Design observations

I have been long looking at houses where ever I end up being and observing the design choices and problems them bring.

Since they might be useful for others as well, I will try to write them down here.

In Abkhazia:
- Building on the lowest spot on the property in a place with lots of rain. House floods every time.

In Morocco:
- Having four rooms surrounding a central garden (called Riad). Very nice.
- Filling said open space with concrete. Why???
- Trees and trellises close to the outer walls so cats can get in over the roof. Not great when eating meat or fish.
- Water run-off that does not lead into the garden. Waste of precious water.
- Thick walls made from clay. Great thermal battery.
- A thin, poorly insulated roof. Heat gets in through the roof.
- Metal roof over the terrace. Who needs a pan for frying eggs?

- Metal roof over the terrace. Who needs a pan for frying eggs?

Whilst I accept that in Morocco building has been occurring for 1000's of years.
To wipe off metal roofing wholesale, may not be a good idea.
If you have a want for metal roofing it does not need to be a fry pan.
With good design, use of insulation and a double 'safari roof' a metal roof can be very cool simply matching the ambient air temperature.

Then, if it actually rains you can capture it easily.

Sebastian, I understand these are your observations.

In Morraco a metal roof might not be good.

Here in the US and maybe even in Canada, metal roofs are good for several reasons.

The biggest being that they can be used for rainwater catchment.

That might be a good lesson for Morocco.

https://permies.com/wiki/51855/Rainwater-Harvesting-Drylands-Brad-Lancaster

This is my first metal roof though I have had metal patio covers and carports.

I think the metal roofs just need a new coat of reflective paint.
Now it is like sitting under a really powerful infrared radiator.

EDIT: Yes rainwater catchment is something that needs to happen here.
But first it needs a place to store the water.

John C Daley wrote:Whilst I accept that in Morocco building has been occurring for 1000's of years.
To wipe off metal roofing wholesale, may not be a good idea.

I have seen roofs made from clay (and I guess a bit of cement or lime) that are in fairly good shape, are used for rainwater collection and are cool.

Hi, Sebastian.

I think there are three kind of bad desings:
1. An oversight. That's when the designer forgot to consider something due to the lack of time, or expertise.
2. A compromise. That's when you know what you are doing is not ideal, but you don't have the resources to make it better. For example, building a thin wall without isolation because you can't pay the good wall, and then overpaying electricity bills.
3. A collateral effect. Even the most carefully designed house will have something that doesn't work ideally, but making fixes to this feature will make it worse other features. For example, having a tree for shade makes wonders for climatisation, but allows for cats to wander inside, and trying to block the pass to cats will only make climatisation worse.


Sadly, most of the wrong designs I notice fit in point 1, usually by unprofessional people, or by companies trying to make fast money.

Observed in north Germany:
There are lots of mosquitos coming in through the window at ground level.
But none are coming through the one 8m above ground.

Abraham: Yes every decision is a compromise of some kind.