| If you are building a new home and you want it | | | | be very high during hot summer months, but that |
| to be durable, unique, interesting and supremely | | | | is not the case. Studies of steel houses built in |
| livable, you might want to consider STEEL!The | | | | India revealed that, on average, the steel house |
| concept of a steel house probably seems strange | | | | was one degree cooler in summer than a |
| to most people, but in fact, it is a growing trend, | | | | concrete home.The chief architect of these Indian |
| especially in countries like India, and it should not | | | | steel homes says that is because steel walls are |
| be dismissed out of hand. There are a lot of | | | | smoother than concrete and reflect more light, |
| benefits to a steel house, not the least of which is | | | | and because many of the materials he uses in |
| weather resistance.In some communities in the | | | | designing the steel structure have an aluminum |
| United States condominium and townhouse | | | | coating that increases reflective |
| association halls, and new health care facilities are | | | | capacity.Furthermore, steel sheets are thin so |
| being designed with steel, and the concept of | | | | there is less heat conductive surface. Materials |
| residential steel buildings and homes is being tested | | | | used to insulate the steel home, and the glazing |
| here in the U.S. with good results.Architects | | | | on the windows all help to keep the temperature |
| working on steel home designs say that the idea | | | | down inside the steel house. Windows in a steel |
| may seem radical, but it is no different than living | | | | home are typically large and designed for |
| in a house made of concrete. | | | | optimum cross ventilation.Architectural design |
| You may not be able to hang a picture any place | | | | always includes an appropriate roof pitch to |
| you want or drive a nail into the wall without | | | | reduce solar heat in the room and accommodate |
| some thought and planning, but you can decorate | | | | the angle at which the sun enters the room each |
| a steel home. You just need to limit your wall | | | | day.A year ago, an international architectural |
| hangings to the spot where the steel support | | | | competition spurred interest in steel houses, |
| beams run behind the wallboard.You might think | | | | designed to be usable, and sustainable in any |
| that the temperature inside a steel house would | | | | environment. |