OpenOffice, Essen, Germany

OpenOffice is an experimental building for the Zeche Zollverein site in Essen / Germany. The aim is to develp an energetically autonomous and infrastructurally independent building.

Tools to achieve energetic autonomy:

• economic building planning with utilization of active and passive methods to improve energy efficiency.

• optimization of the building skin - concerning materials and buildign systems.

• photovoltaic energy gain thourh solar foil.

• thermal solar gains thourh solar ripp collektor.

• fuel cells to generate electricity - the thermal redundance will be used for heating.

Tools to achieve supply autonomy:

• collection and filtration of rain water via the roof-scape.

• installation of a decentralized vacuum deposit system.

The building will state an example, how modular light-weight building methods, can establish sustainable buildings.

Location: Essen
                   Germany

Budget: 500.00 €

Building area: 200 m2

Type: Privat House

A project by: bk2a architecture

Photo Gallery of OpenOffice, Essen, Germany

(Source: archello.com)

Pull House, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 01230 United States

Volumetrically, this residence in Western Massachusetts begins with an existing ranch-home typology. Formally, this typology is sliced and pulled to create a loft area suspended above the first floor living area. The resulting space underneath this loft volume becomes a sunken, semi-private seating area.

The definition between public and private zones in the house is achieved with two organic surfaces that pull apart to create the living and dining areas, and slowly taper back together to create the more private hallway accessing the bedrooms. The overall house is also constructed using sustainable housing principles, utilizing eco-friendly glazing systems, sustainable or recycled finish materials, and energy-efficient lighting systems.

Location: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 01230
                   United States

Building status: built in 2009

Site type: suburban

Building area: 2500 sqft

Type: Residential - Single family residence

A project by: Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design

                         Architecture, Interior

Photo Gallery of Pull House, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 01230 United States

 

(Source: architizer.com)

CASA MARTIN House, Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain

In this house we always fled to make “a nice home”. Beauty is something superficial and, in most cases, false. My obsession in this case was to make a total abstraction (which has nothing to do with minimalism), evoking the same mixed emotions we feel when we see the black monolith in “2001: A Sapce Odyssey”, Stonhenge, or the black smoke in “Lost”(tv serie). No proportion, its geometry is strictly demanded by the internal function. The lower floor, linked to the terrain, and the upper floor resting on it.

The terrain sloping slightly downwards, situating the area of the lounge-office-kitchen below the level of the road. Thanks to an elevated fold towards the road, it is possible to create an artificial skyline thus hiding the dwellings which surround the plot. This part is flexible, organic and open. Over it, a pure black steel parallelepiped, which lodges the rooms. This part is rigid, artificial and closed. The resulting effect is a pure enigmatic piece, which stands on a small artificial hill.

Location: Valdetorres de Jarama
                   Spain

Building status: built in 2010

Type: Residential - Single family residence

Site size: 1080 m2

Building area: 300 m2

Budget total: 350000 USD

A project by: ALT arquitectura

                         Architecture, Interior

Photo Gallery of CASA MARTIN House, Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain

(Source: architizer.com)

Ribbon House in Rio Negro, Argentina

Linking distant lands, this time G2 Estudio was hired by two families from Tahiti- French Polynesia, partners in the adventure to create a holiday house in San Carlos de Bariloche - Patagonia Argentina, the one should have a wide integrated space for leisure and recreation, two master-rooms, two bedrooms for the children, and all the necessary equipment to a holiday house.

This way the house should be sufficiently dislocated in the footprint composition to ensure that each volume can achieve a particular frame of the breathtaking nature.

IDEA:

The initial idea comes from the juxtaposition of volumes, each containing different functions, on one hand the social life and in the others the private life. The morphology and materials used, were thought to achieve that the strong became in fragile, the solid in ethereal, the supported in support, the dynamic in static, and vice versa.

So the house is a search between the balance, juxtaposition, ribbon, viewing-point, vital tour, and hug.

ELEMENTS:

The sustained would be of steel-frame for the outer shells, partitions, panels, sun visors, which would be clad in wood from the area taking advantage of its warmth and lightness. For the roof panels and folded it, was used asphalt slate black color, creating color and texture contrasts.

The interiors are the result of the interpenetration of volumes compositional directions respecting convergences and materiality making a dramatic balance between the expression of forms, textures and visuals.

With Ribbon House G2 Estudio close a small cycle of evolution in the search for housing types, and launches into new spaces for these architectural exploration, arguing that every expression of architecture should be unique and unrepeatable as the users are.

Type: Residential - Single family residence

Location: San Carlos de Bariloche
Rio Negro
Argentina

Building status: built in 2010

A project by: G2 Estudio Arquitectura

Architecture

Photo Gallery of Ribbon House in Rio Negro, Argentina

Source: http://www.architizer.com

Passive House Near Paris

Passive House Near Paris. Aim: Creation in Ile-de-France of the very first house to receive the prestigious European « Passivhaus » label.

