NUS house | Parti Architecture

NUS House
Private residence in Chania, Crete, Greece.
The 200m2 residence is located at Agios Onoufrios, in Chania area.
The main criteria for the architectural decisions made, were, from the East side the
view towards Stavros mountain, from the South side the view towards the White
Mountains and also the need for low energy footprint building designs (nearly zero
energy buildings - nZEB).
One of the architectural design tools based on bioclimatic criteria, is the optimal use
of the orientation, and more specifically of the Southeast orientation. As a result, the
building’s volume is designed to fully exploit its potential.
More specifically, the main “π” shaped residence along with the underground guest
house volume, maximize the southeast exposure of the building, while they are
taking advantage of the different angle of the sun rays during the seasonal cycles.
On this direction, we created two basic solar spaces, one with stable shading and
another one with rotating blinds and a mass- wall. The heating and cooling process
takes place naturally, transferring the desired amount of heat to the individual areas
of the house, ensuring heating comfort conditions. The big corner glass façade in the
solar space, can slide and fully open, offering a semi-outdoor area during the
summer months.
The water surfaces on the south walls, the planted roof, the hiding of the western
light, the vertical ventilation shaft with the small openings towards the North side,
and the controlled shading roof openings, operate in conjunction with the two
spaces in order to achieve thermal comfort conditions. Additionally, the photovoltaic
panels, the solar water heaters and the vertical heat exchange geothermal system,
contribute to the minimization of the building’s ecological footprint.
The building’s perimeter wall, made of natural stone, is being utilized pointwise, due
to its heat capacity, allowing this way the internal temperature optimization and
visually integrating the house to its surroundings.