Planting green concepts

Qiu Jizhe sniffs every place he visits.

The environmentalist, who was born to a family of poor Taiwan province farmers, says the habit comes from his understanding of how important animals' dwellings are to their breeding.

"I have a sensitive nose and am very careful about improving a place's environment," the 42-year-old says.

"Most animals - such as cows, ducks and pigs - are warm-blooded and produce heat. The more there are, the hotter they feel. If the temperature is too high, they get sick, lose their appetites and stop growing, which cuts into the profitability of their slaughter."

His innovative solution is a water wall that reduces temperatures while filtering the air, he explains.

"When people feel hot, we tend to turn on an air conditioner, which expels carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming, which is the crisis of human existence. We can use the same eco-friendly methods that help animals to make our lives more comfortable."

Qiu has assisted environmental protection organizations in Taiwan's Taichung since graduating with a master's degree from Taipei University of Technology's architecture department.

He mostly deals in the construction of "ideal green houses".

"An ideal green house is a home that is constructed and operates with the least disruption to land, water and energy resources. The optimum design solution effectively emulates the site's natural systems."

He started innovating in Taichung, in 2007.

"I saw many disadvantages in our community," he says. "We had water leakage problems. People would fall on the slippery courtyard tiles, and the air in every room stank and was dirty. It was a low quality of life."

The couple purposefully sought a cheap apartment with many problems to test their energy-efficient renovations.

It faced westward, and its summer temperature peaked at about 38 degrees when it was 32 degrees outside.

So he successfully experimented with a temperature regulation method of installing another window 10 cm outside of the original.

During hot weather, he can open the inside windows and roll down the blinds. This causes hot air to rise and cool air to fall.

"It allows you to take advantage of passive solar heat," Qiu says.

When installing pine flooring, Qiu found a space in the back of the western wall he filled with fiberglass.

The couple also installed 2-meter-high outdoor air conditioning units on the kitchen balcony, living room, study and downstairs room to draw bad smells out and fresh air in.

When the roof started leaking, Qiu lined it with insulating polystyrene bricks.

"It's like the thermal insulation of refrigerators," he explains.

"Their temperatures are cool inside and aren't outside. It's the thermal insulation that maintains the cold that's inside the fridge that you can't feel if you touch its exterior."

The green building concept changed the couple's quality of life, Qiu says.

"We reinvented our house with good ideas and cheap materials," he says.

"It doesn't look like a luxury home. But it's a cozy nest that's very comfortable and doesn't use much energy or cost much to live in."

He says it took some convincing for his neighbors to agree that many sustainable building practices aren't more expensive than conventional methods.

The community went on to found the Green Comfort Health Association, Taichung's first studio dedicated to sustainable housing renovations.

Qiu's 2009 book Hao Fangzi (Good House) shows how to get started in the green building business.

The book and his work earned him the 2010 Taiwan Environmental Heroes Award from Global Views Monthly.

"I hope to create a green concept in everybody's mind," Qiu says.

"It can be glorified in every workplace, home and occasion."