Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Room layout separating noisy and quiet zones
Passive
One of 2 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
Arranging the rooms so the busy, noisy spaces such as the kitchen and living room are kept away from the bedrooms, with quiet rooms, cupboards or stairs between them. Distance and buffer rooms do the work that thick walls would otherwise have to do. Bedrooms stay quiet.
Build it
Nothing separate is built here: this is a choice about how the home is designed or used.
Cost
Low
Upkeep
None
Skill to build
None
Lifespan
Matches structure lifespan (a layout/planning choice, not a physical component)
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Room layout separating noisy and quiet zones (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you are planning the layout and want quiet bedrooms at no cost.
Absorptive interior finishes (textiles, wood-fibre panels) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want less echo and less noise between rooms, with things you can add today.
Sources
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Limitations of this page
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.