Principle: An successful insertion on site thanks to its double sides, closed to the north to limit heat loss and opened to the South to benefit from free solar energy. Aesthetically, it is a sculptural and abstract replica of a traditional house.

Descriptive: An second skin with an open work design in untreated bamboo envelopes the frame in solid wood panels. This cladding, which becomes grey over time, drew inspiration from traditional barns in this part of the Ile-de-France region. It passes in front of the windows to the north and finishes by unfolding on to the roof. Identical shutters are fitted on large bay windows to the south to provide shade and light in the house, during the day or at night. Photovoltaic panels on the roof round off the program, producing 2695 kwh/yr in energy. The foundation slab is the only concrete element, the entire structure is created from the assembly these very large solid wood panels, which are prefabricated in the workshop.

● Net Floor Area: 177 m² ● Budget: 0,28 M€ ● Phase: Completed in August 2009 ● MO: Private ● Mission: Complete ● Team: KARAWITZ with
Solares Bauen (heating), DI Eisenhauer et Philippe Buchet (structure) ● Location site : Bessancourt (95).

Location: 40 rue Saint-Protais

                   Bessancourt, 95550
                   France

Building status: built in 2009 

Site type: suburban

Budget total: 346000 USD

A project by: Karawitz Architecture

                          Architecture

Source: http://www.architizer.com

Treehouse

Architecture Houses: Treehouse is a single family residence located on a park in Seattle, WA.  Built on an inaccessible, steep slope lot, the project overcame significant design and construction challenges to create a unique home elevated in the trees.

The project had three primary design objectives: 1) minimize long term site impacts; 2) design a cost effective and resource efficient building; 3) use view, light and enclosure to accentuate the experience of living in the tree canopy.

In 1999, the owners discovered an “un-buildable” lot while searching the internet for cheap vacant lots in Seattle. 

Site conditions generated design solutions.
•    Site accessibility and zoning restrictions necessitated a compact floor plan
•    Design solution worked within the limitations of crane to facilitate construction
•    Auger cast piles anchor the building to the slope and preserve the natural drainage/slope
•    Steel framing support the house and carport above the slope and in the trees

Design solutions addressed basic questions of living, DIY opportunities and common materials.
•    House emphasizes natural light and quality of space over expensive products / finishes
•    Simple plan with a developed, double height section creates the sense of a large house
•    Openings accentuate experience of and connection to park, tree canopy and sky
•    Skylight is centrally located, and functions as a “hearth” that connects house interiors
•    Furniture designed and built by owner or friends, or purchased vintage pieces
•    Multi-colored asphalt siding used to evoke tree bark and camouflage exterior

Budget drove design decisions.
•    Compact 24’ x 30’ footprint on three levels used to create 1644 SF of living area
•    Elemental material palette: GWB, cork, plywood, PLAM, tile
•    Pragmatic/direct detailing for all building assemblies
•    Salvaged and/or re-used materials
•    Ikea kitchen cabinets, appliances, and countertops were purchased for $4700
•    Asphalt siding: material cost of $1,000
•    Sweat equity

The project pursued sustainable design solutions.
•    Compact footprint reduces site impact, as well as material costs / long term energy use
•    SIPS roof panels / BIBS insulation used to create a thermally efficient envelope
•    Pre-installed Solar Thermal hot water tank, water lines and LV control wire (Budget prevented immediate installation of this system)
•    Future PV system planned for the carport roof (budget prevented installation)
•    Operable skylight passively cools/ventilates the house / reduces lighting requirements
•    Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system supplies all mechanical fresh air
•    Hydronic radiators used for primary heating system
•    Water conserving fixtures and dual flush toilets
•    Energy Star appliances
•    All paints and finishes low/no voc
•    Vintage/salvage materials and furnishings

Type: Residential - Single family residence

Location: Seattle, Washington
                    United States

A project by: SHED

                         Architecture

Bunker House

Bunker House. The house is located in Lopburi, the province is well known for the biggest Thai military camp in which a numbers of Lopburi-based households are related to military members. The fact that the house owner and the architects both like concrete, the dam’s profound structure and exposed concrete appearance influence the house owner and the architects to select cast-in-place concrete to be the house’s shell.

Siriwan Tiensuwan, the house owner asks the architects to design a 360 sqm. house that has two contradicted characters; hidden + secured and visible + opened. The site is surrounded by its neighbored houses, only the front (west) side that opens to roadway, green area and a canal. Its site context recalls the architects of bunker architecture built during World War II and “Bunker Archeology”, Princeton Architectural Press, a book by Paul Virilio, urban planner, theorist, and philosopher. The clients’ fondness of exposed concrete also strengthens their lifestyle of privacy, security, and strong protection. The asymmetrical ‘ H ’ shape floor plan creates two inner courts useable as outdoor living in morning and afternoon.

Type: Residential - Single family residence

Location: Lopburi, Thailand

Building status: built in 2009

Building area: 360 m2

Site size: 800 m2

A project by: Vasu Virajsilp, VaSLab

                         Architecture