Sustainable Design Modest Budget, B House by Anderson Anderson Architecture + Nishiyama Architects
Main concept for this home is a sustainable as possible with modest budget available. The house features two bedroom, one bath home built on a hillside overlooking Kumamoto, Japan. Implementation of the sustainable concept include natural, renewable, healthy materials; optimized solar shading, day lighting, and chimney-effect natural ventilation; solar hot water heating; high-efficiency hydronic heating made ready for future geothermal ground loop and solar thermal roof panels; water catchment roof system planned for a future green roof; and efficiently sized spaces and gardens conducive to simple, indoor-outdoor living with minimal ongoing maintenance and resource investment.
The house is sited on a terraced with maximum views of Kumamoto Castle and surrounding hills. The massive concrete floor slabs serving as thermal ballast for passive solar heating with opening walls facing the prevailing summer winds. A steeply pitched roof section oriented for photovoltaic panels facing south, and high, operable clerestory windows facing north and up-slope, creating optimized day lighting without summer heat gain, and creating a chimney-effect natural ventilation draft drawing air through the home, and exhausting the kitchen, bath and sleeping spaces with cooling updrafts. The house is constructed of simple, robust materials, consisting of concrete, plaster, and locally and sustainably harvested timber.
Location : Shimasaki, Kyushu Island, Japan
Architects : Anderson Anderson Architecture + Nishiyama Architects
