

Tuesday October 16th

Today I began implementing the doors and windows to my house, by going on window components and
finding different styles which fit with my design (for example modern doors as it fits the aspects in my
design specification, as I mentioned I wanted my house to be modern and be strong enough to withstand
strong weather.) I also implemented the light tubes into my house. The following are pictures of the
progress I made in the lesson.

Also, during this lesson I adjusted the

design of my water tank in order to make it
look like it is holding water. The following
is a picture of the bottom part of my house,
where my tank is located. The first picture
is what my tank looked like before, and the
second are the changes I have made to it.

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Monday October 23rd

Today I continued with implementing doors and windows into my house. The following are pictures of
the rest of the doors and windows I incorporated into my house.

I also went back to my research stage of my

investigation to refer to the Exhaust Air System, which I
need to incorporate into my design. The following are pictures of Exhaust pipes which should help me
design my pipe system.

Image exhaust pipes removed for Image of exhaust pipes removed for
copyright reasons copyright reasons
(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link]
[Link]

ntilation/basics/types_of_ventilation

The heat system is going to take me longer than all the other environmentally sound products I have
incorporated thus far; therefore I am going to focus on finishing my windows and doors, and then spend
time on my pump system.

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Wednesday October 24th

In order to show what would happen to my windows in my house, in order to protect them from
hurricanes (even though they already have hurricane proof glass); I spent sometime today covering one of
the windows with a hurricane shutter. The following screenshot shows this window and what the shutters
would look like.

Most of the excess space is in the living/ dining area of the house; however the rooms also have room to
store supplies and other important materials also.

Friday October 26th

One of the last components that my house needs to contain is the Ground source heat pump (like I
mentioned earlier). I am planning to spend a few days working on this pump system. I will then do the
finishing touches on my house, in preparation for my 3D walkthrough as well as the voice over
explaining each component of my house. The finishing touches of the house include:

1. Finish furnishing the kitchen

2. Think about painting the outside of the house a different color (optional)
3. Think about incorporating any other environmentally sound product which I researched in my
investigation.
4. Do a final check to make sure that I included everything.

Today I began working on my Ground Source heat pump and the following are pictures that helped me
decide how I was going to do this process.

Image of ground floor heat pump Image of ground floor heat pump
removed for copyright reasons removed for copyright reasons

(Source outlined below) (Source outlined below)

[Link]
[Link]
[Link] [Link]

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After studying these pictures, I realized that the heat pump is either in the house under the floor layer of
the house, or is underground, but under the floor layer of the house. Because I didn’t focus on working on
my pump system earlier, I didn’t think about designing my house, so that you can see under floor layer of
the house, or making my house so that some of it lies underground; however at this point it is too late to
do so; therefore I need to find an alternative to this, which will still allow my ground source pump to
function properly. In order for my ground system to function properly, I have decided to place the Heat
pump underneath the living room, and I will have a large tile which can be lifted in order to access the
heat pump (which will be placed in an underground room bellow house. By doing this, it will make it
easy to access, especially during bad weather etc., and will not interfere with the living style of the house
and will not be unappealing to the house, as it can be covered with a rug. Also, the pipes are still
underground; therefore allowing this system to still function.

The following are pictures of my progress/ what I completed today which is my ground source heat pump.
Note in the picture, that in the middle of the living room/ hangout room of my house, a large portion of
my floor is missing. This is where the large removable tile will be located, however it is currently not in
place, so this is what it would look like when trying to access the pipes if there is a problem with the
pump system.

The arrow is pointing to the Ground Source Heat Pump system, which is located bellow the house. Note
that the pipes would normally be in a loop system to exchange the cool water to hot and hot to cool,
but due to limited amount of time, I arranged the piped in a parallel style which would not be the
case, as the heat exchange would not occur.

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My Ground Source heat pump is based on the following diagram. Notice that they don’t look exactly like
the diagram because Sketch up does not allow you to loop
Image of crawl space vapor barrier
pipes as it takes too long; therefore I attached pipes in
insulation removed for copyright reasons
order to give an idea of what it would look like.

