Designed for the competition BETWIN, the low energy houses are prefabricated modules that are installed upon a set of walls and plinths made from locally gathered stones.

The “cocoons” are constructed with timber beams in a double geodesic manner, creating a rigid long-span structure. This form minimizes the exterior surface area and, thus, the heat loss. The design incorporates several eco-friendly features such as solar panels to warm water and provide heating, off-site wind turbines for electricity, and a heat exchanger on the rooftop which freshens air quality. The roof allows light to illuminate the center of the home and allows summer ventilation.

The skin of the home wraps all the equipment that is energetically self-sufficient at ground floor level. The “thermic curtain” on the exterior is a type of space blanket that keeps the heat in winter nights and protects the house from the sunlight in the summer afternoons.

To define the home’s sense of place, the lower level’s wall of stones helps create “the relation between the house and the street and the pedestrian.”

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