10-18-2013 10:00 PM

Solar Decathlon 2013: Czech Technical University Wins Architecture Contest, Places Third Overall

© Jason Flakes/U.S. Department of Energy Solar DecathlonLauded for incorporating warm, natural wood finishes to create a “comfortable place to dwell and reenergize,” the jury of the 2013 Solar Decathlon has named Czech Technical University as winner of the competition’s “Architecture Contest,” placing them third overall.
Based on a “house within a house” concept and inspired by the Czech tradition of spending weekends in the country, the “AIR House” features a flexible, open interior that is protected by an intelligent second skin – a “solar wooden canopy” that generates energy and provides hot water via photovoltaic and solar-thermal*panels. Read for the team’s project description.
© AIR House – Solar Decathlon Team Czech RepublicConcept
The AIR House design reacts to the contemporary demographic development in the Czech Republic; where senior housing presents a very imminent social topic (currently 20% of all households).
Inspiration
Our main inspiration comes from a typical Czech custom of spending weekends in “chata” – a cottage or*cabin out in the country. During the socialist times from 1948 to 1989, the majority of the population had*no money to invest in a „proper country house“, and a very unique type of unorthodox, folk architecture*had developed for over four decades in the former Czechoslovakia.*In composing the house’s volume and functions, we worked with the traditional features of a typical Czech farm house with shaded porch and barn in an L-shape configuration that creates a protected courtyard connected to the farm yard.
© AIR House – Solar Decathlon Team Czech RepublicLayout
The concept combines a minimum interior living area with a generous outside area. The economy-sized disposition is based on the tradition of minimal housing, where an ingenious architectural design saves space and therefore saves purchase and operating costs. The flexible living space accommodates kitchen,*living, dining and sleeping space. The technology module features a bathroom, technical room, outside kitchen and storage. The sun deck can hold different activities such as cooking, gardening, relaxation and storage. The integrated edible natural garden functions as a mediator between the house and the surrounding nature.
House Within a House
The composition of AIR House’s main volumes is primarily based on the “house within a house” concept*which works with the principle of two skins.
The First Skin is formed by a thermal insulation envelope of the living area that is made of massive wood*panels in combination with natural wood fiber thermal insulation.*Under this skin the main volume and all indoor functions of the house are contained.
The second Skin, formed by a solar wooden canopy, protects the First Skin from thermal stress caused by the sun and the wind, and generates electric energy and hot water via photovoltaic and solar-thermal*panels attached to the canopy´s structural elements.The space between the two skins generates tension between the interior and exterior. It creates a unique*atmosphere, a play of light and shadows. From further away, the house looks very compact and its volume appears a simple cubic shape.
© Martin Cenek, Team CTUShaded Terrace
An important aspect of the AIR House design is the creation of a strong link between the house´s exterior*and interior. Our aim was to extend the relatively modest interior living space outside and allow the users*to benefit from a shaded terrace for their activities. This terrace, thanks to the glazed wall that divides it*from the interior space, can be fully functionally connected to the interior and serve many purposes – as a*meeting space for social activities, as a dining room, kitchen, movie theater etc. Also, with the sliding*doors open, the interior becomes immediately part of the exterior, and during summer evenings the*inhabitants can fully enjoy the fresh breeze while still being protected from the eventual rain shower.
An edible garden is integrated in the terrace deck and acts as a mediator between the house and the*surrounding nature.
© AIR House – Solar Decathlon Team Czech RepublicEnergy

The AIR House energy concept is simple and ecological. The layout combines a minimum interior living area with a generous outside area. The goal is to place a maximum of functional units outside the air-conditioned area and thus minimize the energy needed to maintain interior comfort. The AIR HOUSE is designed as a zero


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