Note that I took the picture from the opposite direction, (Source outlined below)
compared to the diagram bellow.
[Link]
[Link]

Saturday October 27th

Today I worked on completing the finishing touches of my house. This included furnishing the kitchen,
and taking a look at my design, in order to insure that I didn’t miss any components that I had said my
house would consist of. The pictures below are of my completed house.

Design changes & reasoning

Along with creating my house, I made a few minor changes to my design. The following are the changed
I made.

1. I removed the little bathroom I was going to have in the corner of my living room as I thought it was
taking up space and it was going to need more energy.
2. I added a window to the first bathroom on the right of the front entrance. In my design I hadn’t put a
window, but I decided to place one in the bathroom too as I believe the more natural light, the better;
that way we are saving electricity (because if there was no window, when using the bathroom, you
would be depending on electricity to see as opposed to natural light).
3. The third change I made was putting one large window as opposed to two small windows in the
second bathroom. I figured that sine I made all the windows big in the house, I wanted to keep it
consistent; therefore this decision was based on appearance; however because most of the windows
are the same size apart from one or two, this will make it easier when buying the shutters, and when
they need to go up if bad weather occurs.

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I put a window
where the arrow is
located in order to
There is only one have natural light.
window as
opposed to two in
this bathroom This bathroom no
located where the longer exists.
arrow is placed.

Monday October 29th

Today I began working on the scenes of my house 3D walkthrough. In order to be prepared to do this, I
made a layout of the order I wanted my scenes to be in. The following is my layout:

Scene 1: View of House

Scene 2: Energy- Efficient windows

Scene 3: Show Energy- Efficient Door

Scene 4: Solar Panels

Scene 5: Coverings (specifically on roof, which is located under the paint, but you cannot see it).

Scene 6: Water System on roof (gathering rain water which then travels to the tank).

Scene 7: The tank

Scene 8: Ground Source Heat System

Scene 9: Insulation under roof.

Scene 10: Light Tubes

Scene 11: Show the living room.

Scene 12: zoom in on the carpet to show that underneath in the tile which can be lifted to access the
ground source heats pump.

Scene 13: Bathroom 1

Scene 14: Bedroom 1

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Scene 15: Bedroom 2

Scene 16: Bathroom 2

Scene 17: zoom in on bathroom hurricane shutters.

Scene 18: Show view of shutters from the outside

Scene 19: Go back to living room to show the excess space the living room has to store the shutters when
not in use.

Scene 20: Kitchen.

Scene 21: go back to the entire view of the house (like scene 1).

Now that I have finished my outline, I will begin making my scenes. This process was very simple and
straight forward, so it took me only about 15 minutes to complete.

Friday November 2nd

Today I decided to write out the script for my voice over, in order to prepare what I will be saying for
each scene. By doing this, it will prevent me from stuttering throughout my voice over, and will help me
make sure that I am including all the information I need to discuss about my house. The following is my
script:

Scene 1 - View of House: The following is the outside view of my Environmentally Friendly house,
which contains a zero carbon footprint. This 3D walkthrough will discuss all the environmentally sound
products it contains, and will explain the reason they have been implemented inside the house.

Scene 2 - Energy Efficient windows: The windows are energy efficient (meaning that there will be less
loss of heat through windows as energy-efficient glazing windows allow for your house to keep warmer,
and also helps to reducing your energy bills (significant for cool weather in Bermuda, during winter time,
as people generally spend a lot of money on heaters). It functions by having the windows in the house
double –glazed, with two sheets of glass which contain a gap between them normally 16cm gap), which
will create an insulating barrier that keeps heat in. The house also contains many windows, which will
allow there to be healthy, good ventilation inside the house. During the day, this house will be able to use
natural light to see as it contains lots of windows, which are energy efficient (this will save power).

Scene 3 - Show Energy Efficient Door: Like the windows, the doors are also energy efficient in order
for there to be less loss of heat.

