sábado, 22 de septiembre de 2012

SOLAR DECATHLON EUROPE. Counter Entropy. GERMANY



Architectural conception
The "Counter Entropy House" is a single-storey and clearly structured building designed for two persons. In order to achieve optimal usage of the small footprint predetermined by the organisation a smooth transition between interior and exterior is generated. Thereby the main focus is not only limited on a visual enlargement of the living space but rather on an actual enlargement of the private living zone.
The building can be classified in three vertical zones of privacy, which either are raised from the ground and are unroofed, are raised from the ground and are roofed or are raised from the ground, are roofed and are thermal or visually covered. The three horizontal zones – the solid base serving as building foundation, the open floor composed of closed block elements and transparent glass surfaces, as well as the widely cantilevering roof – are decisive in determing the stage of privacy for the vertical zones. The first horizontal zone – the solid base – generates the first stage by raising the building from the ground and defining a clear border to the public space. The second horizontal zone – the roof – creates the second stage of privacy by clearly defining the space from two sides. The third vertical zone is the most private created by the building envelope within the open space. To enlarge thie inner private zone a curtain can be pulled around the roof‘s edge. By dissolving the building‘s envelope the zones conjoin to one helded together by the widely cantilevering roof.
Due to the clear zoning there is a smooth transition between the interior and exterior generated by the strong visual axes and intensified by the continuous floor and ceiling material.