house - (Green Architecture) | Ron Shenkin Studio for architecture & design

Place: Kibbutz Ein-Dor in an area that demands environmental considerations. Client Requests: A simple house with the outside of the house designed to bring comfort and efficiency to the inside environment of the house. A clear separation between the commercial area of the house and the private area of the house was requested. A series of big sliding windows overlooking the valley was requested. In the sense of energy efficiency it was requested that the wind from the valley is to be used to supply energy cheaply for the house. The front door was to be impressive. A service door next to the front door which will lead to a shower and the laundry room was requested. This will be used by children coming back to the house from trips in order to keep the house clean. The Process of Building the House: The first stage was building the living area on the first floor. The second stage on the second floor consists of two light pre-fabricated structures that are laid on top of the first floor in such a way to create shade for the front section of the house Principles for Building a Functional and Intelligently Designed House: In order to use the minimum energy in building the house and to limit the disturbance of the environment in the process of building, a small house was planned in which every inch was to be used in the most efficient way. Planning for the Future: Although the house was planned to be relatively small, in the future as needs change it can be changed into separate units. The children bedroom was planned as one large unit, but divides into two units to provide privacy for growing children. Also the large outside sliding windows can serve as a separate entry places for the room. Energy: In a relatively small house it is possible to plan for saving in both temperature control and lighting. Ventilation: Windows surrounding the house provide for part of the ventilation of the house. Additional ventilation for the house is provided by windows built into high areas in house which create a chimney effect, sucking the hot air from the house and venting it to the outside. Finally in terms of ventilation wooden shades at the front of the house allow for ventilation and privacy Waste Recycling of Water: To promote both environmental and economic efficiency water from the house is recycled and used in the garden Natural Light: The bedrooms are facing the east and have the benefits of natural light. Above the windows on the east side are shades which allow for indirect light. On the west, east and south sides of the house the windows are coated with UV anti ultra violet materials to filter the sun's light. Over all the bedrooms and dining rooms there is an automatic adjustable shade system that allows filters natural light to come into the central area of the rooms in a condition taking into account the relation of outside and inside light There is also a pergola which shades the windows on the south side of the house. The top windows of the inside of the house bring light into the house. Thermal Insulation: The house was built with in a conventional way with concrete columns made of autoclaved aerated concrete blocks covered by thermal plaster four or centimeters wide to create maximum insulation Solar panels: Soar panels are placed on the parking garage and the first floor roof to provide energy and shade Vegetation: Planned outside vegetation was done is such a way to save water. Vegetation was planted on the outside of the staircase to the clinic to provide shade A note from the architect. The project would have been difficult to complete without the day to day ingenuity and supervision of the project by Thaar Kadmani a Druse engineer from the Golan village of Majdal Shams. I thank him for his efforts