RIBA prize winner

[Tennentslager]

I'm not sure what to make of this transformer house...bet the joiners loved him and his pulleys and moving ceilings.

I do like the letterbox though and nice stonework exterior.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/dec/16/house-year-richard-murphy-edinburgh-townhouse-riba-wallace-and-gromit?client=ms-android-htc

Edited December 16, 2016 by Tennentslager

[TheMitchells]

I wasnt too sure about this house but I can see why it won.  It was certainly different and amazingly designed.  I liked the private house in Cumbria which used local stone as well as modern sections and yet it fitted into the Cumbrian town perfectly.  I'd have lived there happily.

[Ferdinand]

I enjoyed the Richard Murphy winning house (didn't know he lived in Edinburgh)m especially the use of a 6m x 11m site.

 

Like the Heath Robinson tracks on the curtain style garage door. It looked eyewateringly expensive to build, though, and not practical when he is 80 not 60. And some intriguing contrasts and comparisons to the Art Museum "Narrow House".

 

There is a full article, including plans, on Arch Daily here:

http://www.archdaily.com/777841/murphy-house-richard-murphy-architects

 

This is what it says about the enviro aspects:

 

Quote

 ...there is a very strong energy agenda in the new house.  The roof consists of photovoltaic cells and substantial south-facing glazing.  Underneath this are mechanised insulated shutters allowing the glass to generate heat when open but preventing it radiating heat when closed.  A computerised internal air circulation system takes warm air from the top of the house to the basement via a gravel rock store to produce a delayed heat source for evening use.  The main heating source for the house is a 150 metres deep ground source borehole connecting to a heat exchanger which feeds under-floor heating. There is no gas in the house. All the major windows to the house have insulated shutters.  Rainwater which follows a course of pools and waterfalls on the roof terrace finds it way to grey-water storage tanks in the basement and is then used to flush toilets.  Those tanks also supply a sprinkler system.  Heat is also extracted from the flue of a log burning stove to pre-heat hot water.

 

As a way of sucking in heat impressed with the mechanical insulated shutters idea. Is Edinburgh less prone to passive overheating?

 

150m deep boreholes for GSHP? Ye Gods the bloke has money...

 

Not sure if insulated shutters add a lot to 3G.

 

Air circulation to a gravel heat store? Simpler than water pipes in a heat store. Super idea if it works.

 

Like the use of water features ending up in grey water. But using it for sprinklers? Sounds like a recipe for full room replacement for a tiny fire due to the mucky water.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited December 17, 2016 by Ferdinand
adjective -> adverb

[daiking]

I wonder how air tight that bath window was?

 

what about wheelchair access ability? As you say bear at 60 but 80? Expect a for sale sign soon and some other poor bugger can delight in the silent transforming mechanisms.

[Ferdinand]

2 hours ago, daiking said:

I wonder how air tight that bath window was?

 

what about wheelchair access ability? As you say bear at 60 but 80? Expect a for sale sign soon and some other poor bugger can delight in the silent transforming mechanisms.

 

Anything but silent :-)

 

Like a lorry tipping its load.

[Nickfromwales]

On 16/12/2016 at 18:52, Ferdinand said:

 

Like the use of water features ending up in grey water. But using it for sprinklers? Sounds like a recipe for full room replacement for a tiny fire due to the mucky water.

 

Ferdinand

 

 I hope they meant irrigation sprinklers  

 

Now.........

 

"A tiny fire"? 

 

Let's have a quick reality check about domestic fire suppression sprinklers, me thinks. . 

 

1) Sprinklers are for saving lives, NOT for saving property. A house can be repaired after a fire, the same cannot be said about you or your loved ones. 

 

2) For a sprinkler head to activate, the fire needs to be fully involved and flash heat / flames need to be at the level of the sprinkler head in order to activate it. For eg opening the door of your roaring real wood burner to stoke it would not set the sprinklers off.

Therefore : there can be no "tiny fire" setting off the dirty water sprinklers and spoiling your "irreplaceable Persian rug", as by the time the sprinklers go off your room would be near total loss already. Ring your insurers instead of the rug doctor .

 

3) There's no flames without smoke.

Your smoke alarms should be screaming by the time flames get to ceiling height, and with such an early warning system you may even have opportunity to extinguish / tackle the fire before it gets out of hand / fully involved.

NOTE : THE ADVICE OF THE FIRE BRIGADE IS "GET OUT AND STAY OUT, THEN GET THE FIRE BRIGADE OUT". Lives first, property second. 

 

4) Modern sprinklers use the cold mains supply as it can't fail under fire condition. I'd be very interested to hear if / how the grey water is stored, SUFFICIENTLY, pressurised, and delivered with no external influence or dependency ( electric supply for one ). These systems need to be dumb and passive, so a giant accumulator must be the very least that they've had to house, integrate, filter and make suitable for water delivery during a power cut.

( If their using as discussed ) :

They've gained ZERO by the embuggeration of using grey water, as it's not water saving until the place burns down! The extra cost of a self charging and self sustaining water storage and delivery system won't ever be justifiable. Bet they didn't mention that ?!?

