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Is it possible to connect greenhouse with the building?
Hello, I am working on my student theoretical design that is located in moderate European climate. Its a small house, with a greenhouse connected to the south facade. Its a long, horizontal glazing that supposed to handle fuctions like: first entrance (vestibule), winter garden (place to sit), thermal barrier (less heat in summer, more in winter) and some space to grow plants like tomatoes or herbs. I have read your articles about greenhouses and solariums, so its starting to bothering me if this kind of solution will be good in case of air conditioning and if this have a chance to act both as a place to grow plants and extension of some rooms. (kind of like its working in earthips). I am wondering if for better comfort I should separate some fuctions.
Thank you in advance, best regards from Poland
If you saw our articles on how to build a greenhouse in cold climate you may know our thoughts already on why you shouldn't attach a greenhouse to a home in a cold climate, which is not a great idea for energy efficiency and durability since they can add a significant amount of moisture to a home.
We much prefer to see a greenhouse separated from a house, and to instead take advantage of the southern exposure for passive indoor heating. And to be honest, there is pretty much nothing about the Earthship that makes sense for building in cold climates, certainly not the greenhouse portion. You can read an in-depth analysis of the Earthship and learn why they don’t work well here –
Do Earthships work in cold climates?
I would suggest you focus your attention on passive heating, adding the right amount of insulation in the right places, and healthy indoor air quality. We have a free video series in our building guide that covers the construction of a super efficient demonstration house from start to finish, here is the first video in the series that talks about the basic design and home orientation for solar heat gain. I hope that helps with your design project!