Scene 4 - Solar Panels: This house contains solar panels on the roof. On average throughout the year, up
to 70% of a house’s hot water requirement can be provided by solar powered energy; therefore the people
in this house need to understand that 30% of the time, they will not have hot water (which can be during
the summer when the temperature outside is hot etc.) This house contains two different types of solar
panels; these are solar thermal panels and Photovoltaic Panels. Solar Thermal Panels are primarily used to
heat water, while photovoltaic panels are used to produce electricity for the home.

Scene 5 - Coverings (specifically on roof, which is located under the paint, but you cannot see it):
This house also contains coverings used for roofs, walls and floors in order to prevent radiation energy
from entering a house, resulting in keeping the building cooler. Because of the paint which I used on the
roof, you are unable to see the coverings, but they would normally be located right underneath the roof.

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Scene 6 - Water System on roof (gathering rain water which then travels to the tank): This is my
Water System on the roof, which enables me to gather rain water, which then falls into the last hole,
travelling into my tank. This type of water system is used on Bermuda houses.

Scene 7 - The tank: This is my house tank. The rainwater travels inside my tank. Because my house only
contains one floor, I decided to include only one tank as opposed to two, as not as much water is needed
for a two bedroom and bathroom house.

Scene 8 - Ground Source Heat System: My house will also contain a Ground source heat pump, which
will keep the house warm and cool during different seasons of the year, when the temperature changes. It
is located in a separate room bellow the house, underneath the middle of the living room so that if it needs
to be accessed, you can lift the tile underneath the carpet in the living room to find the Ground Source
Heat pump. This is convenient just in case there is an problem with the pump, it is easily accessible, and
because you can access it from the inside of the house, if the weather is bad outside, you do not need to
leave the house and will be sheltered.

Scene 9 - Insulation under roof: This house is made up of installation in order to provide this home with
thermal protection (to keep in warm or cool depending on the season). Installation is located in higher part
of the house. The reason why the installation does not continue is to make sure you can see the living
room, and the rest of the rooms in the house, but in a normally it would go across. This installation is
made out of sheep wool; therefore it is an environmentally friendly material, as opposed to being made
from something dangerous.

Scene 10 - Light Tubes: In order for the electricity produced from the solar panels to travel to the rooms
needed around the house (ex: bathroom, kitchen, living room for cable etc.) this house will contain light
tubes which allow the energy being produced from the panels, to travel to the different rooms, where the
renewable energy is needed. These light tubes will be going through the installation inside the roof, into
the ceiling of each of the rooms.

Scene 11 - Show the living room: This is the living room of the house. Notice that there is a lot of room.
This was designed on purpose in order for there to be a lot of storage space for other furniture and
ecofriendly matters such as hurricane shutters, which need to be stored inside the house, when not in use.

Scene 12: zoom in on the carpet to show that underneath in the tile, which can be lifted to access, the
ground source heats pump.

Scene 13 - Bathroom 1: This is one of the two bathrooms that the house contains (specifically designed
so that each person in the room has their own bathroom. There are two doors in the bathroom, so that if a
guest needs to use the restroom, they can access it on the right of the entrance. Notice that in this
bathroom as well as the rest of this side of the house, there is no wall. This was done purposely in order to
show the inside cavity of the wall, where the water passes in order to go to the tank, as well as to show
where some of the installation is hidden/found in the walls.

Scene 14 - Bedroom 1: This is one of the two bedrooms of the house. This bedroom has only one bed.

Scene 15 - Bedroom 2: This is the second bedroom. The house contains a guest room with two twin
beds, as well as a king bed; therefore up to 4 people could live comfortably in the house, and there is
more room in the bedroom where more beds can fit. This room was purposely made with two twin beds;
just in case the person purchasing this house has a family, there is room for two children in one room.

Scene 16 - Bathroom 2: This is the second bathroom to the house. This bathroom belongs to the people
living in the twin bed room.

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Scene 17 - zoom in on bathroom hurricane shutters: Notice that in this bathroom there are shutters on
the window. This is in order to display what the hurricane shutters would look like, if they were in use.
This house will contain hurricane shutters to protect the windows and doors from the bad weather which
occurs in Bermuda between June-November, but when not in use, they will be stored somewhere in the
living room.

