Directors:

Xavi González
Carlos Gómez

Jury Board:

Manuel Gausa (IAAC Dean)
Elisabeth Plantada (BAU)
Eduard Martín (IMI)
Raffaela Fagnoni (Universitá degli Studi di Genova)
Roberta Bosco (El PAIS)
Ethel Baraona (DPR – Barcelona)
Behnaz Farahi (USC School of Architecture)

IAAC’s MAI at SONAR 2013 from Gerda Antanaityte on Vimeo.

The concept behind the DUNEhouse project is to create a flexible tool* more than a design where the client has the possibility to define his own house. Mainly, the idea is based on a system composed by different volumes where each of them represents a program or a cluster of it (bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, swimming poll, etc.) and the client is able to distribute them on the plot and creating every kind of space and connection that he prefers. The catalogue on the left is showing, from the left, the growth of the house, from step 1 to step 5; and from the top to the bottom, 3 of the, almost infinitive, possibilities of distribution of the house. This system is working with different parameters in order to create the edges in which this tool can operate ( each of them operates following a non-linear logic but an iterative logic). In this project, the most important parameter is the wind, so the base geometry of the house (the sequence of air flow analysis below shows some of the wind test) is organised in order to maximise the wind flow and consequently the natural ventilation inside the building. To increase the effect of this mechanism all the house volumes (made of reinforced and insulated concrete shells) have been thought on the top of small artificial dunes working as thermal mass with the aim to regulate  the income air temperature (diagrammatic section on the left). Moreover, the shell insulation is given by a covering envelope composed by different soil bubbles working as a green wall where the plants are able to grow and consequently regulating the microclimate surrounding the house.

The second parameter evaluated is the view exposition of the house toward the sea. In order to understand and maximise this aspect has been done an diagram where is possible to define where collocate the windows.  The house is growing as an artificial organism that is taking advantage from the natural resources; also the solution to “melt” the shell of the house with the ground (starting from the level 0.00 with an artificial dune and transforming in spheres of soil, seeds and natural fabric) allows to use as much as possible the thermal inertia to save energy for the cooling heating system.

*= Tool means  a parametric definition made with a software where the user doesn’t have to draw a new house every time that I likes to change something but simply he can change the parameters that he prefers and the design is going to self-adapting to the new scenario. The renders that I present in this panel are just to explain one possibility of the catalogue (dash line rectangle)

Gianluca Santosuosso

Aerial view of the FabLab house in Madrid

The fablab house in Madrid: A preview of the future of how design can be manipulated and used according to the technology and know how that has provided us with limitless possibilities. The interior of the house is composed of a social space, a bedroom, kitchen, a small FabLab, a bathroom and an elevated small room for invited guests to sleep. The house’s control system is designed to provide detailed real-time monitoring of its behaviour and its interaction with the environmet, creating historical profiles which can be shared socially. More of the FabLab house can be found at  www.fablabhouse.com.

FabLab house interior

After endless nights of hard work the fablab House has been constructed in Madrid. With its theme ‘Form follows energy’, the house is now using the resources of its environment – the sun, water and wind to create a microclimate that will improve the basic conditions of habitability. The fablab house is also now serving as a workshop space where digital fabrication,innovation and creativity is encouraged. This sunday more than 5o children have realized drawings of their ideal solar house. They were supported by the fablab house team to win a fablab house cap with their names digitally imprinted on it.The competition for the next week till the 27th of june, more on the fablab house news can be found atwww.fablabhouse.com.

FabLab House  in Madrid

Interiors of the FabLab House

Fablab House being presented by journalists

More than 5,000 visitors at the fablab house

Fab workshop with children

Realizing a drawing of a Solar House

Fab Solar House presentation in IaaC

Before attending the Solar Decathlon competition in Madrid, Fab Solar house has been opened to the public on the 4th of june, 2010 at IaaC. The partners and members of the Fab Solar house – Schnieder Electric, Endesa and Visoren amongst others – ,sponsors of the project, politicians and members of institutions like the Mies Van Der Rohe foundation had all been present to see the house under construction. Presented by Iaac Director Vicente Guallart  there have been discussions on why and how the fab solar house has been aspired to be built, its technicalities and its aims for the future. Fabhouse researchers, students of Iaac & Fabacademy and collaborators have all been present during this event also discussing on their future trip to Madrid which will start at the end of this week.

IaaC Director Vicente Guallart Presenting the house to various journalists

Presentations on details of the Fab solar house
-sponsors, researchers, members of the fab solar house team

Before attending the Solar Decathlon competition in Madrid, Fab Solar house has been opened to the public on the 4th of june, 2010 at IaaC. The partners and members of the Fab Solar house – Schnieder Electric, Endesa and Visoren amongst others – ,sponsors of the project, politicians and members of institutions like the Mies Van Der Rohe foundation had all been present to see the house under construction. Presented by Iaac Director Vicente Guallart  there have been discussions on why and how the fab solar house has been aspired to be built, its technicalities and its aims for the future. Fabhouse researchers, students of Iaac & Fabacademy and collaborators have all been present during this event also discussing on their future trip to Madrid which will start at the end of this week.