Transcript
Part 4: You will hear a student giving a presentation about houses which are built underground.
Student: First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
Student: Now, listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
Student: For my presentation on ecological environmental planning, I have chosen to talk about how underground housing, or earth-sheltered housing, as it’s more commonly known, can meet the demands of ecological environmental planning, both in terms of building and energy resources, and in terms of sensitivity to the landscape.
Student: Perhaps the greatest merit of this building technique is the low impact it has on the environment, since houses built underground can hardly be seen from the surface.
Student: If earth-sheltered homes are perfect for environmentally sensitive sites, they are also remarkably efficient when it comes to energy use.
Student: This is because this kind of housing makes greater use of alternative technologies to improve energy efficiency, as I shall explain in more detail later.
Student: Many earth-sheltered housing projects use natural, non-toxic resources for building materials, such as rammed earth, which are surprisingly durable.
Student: Some of these houses have a predicted lifespan of 500 years or more.
Student: The extra protection offered by this type of housing means less exposure to the elements, which keeps maintenance to a minimum, as there aren’t any outside walls to paint or gutters to clear, for example.
Student: Living underground also brings the advantage of a quieter environment, eliminating disturbances caused by traffic, an enormous problem these days, and one of the most common reasons for people to consider moving home.
Student: And lastly, despite the misconception that underground houses must be very damp, earth-sheltered housing offers significant health advantages.
Student: The sophistication of the ventilation systems installed in earth-sheltered houses brings enormous benefits to people suffering from asthma and other chest conditions.
Student: I’d like now to turn to the situation in the UK, where, despite all the obvious advantages, earth-sheltered housing still isn’t a popular option for most homeowners, as the statistics prove.
Student: The British Earth Sheltering Association says that people shouldn’t be put off by fears of too much red tape, as it is getting easier to get planning permission.
Student: There is quite a lot of evidence that building development offices are more sympathetic to earth-sheltered projects, especially in conservation areas.
Student: Special consideration has been given to several underground homes on sites where conventional development would not normally be allowed.
Student: And there are hopes that one day, Britain’s coastline will no longer be dominated by mobile homes, and instead, the job of providing this type of accommodation will be done by earth-sheltered housing.
Student: I’d like to finish by looking at two quite different projects.
Student: Mole Manor and the Hockerton Project.
Student: When it was first built, Mole Manor generated international media interest and was voted one of the 12 most desirable places to live in the world in a national newspaper poll.
Student: Hockerton also attracted wide publicity, winning several awards for its innovative environmental design.
Student: As is the case for all earth-sheltered homes, running costs at Mole Manor are substantially lower than for conventional homes.
Student: Because of its effective insulation, its heating bills are approximately 75% lower than for conventional houses.
Student: However, at Hockerton, solar energy, wind power and rain are used to generate enough warmth, electricity, for light and cooking and water for washing and drinking for all the needs of the five families who live there.
Student: Their aim of living a holistic lifestyle in harmony with the environment has been realized.
Student: Hockerton also proves that earth sheltered houses can be built on a modest budget.
Student: Each of the families contributed 80,000 pounds, the cost of an average family house in this area.
Student: Style rather than cost was more of an issue in the design of Mole Manor.
Student: The homely terraced cottage style at Hockerton contrasts with the grandeur and space of Mole Manor, which today is worth over 800,000 pounds.
Student: What projects like Mole Manor and Hockerton demonstrate is that earth sheltered housing can provide comfortable, stylish, eco-friendly homes for a diverse range of needs.
Student: The combination of architecturally sensitive designs with new energy-saving technology satisfies all the criteria for ecological environmental planning.
Student: You now have 45 seconds to check your answers to Part 4.
