In an era where we are talking about manned flights to Mars, there are certain instances of going back to basics. For example, we take up the subject of wood – which is one of the oldest building materials used for construction. In relation to this, there has been a shift in paradigm in some sectors of eco architecture over the increased usage of wood (in many of its forms) as a modernistic construction material. But rather than its abundance, wood is preferred as a building material (in the folds of eco architecture) because of its adamantly carbon neutral nature.
The design concept we are about to discuss here is unpretentiously christened as just Sustainable House. Conceived by designer Batte Ronald, the conceptualization is of a single bedroom dwelling, where the predominant feature would be the usage of hard wood. And since we are talking about wood, we should know about some of the influential facts and figures of this naturalistic building material. Statistically speaking, there are around a whopping one trillion tons of wood present on the face of our earth. The bulk of the cultivated part is used for the manufacturing of furniture and as constructional materials (one of the oldest used building materials in history, along with stone).
In relation to its constructional value, the wood has a myriad of user friendly attributes that sets it apart from its artificial peers. Of course, the primary advantage is its easy availability, but beyond its abundance, wood is known to be exceptionally strong (in comparison to its weight), along with its good heat and electrical insulating properties and its renewable and bio-degradable nature.
All of the above mentioned points were taken into adroit consideration by Batte Ronald, in his conceptualization of the Sustainable House. Envisaged as a single bedroom dwelling project, the main building material used in this case would be of the oak variety of hardwood. Coming to the interior zoning of different spatial volumes, the bedroom area will be complimented by a plethora of other spaces including a living room, kitchen, bathroom and a mini swimming pool.
As for the aesthetics of the design element, the house will follow a simplistic linear block pattern in conjunction with its usage of naturalistic wood as the predominating element. This essence of a sober visual allure will be accentuated by a wooden facade with stripped voids. These vertical ‘perforations’ will serve the dual purposes of improving upon the appeal of perception from the outside, while also allowing in natural air flow and shading by the side profile of the building.
Finally, coming to the timber-esque attribute of the structure, according to the designer, the hardwood component will be used for both the panelings and facades of the dwelling. Wood is traditionally known to be a very poor conductor of heat. This fascinating attribute can be used to reduce the quantity of external heat radiation and glare entering into the building. This method in turn would significantly lower other power related costs such as air conditioners and fans.
Source: RnldBatte
