Ecological architecture and city-planning ecology are the most intensively developing directions of research, the importance of which is caused by the critical environmental situation and the world’s natural resources depletion. In the meantime development of smart-technologies is of great urgency. Both directions are connected by one of the unique South Ural State University projects.
Scientists of SUSU Institute of Architecture and Construction use smart- and green-technologies in creation of smart houses of the future. This is a modern energy-efficient complex capable of self-sustainment while using alternative power sources. As the activity of sun energy and the wind forces are different in different parts of the country it becomes important today to create such technologies which will improve the efficiency of constructed complexes and will be characterized by the world’s leading developments in the sphere of ecological architecture and city-planning ecology. The work on this direction is being carried out by SUSU Power Engineering Faculty.
“Our aim is to create an autonomous smart house built from the environment-friendly materials and complying with the criteria of green building. It includes design of complexes and buildings with a glance to regional nature and climate factors and creation effective construction materials with the strictly defined index of thermal resistance, vapor- and gas permeability. Accumulation of thermal energy generated by the buildings in the heating season and improving the efficiency of solar batteries and wind power plants at the average wind speed in winter are of great importance as well. At the moment we have a draft of the project. Implementation of green-technologies will become possible after a smart house will be created,” says Director of the Institute of Architecture and Construction Dmitry Ulrikh.
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Smart-technologies provide automated sustainment of a single-family house or a village. They are implemented with the aim of improving the level of comfort and life quality, as well as resources economy such as water and electricity. Moreover, smart-technologies are able to provide smart house dwellers safety. Green-technologies are used in design of living and commercial premises: a botanical garden on the roof of a building, or live plants on a building’s walls for which special conditions are created.
Green-technologies are also used for industrial waste water cleaning of the heavy metals. Water is being treated by means of special water-inhabiting plants — macrophytes. When choosing the plant, the degree of waste water acidity is considered, as well as climate peculiarities (every climate zone matches this or that plant). That is why an artificial environment is being created which allows determining the best conditions for every type of macrophytes. Moreover, green-technologies are used for the treatment of waters which are the sources of drinking water supply.
The uniqueness of Architecture and Construction Institute is that such a smart house will comply with Russian climate conditions. Such peculiarities as absence of a hydro-electric power station nearby, unstable wind, huge temperature swings and significant depth of soil freezing in winter are considered. Moreover, work on power generation by wind plants is being carried out, new construction materials with the raised thermophysical properties are being developed the production of which will be environment friendly.