Scene 18 - Show view of shutters from the outside

Scene 19: Go back to living room to show the excess space the living room has to store the shutters when
not in use.

Scene 20 - Kitchen: This is the house kitchen.

Scene 21: go back to the entire view of the house (like scene 1).

Sunday November 4th

Today I did my voice over for my

sketch up 3D walkthrough. In order
to do this I printed out my script so
I could read from it as I was
recording, and I also downloaded
Audacity, where I would be
recording my audio. This took
about approximately an hour to
perfect as I kept messing up, and it
took me about 15 minutes to get the
hang of it, as well as to do a few
practice runs. Tomorrow I will be
going through and making sure my scenes are long enough for my recording..

Tuesday November 6th

Today I went through my walkthrough and increased the time on each scene. I then tried playing my
voiceover at the same time as my scenes and it turned out that the time was not completely right; which
meant I had to re-do my voiceover in order to ensure that when I
spoke it was talking about the right component. This worked out
pretty well, however there are long pauses in between each
component; therefore when I combine my voice over and scenes
using software called Microsoft Expression Encoder 4, I will try
to play around with this, and maybe do some editing in between.
The image above is a print screen from sketch up. In order to
change the delay of the screen you go to view, animation, and
then settings and this box comes up, which allows you to
increase or decrease the scene delay.

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Wednesday November 7th

Today I tried putting together my scenes and my voice over using Microsoft Expression Encoder 4. I tried
to edit the audacity and walkthrough together as best as I could for the first 6 minutes or so of the video,
but I found that afterwards the final few minutes of the track got jumbled up; therefore tomorrow I need
to re-do the last few minutes of my voiceover, in order to try and get the voice over and walkthrough in
time as best as I can. However, with the program, I was able to cut down/crop the long pauses between
each component to a smaller amount of time. After I get this done, I will need to then splice the finishing
touches and the end voiceover together, in order to finish the video. The images below are screen grabs of
my video so far.

Thursday November 8th Today I recorded the last few minutes of my voice over all over again, using my
script, and then I was able to put together and fix the last few minutes of my video, in order to be in time
with the rest of my video. The delays / pauses between each component now are more or less 30 seconds.

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Evaluation
For this project, we had to follow the design cycle, in order to achieve and create a successful
economically friendly house, a 3D walkthrough of our house, and a voice over explaining the components
of our house. The purpose of this project was to spread awareness on how our living style today is
affecting the environment in a number of different ways. An example which I used in my investigation of
this was how the energy sources we are using and depending on today to power our homes, is affecting
our environment as these sources are coming from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas,
which are all harming our environment. Therefore the purpose of this project was to help us come up with
ideas on ways of how today we are capable of living in an environmental friendly home, which is one
method we can use in order to prevent pollution and global warming from occurring.

The first stage of this project was the Inquiring & Analysis stage. For this stage I had to do the following:

 Identify the problem that I was aiming to resolve.

 Develop a design brief (consisting of an aim/objectives of this project)
 Formulate a design brief (consisting of the target audience, purpose, ascetics, etc.)
 Research. This component consisted of two parts, Part one focused on researching how sketch up
works (tutorials on how to use the program) and other house or model building programs that I
may consider for the production of my chosen design. Part 2 looked into researching different
economically sound products, which I could implicate into my designs to make it more
ecofriendly (ex: solar panels, light tubes etc.).

Overall I am happy with the progress I made in the Investigation stage of the design cycle. I believe that I
did a thorough job researching different economically sound products and components, which I could
incorporate into my house, in order to help make it more economically friendly. I also believe I found
useful tutorials which I also used at the beginning of the create stage, when I was trying to familiarize
myself with the program, as the tutorials I found consisted of the basics of Google Sketch up. However
because the tutorials which I chose consisted of the basics such as creating shapes, when it came to
learning how to do more complicated things such as building a roof or a room, these tutorials weren’t
helpful; therefore if I were to do this project again, I would make sure that I chose a variety of tutorials
which will help me when it comes to creating my house, in order to prevent me from wasting time
looking for tutorials to watch and help me.

