UK
Trigono UK provides a setting in which urban and rural life can be explored. Using ideas and designs from Greece and the UK, and considering how ecological it is possible to be in a town. The UK does not benefit from the warm greek climate of course, so solar panels are not effective, yet. However, "green ideas" are being developed now that are suitable for UK buildings.
Chronology of Trigono UK
Mid November - and the work planned before purchase has now been completed, except for minor work on the kitchen and the installation of a skylight.
2008
The property was purchsed between October 2007 and February 2008, most time taken up by the preparation of a new lease because the property had been rented out and also a "change of use" permission which had been overlooked on a previous conversion from commercial to residential use.Although it had been dry-lined and decorated, the older part of the building showed signs of damp, the windows and doors were single glazed and the newly installed kitchen already held the odour of damp and mould. With no garden, the small outside area was concrete, though a wall separating the property from the neighbouring one had been painted white along half its length.
Considerations for new work were: Replace doors and windows, check and alter electrical installations, remove the source of mould and damp, brighten the outlook, replace the existing old, ugly, immersion heater and header tank, remove old furniture and add light and cheerfulness by redecorating.
Adding daylight to your home
Adding a skylight is not the only way to lighten your home. Paint manufacturers are getting clever and producing paints that reflect twice as much light as normal paints. White is typically Mediterranean but in Nothern Europe white walls in interiors can look harsh and grey. New homes are being carefully planned to include conservatories, large windows and glazed porches but here is another idea: piped light! . We might associate this with commercial buildings but, for those of us who live with cloudy skies and dull weather, extra light indoors is worth budgeting for. IN Greece of course, windows are deliberately made smaller and shuttered to shield from the sun! At Ithaki, the Lemon Grove building, the extension to the south was built because the interior was otherwise far too hot in Summer.
New Cycles and recycling
Recycling isn't just about rubbish, it's about ideas! In Greece the tourist season will end in September and restaurants will close. People will be checking their olive trees for swelling fruit and fervently hoping for moderate rain but no storms before November picking begins.
In Methoni,as in many country areas throughout the world, most people still look for wood to burn in their stoves as well as an olive crop; and olive oil lamps, using old or inferior quality oil are a great alternative to candles, though not so widely used now as electricity is mostly available.
But what about town dwellers? Rising fuel prices and the pressure to go green are making us all rethink, and at UK Trigono Lamda the plan is to use lessons learnt in Greece. Solar power is an obvious option, but there are easier things to do:
One is to use as much natural daylight as possible by installing a skylight; another is to remove a large immersion heater in favour of instant water heating as need arises. Hot water wasn't "on tap" in the early 20th Century.
If it sounds grim, it needn't be. I'm starting with Dimplex in my quest for economic heating and instant hot water provision. Meanwhile, with an already installed shower with mains water feed, and a cold fill washing machine, (Canadian, New Zealand and European friends have been using cold wash for years), it's simple to boil a kettle for small amounts of water. But how much will I actually save?