Eco H, Green in Caesarea

Caesarea, Israel

Program: One family house
Area: 350 sqm
Status: Proposal 2009

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Publications
A glass house on a golf course, The Marker, October 2009, Pg. 26-27

The private home has always been experimental to explore new architectural ideas, and therefore the ecological home is an opportunity to re-examine values ​​and promote sustainable planning. The image of the green house ranges from vernacular architecture, thick walls, the construction of Adobe or straw, the integration of recycled building materials, and the use of technological simulations as sloping roofs with solar collectors. The green house in Caesarea was designed with a comprehensive view, combining the insights of the environmental tradition with technological innovations, in order to create a suitable living environment for the occupants of the house while minimizing the damage to the environment. The main emphasis of the planning is on the integration of the outdoor areas within the building, providing maximum exposure to the nature, and hereby providing physical comfort, conserving the natural resources of soil and water and increasing energy efficiency through the design of passive and active energy systems.

Living is defined as one of our intimate envelopes and therefore a reflection of our way of life, reflecting the way we understand and relate to the world around us. The residence is a shelter that protects against the weather. In order for us to experience nature and feel it using our senses, proper planning must simultaneously enable protection and connection to the natural environment. The project offers maximum connection to the environment by deconstructing the structure into small components, while integrating the external areas such as the inner courtyards, the green roof and the water pool between them. The green areas that penetrate the building allow you to experience the outdoors from anywhere in the house. The openings are reinforced by the use of a controlled glass envelope that can be fully controlled, according to the desired level of privacy and lighting, using advanced liquid crystal technology. The dismantling of the house and its components contributes to natural ventilation, and improves the air quality in the home and the integration of natural lighting into the house. This provides maximum comfort to the user while saving resources.

Conservation of land

The three-story structure was designed for low-rise decoration in favor of gardening and permeable areas. The floor of the bedrooms hovers in part over the entrance floor, shading off active outdoor areas and allowing the garden to invade the building. The basement was designed for maximum use of the soil and for energy conservation. The roof is green and the covered areas on the ground floor create additional areas that serve as extra-functional areas that contribute to lowering the temperature around the building.

Energy conservation

The long facades of the building face south and north. Hereby, creating a smart shading system during the summer and allows heat to enter during the winter. The vegetation, which creates natural shading on the structure and soil, together with the ground floor and the green roof, isolates and prevents repeated radiation and helps prevent heat islands. The openings to the west and the upper openings allow for natural ventilation. The flow of air through the vegetation around the building, the courtyards and the protective patio contribute to the cooling of the air. Trombe Wall walls are added to the façades, which contribute to the passive preservation of energy. Energy is maintained by isolation and thermal mass. Solar panels are integrated on the roofs of the building and the roof of the guest room is designed as a green roof that is thermal insulation, contributes to the prevention of repeated radiation and enables the parents to go out into a green corner that continues to their room.

Conservation and recycling of water and waste resources

The main guiding principle in treating water and waste is through an on-site solution. The space around the house combines a local decorative plant, economical in water consumption with “green basins” and a vegetable garden. The site is planned to introduce runoff water into the groundwater. In the yard of the house was a vegetable garden intended for growing organic vegetables for the residents use. The “green basins” make it possible to recycle gray and naturally black water in favor of washing and irrigating the garden. The garden is molded by compost produced on the premises.

Green design with a comprehensive vision

Eco-H offers planning that takes into account a wide range of issues in order to create a comfortable and comfortable living environment while minimizing damage to the environment. The design transforms environmental thinking anchored in the past tradition with the advantages of advanced technology. The house offers a clean and abstract aesthetics that gives space to nature to be the main actor in the story that is woven between nature and man.