About Efstathios Damtsas
Improving Building Performance could be achieved by:
1) integrating responsive architecture and kinetics into our designs. This could include:
a) Compartmentalising spaces and 'packing away / storing / compacting' areas which are not needed throughout the day and unpacking / expanding them only when needed thus maintaining the internal environment of the enclosed space as it was when last used. Similarly, changing their usage of unnecessary areas throughout the day to give more useful spaces could also be the answer.
b) Dressing the building according to seasons by introducing Arduino systems and sensors thus increasing or reducing the required insulation of the areas accordingly.
c) Rotating rooms to maintain solar gains where required.
d) Introducing Artificial Photosynthesis to buildings located in sunny areas using Nanowire based designs and semiconductors to enhance absorption of light.
Power for all this but also for the running of the dwelling itself could be used by:
2) Renewable resources found locally by introducing wind turbines, solar panels and other means of collecting renewable energy on buildings
3) Human emissions (Thermal, Radiation, Carbon)
4) Recycling Human waste (food, excretions etc.) on site to produce energy for the dwelling
5) Introduce closed loop water systems for buildings to collect rainwater to use for sewage, irrigation and general rainwater harvesting but also for showers by biologically cleaning the water through microorganisms
6) Integrating Smart materials such as:
a) Crystal Clear Solar Cell windows to produce energy from the sun
b) Energy Producing Solar Paint
c) Energy Floors which induce energy through the user's steps (Sustainable floors)
d) Generating Energy by induction through revolving doors
e) For places with little sun and high wind induce energy through building envelope with electromagnetic induction of tile movement
f) Introduce Titanium Dioxide as a finish material to buildings which absorbs Smog.
g) Using sound resonation in walls to electromagnetically induce electricity.
IHBC NewsBlog
IHBC sponsors Gardens Trust event 23-4 Sept 2026
'Learning from the Past, Shaping the Future’ takes place in Milton Keynes
Renovations to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater complete
World Heritage Preserved project opens house for tours again
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust places Hall's Croft on HAR Register
Stratford-upon-Avon home of Shakespeare's daughter is 'At Risk'
Lady Grange’s House repaired on St Kilda
National Trust for Scotland repairs stone cleit with link to famous island resident
Griff Rhys Jones on BBC Radio 4 Today programme
The Victorian Society’s President unveiled its latest Top Ten Endangered Buildings 2026.
Need a MATE? Book your place now.
IHBC offers free webinars on applying for IHBC accreditation (Full & Associate).
UK Stained Glass Repository finds windows new homes
How are stained glass windows are rescued, stored and repurposed?
APPGEBE report sets high aims for quality
'Government must not sacrifice quality in drive to build 1.5m homes'
New measures protect Historic Shipwrecks from heritage crime
Underwater cultural heritage benefits from new HE guidance
How could the City of London skyline look in 6 years' time?
Visualisation shows approved planning applications as completed buildings
National Trust for Scotland calls for VAT cuts
Heritage neglect is encouraged by current policies
IHBC's 'Context' Issue 186 features Industrial Heritage
IHBC's members' journal reports on the challenges of conserving infrastructure
Book now for IHBC Annual School 2026
IHBC Annual School is taking place 18-20 June 2026 in Newcastle
RICHeS Research Infrastructure offers ‘Full Access Fund Call’
RICHeS offers a ‘Help’ webinar on 11 March
Latest IHBC Issue of Context features Roofing
Articles range from slate to pitched roofs, and carbon impact to solar generation to roofscapes
Three reasons not to demolish Edinburgh’s Argyle House
Should 'Edinburgh's ugliest building' be saved?
IHBC’s 2025 Parliamentary Briefing...from Crafts in Crisis to Rubbish Retrofit
IHBC launches research-led ‘5 Commitments to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation’
How RDSAP 10.2 impacts EPC assessments in traditional buildings
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) tell us how energy efficient our buildings are, but the way these certificates are generated has changed.






















