The B House

Pomeroy Studio, the

award-winning Singapore-based sustainable design firm, has announced the

completion of their pioneering operational carbon-negative home: the B House,

in Singapore.

The home, which is highly

water, energy and waste efficient, offsets the energy requirements of its

occupants through the use of solar energy, and provides surplus energy that

could in the future be fed back into the grid.

The B House employs many

of the passive design techniques used in Singapore’s colonial Black and White

bungalows; and when coupled with modern technology, results in one of the most

sustainable detached modern homes in the region at the same price point as the

neighbouring residential developments.

“The owner of the B House

was keen to push the boundaries of sustainable design for a private commission

of two family bungalows in Bukit Timah, Singapore” said Founding Principal

Prof. Jason Pomeroy, continuing, “the home sought to ensure that the occupants

would never have energy bills again, and greatly reduced water bills. The

challenge therefore was to create a zero carbon house at the same cost of a

bungalow comparable in scale. What started as a carbon zero project would

eventually become a pioneering operational carbon negative house in Singapore”

The house is orientated

and shaped to minimise heat from the East and West sun – reducing solar heat

gain and maximising cross ventilation through the prevailing wind. Airflow is

further facilitated through strategically placed window openings and high

ceilings. North and South façades comprise of low, medium and high-level

windows and shutters that act like a series of valves in a similar fashion to

its historical predecessor.

These can be opened and

closed in multiple configurations to regulate airflow, prevent rain, and

provide shade whilst filtering light during the hottest or wettest seasons.

Daylight penetration is further optimised through shallow floor plates that

permit all habitable rooms to receive 100% natural light.

Verandahs line both wings

of the house, channeling cooler air into the interiors, and the central

Courtyard is strategically placed between the more public formal reception area

and private areas. This ensures that natural light and ventilation percolate

into the interior spaces, and also acts as an outdoor social space.

The design of the house

is modular, allowing pre- fabricated modules to be manufactured off-site,

improving quality and reducing wasteful off-cuts. This pre-fabricated

‘kit-of-parts’ also increased the speed and efficiency of construction by 50%

as compared to a similar sized residential building. Furthermore, materials

with low eco-toxicity and high recyclable content were used throughout, and

water-harvesting equipment with a water saving system forecasted to save up to

465m³ of

water per year. The household energy consumption for a typical family of five

in a ‘normal’ home is estimated at 12,500 kWh per year, while a family of five

in the passively designed B House is estimated to consume approximately 8,000

kWh per year. The 100m² of polycrystalline photovoltaic solar panels on the roof are

expected to generate 16,720 kWh per year, meaning that the B House effectively

acts as power station that provides surplus energy that could be supplied back

into the grid for income generation.

The B House has been

awarded the Building Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum

Award, the highest award for environment-friendly buildings in Singapore.

Story by: Keelan McCafferty