The 99K House

Bando di Concorso della municipalità di Houston (USA)

The project aims to be a sustainable and feasible design model, to be replicated in every Gulf Coast region (humid subtropical climate).

In order to assure construction feasibility, only passive sustainable systems have been used: good orientation, natural lighting, thermal mass, natural ventilation, “ECOskin”. These choices allow construction cost optimization and guarantee best solutions for energy saving and quality of life.

Project concept: a house in an envelope, the “ECOskin”, that combines design and bioarchitectural aspects. Its shape is remeniscent of a traditional local house, while its function is to protect interior space from outer conditions. It is realized with three standard wooden modules of the same size:

• fixed closed panel (North façade)
• sliding panel composed by fixed sloping lamellas (South façade)
• sliding panel composed by fixed horizontal lamellas (East, West facades)

The house has, therefore, an isolated facade on the North, and the possibility to change facade transparency on the other sides.

Design intent: a breathing house. “ECOskin” system creates air space and air circulation around the “interior home”. It guarantees winter and summer isolation, and creates natural ventilation to avoid humidity. Moreover, inside natural ventilation is provided through a skylight running along thefull length of the roof.

The house’s internal walls are composed of wooden pre-fabricated panels, cellulose insulation, and double-pane glass windows.
Standard elements for the structure, pre-fabricated panels and modules for “ECOskin”, allow an easy and inexpensive building technique. All materials utilized are recyclable in disassembly phase or “cradle to cradle” products.