One of the things I found helpful about my investigation stage, during my creation stage is that I chose
and decided on all the ecofriendly products and components which I knew I was going to use ahead of
time; therefore when it came to creating my house, it made the create stage much easier for me as I knew
what I was going to implicate to make my house effective and environmentally friendly. Consequently,
believe I did a worthy job completing a clear and good design specification and brief in order to later test
my progression/product against.

The following is the evaluation of my project against my design brief and design specification:

Design Brief: Overall I believe I did a good job in meeting the aims/goals and objectives for my overall
finished product. My environmentally friendly house was made out of environmentally sound products
and contained a zero carbon footprint. I wasn’t able to talk to construction workers and builders in
Bermuda, but I was able to get feedback from two scientists who study these types of material and aware
of these technologies being used today. as well as are current residents in Bermuda; therefore they were
able to give me their opinion on my house, whether or not it could be used in Bermuda.

Target Audiences: I believe that my finished product fit well with the target audiences which I chose for
this project.

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Design Specification

Purpose: I believe that my house spread awareness on the technology and knowledge we have to build
eco-friendly houses as one of the comments in my video from my dad Nicolas Papadopoulo, was that
from watching my video he learned about the many technologies we have today, specifically the ground
source heat pump. I think it also encouraged people to use natural energies and supplies, because by
creating an environmentally friendly house, I was able to prove that it is possible to do.

Aesthetics: I believe that my house is fairly modern and aesthetically pleasing, and Mrs. B who also gave
me feedback also stated this. I also believe my house is strong as it can withstand hurricanes and natural
disasters (represented through the Hurricane shutters which will protect the windows and doors).

Functional Characteristics: I believe that my house helps the environment as it includes

environmentally sound products, which are not harmful to the environment. My building did contain a
heating system (the ground source heat pump), a renewable energy (solar powered energy), and was well
sheltered as well as a well running and efficient house.

Safety: My house and building regulations were safe, as it considered that Bermuda is a subtropical
island and that hurricane occur; therefore my house contains hurricane shutters to protect the windows.
Also, if there is a problem with the heating system you do not need to go outside to access it; therefore it
also takes the weather into consideration.

Scale of Production: My house is no larger than 1/4 of an acre in size.

Time and Resources: Along with these software’s, I also used Audacity to record my voice over and
Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 in order to combine my walkthrough and voice over into one video.
However, that being said, I also used Google Sketch up, Microsoft Word, and Internet Explorer.

Intended Audience: My house fits well with my intended audience.

Overall I feel that I did a good job on the Inquiry & Analysis stage. I feel that my information was very
well laid out and addressed; therefore if I had to look back, it was easy to find, use, and follow.

The second stage of the design cycle was Developing Ideas. For this stage we had to do the following:

 Create a range of different designs following our design brief, design specification, and while also
making sure that they met the requirements of the project (using floor planner).
 After creating and designing our houses, we had to identify the pros and cons for each.
 From the house designs I created I chose a final design and explained why I have made this
decision.

I believe that each design was appropriate and fit my design brief and specification, as well as fit the
requirements for this project. Also when it came to choosing my final design, I believe I did a good job in
listing and identifying the pros and cons of each, as I feel that when it came time to choose I was aware of
the good and bad parts which each design contained. This made the deciding process easier as I had to
look at all the pros and cons, and from there I decided. I still believe that my final decision/ the design I
chose was the best decision and I am happy I chose that design at the time. Overall this stage was
straightforward and I did not have any problems.

The third step for the design cycle was the Creating the solution stage that consisted of the following:

 Introduction of stage and identification of the steps required to complete the project.
 The creation of a GANT chart.

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 List the Materials needed to create the product

 Create the Solution from my chosen design & complete a Process Journal

I had some difficulty trying to create a GANT chart, as the last time we had done this was at the end of
M4. I believe that this was one of the most challenging stages in the design cycle, apart from the actual
creation of the design.

One of the reasons why I find planning useful is because it helps set out what you need to do for the
creation of the product. I would refer to the two tables as a checklist, in order to ensure that I was
completing everything needed in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the project.

