Air-conditioning and heating pipes as installed in the conventional home have disappeared in Beijing Fengshang International Apartment Housing. The new environmental-friendly design of this residential compound represents a big change.

According to residential house standards in Europe, the priority in architectural design is to make the interior temperature comfortable for human living via utilizing advanced architectural technology and local climatic conditions. In line with these standards, Beijing Fengshang International Apartment Housing invited experts from Switzerland and Germany to make a holistic and systematic environmental-friendly design with regard to the ceilings, outer walls, windows, heating, refrigeration and ventilation, so that the conventional situation whereby heating and cooling depends on heating and refrigeration equipment is abandoned

The major measures are: the thickness of the outer and interior walls should be more than three times the State standards, the window material is aluminum alloy from Germany and low-radiation glass, while outer sun-shading curtains are installed to promote the heat-proof effect;

Water is recycled to adjust the interior temperature. The PB pipes were installed inside the concrete floor slabs and 28 degree Celsius (82.4 degree Fahrenheit) water in the pipes can provide heat to the house in winter, while 20 degree Celsius (68 degree Fahrenheit) water refrigerates the house in summer. The advantages of this system lies in achieving an even interior temperature, no noise and feeling of wind, no indoor heating pipes allowing increased space utilization, longevity of the system and stable operation requiring little maintenance;

In regarding to the features of air tightness and heat protection quality of the house, a new ventilation system has been adopted. Fresh air can be sent up though the edge of walls in the bedroom and living room, and foul air id emitted though the top of the kitchen and bathroom.

An advanced garbage disposal system keeps rooms clean. A central vacuum cleaner is linked directly to the basement. Food garbage can be disposed of by being pounded in a machine and passed out through the pipe. Other garbage can be collected in a garbage dustbin. Additionally, there are anti-noise and water disposal systems in the residential zone.

Some insiders said such kind of house without heating, air-conditioner, and indoor pipes, but meeting residential qualifications of comfort, cleanliness and quietness, is more in line with the requirements of environmental-friendliness, energy conservation, nature, and comfort. But, because of the high standards in design, materials and decoration, this kind of housing can only be adopted in high-grade apartments at present. Nevertheless, with the increase of people's income and the improvement of living standards, this kind of house is going to be the future trend of housing construction development.

(china.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, July 10, 2002)