R3project round-up 1: General Installations Around the House.

The R3project is almost complete; the renovation of the apartment is finished and we are living in it with our worms on the balcony, recycling and saving on energy and water wherever we can, without loosing comfort or style. In the following months we will finish this blog with a few round-up posts to give a better overview of the sustainable design solutions we applied to our apartment. This article is about the general installations around the house. The next ones will include the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, office and balcony. We hope you enjoy it.

MOVING HOUSE
The general stuff around the house are mostly things you cannot see any more, but that play an important role when it comes to sustainable living. We started the R3project off with an eco-move, where we brought our stuff into the new apartment without emitting CO2. How? With a bicycle and a little help from our friends, watch the video here.

GETTING AN ETHICAL MORTGAGE
The month before the move, we were shopping for mortgages, and managed to get a loan with the ethical banc Triodos Bank. They guarantee that they only give money to ecological, social or ethical projects. We like that!

RECYCLING DEBRIS
Next we had to get rid of a few sacks of debris, and found out that Sacos Marones recycle the debris. It’s a great service widely available in Spain.

WATER INSTALLATION
In order to avoid PVC in our home, we had to look harder to find recyclable plastic pipes for the grey water installation. In the end we used the tubing system by AquaTherm, which is easy to install with ordinary tools, and, copper pipes for the fresh water and heating installation. The Jaga radiators we chose are ‘low H2O’, which means they also need less energy to run (because there is less water to heat). To heat our water we use a condensation gas boiler. What we really recommend, even without undergoing a full renovation, are low-flow faucet aerator. They cost around 3€ and save you up to 50% water. Depending on what flushing system your toilet has, you can also save a lot of water. We opted for a ‘Stop Flush system’.

ELECTRIC INSTALLATION
Just like for the water pipes, we managed to find PVC-free plastic tubes for the electricity. We used recyclable corrugated polypropylene tubes that are also organochloride and halogen free. Connected to the end of those are of course CLF lightbulbs and A-efficient electric appliances. We even managed to find eco-friendly plugs made form recyclable plastic, and light switches, made in Spain from certified wood.

PAINTS AND WOOD FINISHES
Our walls are painted with zero-VOC paint, and the wooden beams and balcony doors are treated with ecological and natural oils.

INSULATION
In order to keep heating costs down and keep the apartment cool without installing air conditioning, we made sure the place is completely insulated. Double-glazing was a must, and the cork floor an extra bonus to both thermally and acoustically insulate the apartment.

More:
R3project round-up 1: General Installations at Home
R3project round-up 2: the Kitchen

Big day for Triodos, big day for us!

This morning, Triodos Bank celebrated the opening of their second branch in Spain, after Madrid, in Barcelona. An informative organic breakfast was called upon where the press was received by the general director, Esteban Barroso and the director of Catalonia, Joan Antoni Melé.

It is not without pride that we can tell you that they finished just on time to make it down to the solicitors and sign with us the mortgage for our flat! We archived an ethical mortgage thanks to Triodes who took time to listen to what the R3project really is about and who decided to collaborate with us. Thank you Isabel, Esteban and Joan. We now have the key and the flat is ours, let’s make it happen.

Triodos Bank is a pioneering force in the world of sustainable banking.
It aims to help achieve a more decent, dignified and kinder society and a world that respects people, the environment and different cultures.
Triodos Bank finances companies, institutions and projects that add cultural value and benefit people and the environment, with the support of depositors and investors who want to encourage the development of socially responsible and innovative business.
Triodos Bank's approach takes account of people, planet and profit to deliver a positive return over the long term. This social, ethical and financial approach is expressed in the Triodos name itself. Triodos - 'tri hodos' - is translated from the Greek as 'three-way approach'.
In essence, Triodos Bank aims to offer its customers both sustainable financial services and products and a good service. [From Triodos]

Buying the Flat, Getting a Mortgage & Starting to Go Eco

We found this flat in November last year and since then it has been quite a fight against the money sharks of the Spanish property market! Prices are high and still rising and the owners are normally estate agencies rather than private owners with a lot more experience than most people in the art of rip-off.
So it happened that the owners of this flat tried to sell it to me with a big fat structural wall right through the middle of it which meant no access to half of the flat without some major building work! I had to get my Spanish man to talk to them as 'pretty blonde female' didn'’t seem to be taken seriously when she said she'’s not going to buy it without a doorway. And oh what a surprise! it worked and this week they are putting the door into the dividing wall. Something to bear in mind when buying a flat is that it'’s easy to follow what others tell you rather than to stop and think. In my case the owner of the flat had a very good connection with a bank. So without thinking twice I went there and they gave me an attractive deal. It was so easy and I felt kind of obligated that I didn'’t even think of who I was going to give my money to. Three months later though this bank realised that the flat doesn'’t have the license (called cédula’ in Spanish) you need by law to live in a flat. I mean how could it have those papers if there isn'’t even a bathroom or kitchen in the flat?! Negotiating started all over again, we came to a new agreement but I wasn't very confident with the bank. Which is why (better late than never) I looked into ethical banking and found Triodos.
Meeting with Triodos in their brand new office was a whole different experience. They actually try to understand the whole project, were interested in who I am and what I do not just to make sure I can pay my bills but because they needed to know where the money goes. Their conditions might not be AS good as those an ordinary bank can offer you but at least you sleep well at night and it'’s certainly about more than Euribor.
All this meant quite a few months waiting with a headache but made time for dreaming up a flat. In the end everything happens for a reason they say and here the reason for me having to wait must have been clearly giving birth to the R3project. The idea was always to make my flat eco-friendly since I am an eco designer, grew up amongst vegetables and cows (thanks mum and dad) and have this passion for greening things. BUT I had my reservations: ‘uh, more expensive?... more time consuming?... can I really do it?'…I thought, well, I can install some solar panels later and use eco-friendly paint but will I research everything from what water tap is the most efficient and which heating system makes the most sense?
So this last month when things started looking more positively and we pretty much had assured the buying of the flat I got my act together and decided to go for a full eco-friendly renovation, and share my experiences with you. You can be as eco as you want but when it comes down to practicality it's often easier to go with the flow which right now is not green. I hope my research will help you though make your home more sustainable.