Although I wasn’t on time for each due date I had set for each task due to technical difficulties which I
experienced on Sketch up as well as when creating my 3D walkthrough, voice over, and my combined
video on Microsoft Expression Encoder 4, I was still able to meet the requirements for the work and
complete it on time; therefore this was not a problem for me.

The next part was to actually create the design I had chosen. This part was the longest out of all the stages
as it consisted of many long steps, hours of dedication, as well as playing around with different tools, and
trying to make sure that your house followed your design. One way to do this project, which I found
really useful, was breaking it up into steps. I began with the base of the house (consisting of the floor, the
garden space, the rooms), and from there I progressed into beginning to put furniture in my house,
implement doors, solar panels, etc. By doing this, I set a goal each class, and made sure that I wasn’t
forgetting anything or that I wasn’t wasting time, so overall I feel like I used my time wisely for this
project.

One of the hardest parts in this stage was towards the end, when I had to implement my pump system
(one of the main reasons why I left it to the very end, as I knew it was going to take a lot of time), but
when I got to this stage, I had wished I would have begun with the pump system). I originally was going
to do an Exhaust Air system, but after studying different pictures of this system, I realized it was going to
be too complicated to create; therefore I switched to the Ground Source Heat Pump that was a little
simpler. After studying different pictures, I realized that the heat pump was either in the house under the
floor layer of the house, or was underground (under the floor layer of the house); therefore, because I
didn’t focus on working on my pump system earlier, I didn’t think about designing my house any of these
ways, so that you can see under floor layer of the house, or making my house so that some of it lies
underground, so it was too late for me to do this. Therefore, as an alternative I have decided to place the
Heat pump underneath the living room, in a little room, which could be accessed if the tile was lifted,
hidden underneath a carpet. However, if I were to do this project again I would begin with the heat pump
in order to create a section underneath the ground, as this would help with the foundation of the house
also, in order to prevent it from becoming blown away also, and by doing this,, it would have made
creating the heat pump process a lot easier. With that being said, overall I was happy with the alternative I
had come up with, as it did not interfere with the living style of the house, and it still functioned, but in a
unique way.

After I finished my house I needed to create a 3D walkthrough and a voiceover to go with it, explaining
each component of the house, and why they were important. I believe that these two steps were
straightforward, and were not too complicated. However, when I had to put both of these parts together
using Microsoft Expression Encoder 4, I found myself redoing or editing the work I had though I
finished, in order to make sure that the voice over and the walkthrough were on time. This took me a few
days as I had to play around with time, and I had to make sure that when I was talking about the solar
panels, I wasn’t talking about the living room and so on, which took a lot of tweaking, re-recording, and
fixing.

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 Example 2: Student work

Also, when I was recording my voice over, it took me about 15 minutes to become familiar with the
software and to practice recording myself, as I needed to find the right speed to talk in, and also tryed to
avoid as many interruptions as possible such as “umms, and uhhh”.

Apart from a few up and downs along the way, overall I am very happy with the progress I have made in
this stage, compared to all the other stages of the project, as this was the most challenging and time-
consuming stage of the entire project, in my opinion. I believe that my design was extremely helpful
when creating this project, as I referred to it every time I worked on my house, in order to get everything
right, and overall I am happy with my finished result.

I believe that my final product fit my target audience/ the intended user that I identified at the beginning
of this project. The intended audience for this project is the client who we are building the eco-friendly
structure for. These are the people working in the environmental office in Bermuda as well as the people
in Bermuda whom might purchase or rent this house.

The last part of the design cycle was the Evaluation stage. This is a crucial part of the design cycle
because it gives you the opportunity to reflect on your mistakes, in order to make room for improvement,
in order to make your product/ create better and to learn from your mistakes in order to do better in the
next project.

