Project description
When looking for a place to live, people are guided by various aspects. Our investors fled their dream home due to the construction of a railway, which was planned 100m from the place where they lived for years. Searching for a new space was a real escape from the city straight to the forest. A long, nervous research was successful, they found a place in the buffer zone of the forest, pine trees and nature on each side. From the moment of purchasing the plot to the implementation of the project, several months passed. Being on the plot we felt the typical call of nature.
Unfortunately, this state of euphoria did not last long, only a few months after the purchase of the plot, the developer decided to build residential houses on the other side of the street, cutting out a large part of the green buffer zone. At the sight of typical catalog houses with a cut forest in the background, investors decided to completely cut themselves off from the neighborhood. Our task was to design a house that would be closed from the front and open to the private forest. A house that would use the roof as a green terrace, from which you could admire tree tops and a house that frames the greenery and the surroundings so that the dream images can be viewed from every perspective.
Thus, a half-open house was created. Its name arose naturally because the house is half open to the forest and half closed to the surroundings, which has changed its character.These two important aspects allowed us to develop a body of the building with a minimalist, closed front elevation and a symbolic entrance to the building, as well as a part open to the garden, a part of the framed nature that the inhabitants of the house can admire from different places referring to the raw character of nature.
The additional idea of the project was to create still harsh unchangeable monolith, referring to rocks scattered in the region, which is constantly being complemented by the surrounding nature. The pictures around the house change in the rhythm of seasons, weather conditions, day and night cycles. Therefore the house interiors are flexibly exposed to the influence of the surrounding environment and adopt nature decorations through spacious windows and skylights. Images change cyclically giving the interiors unpredictable sets of colors and shades. Moving around the building you are welcome to admire different views and perspectives. Standing on the terrace one can observe the area as separate framed pictures - tops of the trees, open atrium of the house, garden part and architecture outlines. Sitting comfortably one can stare at the sky and feel nature surface under their feet. Green roof terrace enlarges the biologically active surface and together with forest plants becomes the natural frame of the building.
Minimalistic form of the building becomes balanced by the green roof and terraces, which are more than just extra elements added to make house more attractive. We design green surfaces to create a network of eco-points of the building that provide a specific natural eco climate around the house.
This is indeed our vision of a potential new order in architecture where the house becomes the centre of influencing the climate and Biodiversity change – building as a new biotope “asylum”, a living library of animal plant genes and microorganisms. The building starts to be an ecosystem of the future.
The best plants to fulfill the spaces are local, forest plants - they are well established and have all the conditions they need to grow and live.
The main functions of such planting plants are:
ecological - shaping of microclimate, improvement of environmental parameters, positive impact on fauna and human
a technical function - to protect buildings from the effects of climatic factors such as wind or rain;
the aesthetic function is primarily to create a feeling of beauty, integrate green elements with the urban infrastructure, as well as mask the shortcomings of the building;
the psychological function, in turn, is to strengthen the ties of residents with the place of residence, shaping places of recreation or rest.
We use the thermoregulatory qualities of plants, their natural ability to benefit ionization, correction of air humidity and active reduction of impurities contained in it. Buildings integrated with such living facades and roofs absorb more CO2 than they emit it themselves. Buildings actively convert clean energy and stored rainwater into a positive climate change in their surroundings. Together with the photovoltaic installation and rainwater harvesting system and rainwater tank, we obtain a set of environmentally friendly solutions. The rainwater tank is our source to water the roof garden and other plantings around the house.
The building has been functionally divided into several zones complementary to each other. Residential zones, dirty, wet zones and rest zones were designated. Their connection became nature, which was also invited to the house. The living room with high ceiling and lighting in the roof allowed to put a large tree in the interior of the house. The designed rooms are divided into bedrooms / night part, living area with living room, dining room and kitchen, dirty garage part and sports zone. The entrance to the house is located from the street side, the front elevation was broken inside indicating in a symbolic way its place. The house is similar to a broken rock, in the interior where, like in a cave, you can hide from the storm.
The building's construction frame has appointed additional rooms outside. The green frames of the garden complement the raw architecture, allowing for a little reflection and meditation. Structural divisions, internal patios, green courtyards and terraces among the tops of the trees give the opportunity to rediscover the house.
4.Technical information
Total plot area: 2790.00 m2
Built-up area: 540.40 m2
Biologically active area without a green roof: 1720.00 m2 = 61.65%
Biologically active area with a green roof, geogrid driveway: 2239.10 m2 = 80%
Surfaces:
Usable area: 422.6 m2
Built-up area: 540.4 m2
Volume: 2,174.88 m3
Building height: 7.70m
Type of roof: flat roof / gable roof
Demand for installations:
Heat pump - use of renewable energy to heat the house
Rainwater recovery - garden irrigation + green roof
Photovoltaics - the use of solar energy as a source of electricity
Green roof - rainwater collection, air purification, lowering the ambient temperature
Ventilation and recuperation system
Additional benefits of using a green roof
Rainwater collection
A green roof absorbs rainwater by buffering it in the plant layer, the substrate and the drainage layer. Delays the discharge of rainwater into the sewage system, purifies rainwater; water also evaporates through plants. All this contributes to the stabilization of the groundwater level, reduces the peak loads of the sewage network and the risk of flooding.
Air purification
Plants in a green roof filter dust suspended in the air and convert CO2 into oxygen. Green roofs definitely contribute to air purification.
Lowering the ambient temperature
Plants absorb sunlight, 50% is absorbed and 30% is reflected; thus it helps to create a cooler and more pleasant climate. With regard to indoor conditions, this means that air conditioning does not have to work so intensively, which in turn translates into energy savings. And here you can also see an additional, positive impact on the climate in the immediate vicinity of the building and on the temperature in the city.In general, it is possible to reduce the temperature in the city by 3°C.A green roof protects the roofing material from external influences such as temperature fluctuations, sun, rain and wind. It extends the life of the roof two or three times, up to 60 years or even longer. The investment in a green roof pays for itself within 8 to 21 years.
Increasing biodiversity
Various species of sedum, herbs, grasses and host plants provide a perfect shelter for birds, butterflies and other insects. This is particularly important in urban spaces, where concrete and asphalt are mainly present.
Increased level of well-being
Staying and working in a green environment has an extremely beneficial effect on the level of well-being. The green environment calms down and contributes to stress reduction.
Green roofs increase the efficiency of solar panels
A green roof helps to reduce the temperature on the roof. Thanks to the cooler roof, the efficiency of the solar panels is increased, which reduces the overall energy costs.
Reducing the noise level in the environment, both outside and inside
The green roof is like a sound barrier for the building. It absorbs noise, so it creates a quieter environment, both inside and outside the building.
