SUSTAINABLE HOUSE LR
THIS SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE EMBODIES OUR EFFORTS OF SEEKING A SUSTAINABLE CONCEPT AND DESIGN. THE PROJECT EXPLORES SIMULTANEOUSLY MULTIPLE WAYS OF REDUCING CONSUMPTION OF RAW MATERIALS AND ENERGY, BOTH DURING THE BUILD AND DURING OPERATION.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES – FORM FOLLOWS ENERGY
FORM AND BUILDING ORIENTATION. ARE DESIGNED IN ORDER TO MAXIMISE THE USE OF NATURAL DAYLIGHT AND SOUTH ORIENTATION. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE CHOSEN SPECIFIC SITE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE VOLUME WAS ON THE UPPER PART OF THE PROPERTY, WITH GREAT VIEWS OVER THE ENTIRE FOREST, AND THE PLAIN BELOW.
USE OF LARGE SOUTH FACING WINDOWS AND CURTAIN WALLS ALLOW SOLAR GAINS IN WINTER-TIME AND HEAT STORAGE IN THERMAL MASS FLOORS AND WALLS AND REDUCED NORTH FACING WINDOWS SIZE CONTROL HEAT LOSS.
MINIMUM IMPACT OVER THE SITE. TRYING NOT TO MODIFY/CUT IN THE TERRAIN CURVES, LEAVING EVERYTHING AS NATURAL AS WE CAN AND KEEPING THE FAVORABLE ORIENTATION ALSO, THE LONG AND MASSIVE VOLUME HAD TO BE CUT OUT IN 3 MAJOR AREAS. THE 2 LATERAL WINGS ARE SLIGHTLY ROTATED FROM THE CENTRAL WING AXE AND DETACHED, YET IN THE SAME TIME CONNECTED TO THE LATTER BY 2 STONE TOWERS THAT MARK THE ROTATION. ALSO THE INSIDE-OUTSIDE TRANSITION IS VERY SUBTLE, ACHIEVED MOSTLY THROUGH SMALL STONE OR WOOD TERRACES OR EVEN DIRECTLY TO THE GRASS.
DURABILITY. THE USE OF RAW MATERIALS OF NATURAL ORIGIN, UNPROCESSED, THAT HAVE A VERY LONG USE AND POST-USE, REUSE AND RECYCLING LIFE AND LOW EMBODIED-ENERGY IN MANUFACTURING PROVIDES DURABILITY AND A LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT (WOOD STRUCTURE, LOG WALLS, WOOD SIDING, ALUMINUM FRAMES, NATURAL STONE, GRAVEL, CELLULOSE AND WOOD-BASED INSULATIONS)
CONTRASTING TECTONICS. BY USING BOTH DIFFERENT AND CONTRASTING MATERIALS (WIDE GLAZING SURFACES, SLENDER GLUE-LAMINATED TIMBER STRUCTURE OPPOSITE TO MASSIVE, HEIGHT AND HEAVY LOG WALLS AND STONE TOWERS) THE OPTIMUM RATIO BETWEEN LIGHTNESS-HEAVINESS IS ACHIEVED. THE SPACE EXPERIENCED FROM THE INSIDE APPEARS LIGHTWEIGHT AND WIDE OPEN, TRYING TO BRING THE NATURE INSIDE, WHILE FROM THE OUTSIDE IT APPEARS SOLID AND STEADY, GROUND-BOUNDED, AS IF IT WAS RAISED FROM THE NATURE.