In order to evaluate the success of my product I gathered feedback from two teachers at my school who
are also residents in Bermuda at the moment (Mrs. B- who has lots of experience with science, and Mrs.
K- one of the two science teachers at my school), and then I also received feedback from my parents. The
following is the feedback they gave me at the end of this stage:

Mrs. B: “I think your house is a reasonable size and is aesthetically pleasing. I think your house is a good
size for a family, as you have two rooms, two bathrooms, and the overall house is well shaped. I like how
your design left certain aspects exposed, so we could look into the cavity of the walls and roof. Your
overall house is very well done however I think you should have also paid attention to smaller details
such as environmentally friendly paint, and whether you could find a use for the runoff water from the
shower and sink, in order to water your garden etc. because by doing this, you would prevent chemicals
from washing into the sink. Also, at the beginning I was a little worried because your house is so well
insulated that overheating during the summer might be a problem in Bermuda; however that being said, I
think you made a good decision in picking the ground source heat pump, as it is a reversible pump;
therefore functioning to keep the house cool or warm when needed, so overheating is not a problem. In
the video, you mention how due to Solar Panels only being able to produce 70% of the house’s hot water,
the people living in this house will need to take into consideration that 30% of the time they will not have
hot water; however I think that instead of this, you could have said that people would need to take shorter
showers, in order to not run out of hot water as quickly, as this might turn away potential buyers of the
house. I was also impressed with the shutters and how you thought of space for storing important
supplies. Overall, well done”

Mrs.K“ I did not know what a ground source heat system was, and it would have been nice to include an
explanation of what it is in the narration, but other than that well done”.

Mom: “After watching your video which explains the ecofriendly components you have included, one of
the things which stood out to me was the windows as electricity is very expensive in Bermuda, and by
having natural light, you will save energy. This also applies to your renewable energy, which is natural
(solar powered energy). I also like the heating system that you have; I think it is unique as fits well with
the structure of your house, as it is reversible (produce hot or cold air) depending on the season. And
because we have such bad weather in Bermuda, during hurricane season as well as during the wintertime,
the location of your heat pump is very convenient, as you do not have to leave the house to access it.

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Although you have included many environmentally sound products and components inside your house,
one area that I think you should have included at least one or two components is the kitchen, as this is an
important aspect of the house. However, because you have done a good job in choosing components for
the rest of this house, this does not bother me, or take away from your overall product. It shows that you
dedicated a lot of time to this project”.

Dad: “Through watching your video, I have learned about some environmentally friendly components/
technologies which are available for houses today, such as the Ground Source Heat Pump. Some of the
other ecofriendly features such as the energy efficient windows have been used for quite a while now and
I know are very effective, so I am glad you incorporated them into your house. Also, as far as the use for
the solar panels, I do not like the fact that the house does not have heated water 30% of the time, and I
believe that this is one of the cons to your house. I would have used a system where if solar panels don’t
produce electricity; you can use an alternative energy source. However, that being said overall I really
like the house design and how you thought about the layout. Nice work”.

This feedback was very helpful as everyone stated the pros and cons for my work; therefore they all
clearly pointed out the areas of improvement in my work, which is what I would fix if I were to do this
project again (for example, the house not being able to produce water 30% of the time, a concern which
came up in most of my feedback). Also, from gathering feedback, I was able to learn and find out which
parts of my house were stronger; therefore I am overall very pleased with the results from the testing of
my product and know which areas need improvement. With hindsight I think that I could have improved
the testing of the product by asking more “professionals” to evaluate it - perhaps I could have taken the
final design to an architecture firm in Bermuda or even asked members of the wider school community.

I am happy with the critical feedback I got from Mrs. K, Mrs. B, and my parents, and overall I am happy
with the work I have achieved. If I were to do this project again, I would make a few changes to my
project based on their feedback.

Impact on Society: By completing this project and creating an environmentally friendly house, I have
tried to model a better future for society today, by showing people and individuals that we are capable of
creating environmentally friendly houses with the knowledge and technology, which exists in the world
today. This will help alleviate pollution, global warming, and other threats from which our earth is
suffering. This house does not use fossil fuels, but uses renewable energy (solar energy) and is a fully
functioning house. The impact on society is that it shows people that we are capable of living in an
environmentally friendly house without sacrificing aesthetic value. In addition, it can be shown that an
ecofriendly house can be adapted to suit a unique climate such as Bermuda’s, while retaining all the
essential features to minimize the impact on its surroundings.

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