[Ferdinand]

@Nickfromwales

 

These are excellent points:

Quote

 I hope they meant irrigation sprinklers 

 

Quote

They've gained ZERO by the embuggeration of using grey water, as it's not water saving until the place burns down! The extra cost of a self charging and self sustaining water storage and delivery system won't ever be justifiable. Bet they didn't mention that ?!?

 

Tend to agree that they meant irrigation sprinklers. May be worth a check.

 

Now ... about Fire Sprinklers ... I differ a little on a few details , and would welcome comment. I am not sure that I see a contradiction between Smoke Alarms and Sprinklers.

 

Quote

1) Sprinklers are for saving lives, NOT for saving property. A house can be repaired after a fire, the same cannot be said about you or your loved ones. 

 

AIUI it is for both, since eg Sprinklers are more likely to limit damage to one room, and use approx 10% of the water for a fire that would be used by the Fire Brigade. One difference there is whether the residents have to move out for a couple of months or not - which is a *huge* difference. 

 

If the Sprinkler *does* turn on, you will likely have firefighting in progress much more quickly (see timelines below), due to the need to hear the smoke alarms, evacuate the house, contact the FB, and wait for them to arrive before any water is put on. That would be firefighting in progress perhaps 5-15 minutes earlier. (Average London Fire Brigade response time is about 12 minutes).

 

Quote

2) For a sprinkler head to activate, the fire needs to be fully involved and flash heat / flames need to be at the level of the sprinkler head in order to activate it. For eg opening the door of your roaring real wood burner to stoke it would not set the sprinklers off.

Therefore : there can be no "tiny fire" setting off the dirty water sprinklers and spoiling your "irreplaceable Persian rug", as by the time the sprinklers go off your room would be near total loss already. Ring your insurers instead of the rug doctor .

 

Detection. AIUI Sprinklers are typically set off by Heat Detectors activating at 57-8C and triggering at 65C, compared to the Heat Detecting 'smoke alarm' in your kitchen which will go off at about 58C. So imo they do not need "flames to the ceiling" to trigger.  Agree that "tiny fire" was a bad phrase, but differences in property damage are very relevant if you are faced with 2 months in a hotel or 12 months in a rental.

 

Quote

3) There's no flames without smoke.

Your smoke alarms should be screaming by the time flames get to ceiling height, and with such an early warning system you may even have opportunity to extinguish / tackle the fire before it gets out of hand / fully involved.

NOTE : THE ADVICE OF THE FIRE BRIGADE IS "GET OUT AND STAY OUT, THEN GET THE FIRE BRIGADE OUT". Lives first, property second. 

 

My gas cooker doesn't give off smoke, for example, while it does have flames. And if I am burning toast on it I get smoke without fire as well as flames without smoke. And Lord Knows what sort of dodgy materials we all have in our houses and what they will do.

 

However Smoke Alarms rely on a human component in the alarm chain to fight a fire, and that component might be deaf, or old, or young, or disabled, or on holiday, or even on drugs.

 

Of course, anybody having a sprinkler system in should also have fire alarms. I wouldn't see them as alternatives.

 

The advice of the Fire Brigade is also leaning towards "Install Sprinklers". Norfolk: "It`s like having a firefighter on duty in every room of your house, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week".

 

Quote

4) Modern sprinklers use the cold mains supply as it can't fail under fire condition. I'd be very interested to hear if / how the grey water is stored, SUFFICIENTLY, pressurised, and delivered with no external influence or dependency ( electric supply for one ). These systems need to be dumb and passive, so a giant accumulator must be the very least that they've had to house, integrate, filter and make suitable for water delivery during a power cut.

 

Agree with the comments on grey water.

 

AIUI the spec of a single dwelling domestic sprinkler system is to deliver approx the same amount of water as is carried on a normal Fire Appliance (but all at the heart of the fire and 10 minutes sooner ). The FA carries 1800l, and the Sprinklers are required to have a tank of about 1000 to 1500l and have a dedicated unmetered mains connector of 32mm or 50mm, which delivers (estimate) approx 40l - 100l per minute at normal mains pressure. A singe sprinkler will require approx 50l/minute.

 

Personally in a normal newbuild I would fit sprinklers, and also my normal minimum complement of wired or 10 year battery alarms, which is Heat Alarm in Kitchen, Optical Smoke Alarm in hall, Ionisation Smoke Alarm on landing, and CO Alarms near all gas using appliances. 

 

For me as an LL the issue of people being forced to move out has more impact, as I have to provide alternative accommodation. I did this once for a water leak caused by T leaving water on at stop tap when away in winter, and it was 2 months out and an 8k insurance claim, plus endless time dealing with it.

 

Ref:

BS9251 is the relevant standard, if anyone has access.

Copy here: http://www.fire-sprinkler.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/BS 9251-2005.pdf

Norfolk Fire Brigade advice on sprinklers:

http://www.norfolkfireservice.gov.uk/nfrs/your-safety/guidance/13-your-safety/safety-in-your-home/43-domestic-sprinklers

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited December 18, 2016 by Ferdinand