The 5th year of the Transsolar Academy has ended. The personal projects of all fellows are online now.
Let's go to South Africa this week :
Improved comfort for the South African shack - There's an app for that!
Many people worldwide have limited finances and resources available that ensure good housing environments. In South Africa, Petru’s native country, a big majority of people live in dwellings that are self-made structures. These dwellings offer a very low level of comfort that result in undesirable living conditions. In context such as South Africa temperatures can range from -3 º C to + 45 º which is quite extreme. However, with Petru’s app it is possible to build structures that offer a better level of thermal comfort, even with limited resources. You just need to know how to use different materials efficiently.
Petru aims is to provide this knowledge to the self-builder and those who want to become one. In the face of steadily growing internet availability and widespread smartphones, she packs her knowledge into an app – very modern indeed. This app then generates solutions based on local conditions, available materials as well as the knowledge of the professionals, and ultimately provides instructions for self-builders which enable them to create more sustainable dwellings.