Ecological standards

Phaeax House will not only be the very first LEED certified residential building on Corfu, but in Greece. Exciting times… LEED certification signifies the highest levels of commitment to sustainability through ten categories including water preservation, use of local materials, energy efficiency, health and welfare, waste management, management of resources, efficient transportation, sustainable land use, pollution reduction, and use of innovation.

Water preservation

Phaeax House will be built to accommodate the latest innovations in water preservation. This includes systems that limit the flow and pressure of the faucets and kitchen taps, a rainwater collection system and an innovative double drain system that uses this and other grey water in the lavatories rather than the scarce potable water. The rainwater will also be used for the salt water filtrated swimming pool and irrigation system for all the planting on the estate.

Energy efficiency

Biosolar Green Roof - Combining solar panels and green roof.

Phaeax House aims to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate rated A, as established by the regulations of the Technical Building Code in Greece, the highest achieved for this type of villa. This certifies the low CO2 emissions per year of all its facilities, as well as the low consumption of energy resources.This new home will be carefully constructed to make best use of natural light. Glass walls which are designed to take advantage of the views and the Mediterranean climate, also feature energy-efficient, high-performance air chambers with solar control and low emissivity to ensure a high thermal isolation of the entire building. Where needed, high performance lamps, with low energy consumption are used. The air conditioning and heating of the villa is controlled by advanced geothermal technology which takes advantage of the thermal energy generated and stored in the earth to heat and cool the home. This reduces the need for high-cost energy consumption and ensures that pollutants such as coolant are avoided. The villa also uses a digital control system which allows for different temperatures in each room to achieve a thermal balance throughout the home and avoids excessive heating or cooling. This system is also employed to regulate the temperature in the salt water filtrated swimming pool and this in turn provides energy to the system for natural air conditioning.

Phaeax House will also use a highly efficient double flow ventilation system to ensure air quality. This extracts stale air in wet rooms (such as the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room etc) and filters this for use in the dry rooms (living room, dining room, bedrooms etc). This system also has recoveries, which in winter enables the use of calories (hot air) from the extracted air to bring it to the air conditioning system. In the summer the air that enters is cooled by the air recovery, with a recovery capacity of 90%.

Recycling, use of local materials & waste management

Demolition of the current structure was undertaken with the recycling of all materials as much as feasible. Recycling during demolition and construction reduces project waste by 70%. Local and sustainable materials will be used throughout the development and construction phase. An advocate of good environmental practice and a promoter of health & well-being in the home, Phaeax has eliminated any polluting materials that could harm health and the environment and replaced them with those that, like wood have recognised stamps which guarantee good environmental practices. (e.g: all of the wood that will be used will have the following sustainable certificates F.S.C. & P.E.F.C.)

All of the works in the preliminary phase of construction at Phaeax House, as well as during the construction process, is being monitored by an Environmental Control system. The team works closely with an accredited ecologist, as well as accredited companies internationally recognised for their environmental commitment, to analyse the impact of erosion and take the necessary steps to protect this, to best recycle the materials left over from the construction and also to ensure the safe disposal of the more harmful by-products. All the earth extracted on the site has been re-processed and re-used in various forms in the development including the formation of layers of filtering gravels, topsoil for the garden and plant coverings, and limestone in the lining of the walls of terraces and interiors of the villas. The abundance of stone onsite will be re processed and re-used in various forms in the development including the formation of the stone walls and the stone facade for the main building.

Landscaping

Phaeax Estates is committed to using local, native and indigenous planting and adapted plants and the finest natural materials including stone and wood to both respect the environment and deliver on privacy. Ancient olive trees, indigenous cypress, almond trees, and local plants and grasses are prevalent throughout the site, complemented by flowering shrubs and trees known to thrive in the Ionian Islands.

The use of native vegetation ensures integration with the local landscape, carries a considerable saving of water, provides thermal insulation of the villa and provides added habitats to the natural fauna.