It is a house that sits lightly on the earth, both in terms of ecological and actual footprint. A house that demands from it`s inhabitants to follow the circle of seasons. As only half of the space is closed, there is a time for reflection and preparation (winter, spring) and a time for action and implementation (summer, autumn). Made from materials of the surrounding, the house uses and crafts the local potential as well as plays with the building tradition. The order and elements of a traditional timber-frame-structure are cited but a bit “offbeat” and assembled in a new way.
The ground floor is an open, shaded space that can act as a workshop for dirty works. If needed it can be closed with a very basic rolling shutter.
The top floor is a living area for two persons. A furniture block in the middle contains all the essentials units like kitchen, bathroom, beds and working tables.
In order to get more autarkic there is a garden for food cultivation and the wooden tower for the staircase includes solar collectors and a small windmill on the top to generate electricity.
The structure is built out of the materials found in the direct surrounding: timber, limestone, mud, lime plaster.
The building process is just as important. As Maslow states in his Hierarchy Of Needs self-actualization as a very important element of human nature, we believe that the possibility of self-building adds to an intensified living quality. In addition to that it creates work opportunities and know-how. This is why we could also imagine this building being constructed during a Design–Build workshop. The techniques chosen are low-tech and require lots of hands: A good scenario to include architecture students as well as refugees. Particularly for earthen structures there aren`t many hands-on learning possibilities.