The project has won the 1st prize on Sustainability category of the 2012 MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards.- prestigious competition organized by leading British architectural magazine. Project was co designed with my brother Lech Wojtasik.
The proposed project of an energy efficient small single family house is a prototype of a prefab system of low cost housing. The form and all the elements of the building derive from its function.
The main goal of this project is energy and cost efficiency. In our project, the main sources of energy with 0 carbon emission are solar and wind power harvested by photovoltaic wings. Our unique design of using the wings instead of the traditional windmills is inspired by nature, where the wind causes harmonic motion of the tree leaves and branches. Solar energy is absorbed by photovoltaic cells placed at upper surface of the wings. Wind energy is converted to electricity through a generator when the wings are moving. The energy harvested by photovoltaic wings, BIPV panels and solar collectors, stored in the batteries and underground water tanks combined with very low energy demand of the house will produce the surplus energy that can be sold or used for household needs, for example to charge an electric car. An external steel frame structure, independent from our base unit supports: photovoltaic wings and BIPV panels, solar collectors, external blinds, insulated screens and a balcony without creating thermal bridges and transmission of vibration to the building. The building's base unit is installed at the site from prefab components.
A wide variety of residential projects, both one and multifamily units can be created from the prefab base units. The external design of the building can be customized to a variety of architectural forms.
Full span of prefab concrete floor panels creates an open space inside the building, giving a flexibility of interior design.
1- ENERGY SAVING
• building envelope - non- combustible rigid insulation
• individually operable sliding external blinds
• individually operable insulated sliding shutters with pneumatic seal
• windows -triple glazed 0.7 u value
• grey water recycling with purification
• heat recovery ventilation
• STAR PLUS equipment and appliances
• water conservation fixtures
• high – efficiency light fixtures
2-RENEWABLE ENERGY HARVESTING
• movable – tilting wind and solar photovoltaic wings
• solar collectors
• BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic)
• electric batteries
• underground water tanks
• precast concrete foundation
• prefab extra insulated, ventilated with thermal reflective insulation multilayer external
• prefab floor panels
• prefab concrete utility shaft
Status: Competition Entry
Location: Pila, PL
My Role: Designer
Additional Credits: Lech Wojtasik was co - designer of the project.