[project] House O - underground prefab

[digdoi]

I've been seeing many posts about prefab houses. I like this one because it goes on a different typology. When we think about prefab living we usually imagine "container like", boxy metalic houses.

House_O is a prefabricated low-energy house sold in three sizes: MIN, MID and MAX. The building consists of an eco shell and the equipment tower. The interior has to be completed by the client in a do-it-yourself process.

[digdoi]

Eco shell
The eco shell consists of a prefabricated reinforced concrete section (usually used for agricultural cesspools) with a diameter of 15, 17.5 or 20 meters and a depth of 3 to 6 meters.

The prefabricated section is dug into the ground and cladded on the outside with 5 cm of insulation. The temperature in the ground is +4°C. The eco shell is equivalent to a zero-energy house and is sold as an unfinished shell built into the ground.

Once its the interior works have been completed, House_O provides floor space of 90, 120, 150, 240 or 300 square meters. The whole purchased piece of land remains useable as a garden as House_O is invisible.

[digdoi]

Equipment tower
The equipment tower comprises the energy center and the access area.
The energy center contains a water tank as a heat storage system, a ventilation center with heat exchanger, solar collectors and a wastewater pipe.
The equipment tower is fitted out according to the wishes of the user and is part of the basic interior works.

The equipment tower is the backbone of House_O. On top of the equipment tower, there is a pavilion - a space that is not intended for any fixed purpose but provides an area of 30 square meters and serves as a place from where the user can see outside.

[digdoi]

Do-it-yourself interior works
The do-it-yourself interior is based on a 3.5 x 3.5 m grid built-in on one or two-levels. The user has to add ceilings, walls etc. according to her/his requirements and taste.

The interior is completed as a wooden-post system that can meet any surface requirements and different sound-protection requirements, as well as being capable of creating a wide variety of floor-mounted structures.

The post method of construction was selected as a flexible and economically efficient system. The interior - flexible in all 3 dimensions - can be changed repeatedly over the years. House_O adapts itself to the user. Different ground-plan variants are supplied on requested.

[digdoi]

House_O is invisible and has been conceived as a model for residential functions in suburbs or areas farther away from the city. The building almost disappears entirely from the visible environment.
The interior is excellently lit up by daylight which enters through the courtyard facade and the skylight.

The pavilion is the only visible part and, at the same time, the interface between the inside and outside. House_O is intended to be a contribution to the multi-faceted landscape of prefabricated houses




Text: exilhäuser architekten


WEBSITE

[arrestme]

The view must be spectacular!

[Marr]

I´m just wondering, why would you want to live in the ground in central europe? In northern china they do it to protect themselves from harsh climate, but it somehow seems out of place in europe. And they say that that you free the space at ground level for a garden, but why not just have a roof terrace instead with a nice view?
But still an interesting project, thanks for the link.

[arv]

hey we can have sprawl without it being an eyesore

[primocordara]

Very interesting Digidoi, this idea of underground energy eficiency has been arround for a while.

Perhaps it would look beter in a hill or slope were you could provide access at the courtyard floor level and natural water drainage.
This way you could also hide the car-port.

[PeterE]

With the controlled view, I think these would be suited to an unattractive environment,not a beautiful field with a view of the Alps. Maybe adjacent to an industrial area or by the New Jersey Turnpike where I grew up.