Designed by Nicolas Dorval-Bory Architect and Emilio Marin, the Snow House seeks to offer a variety of sustainable home heating solutions to ensure energy-efficiency. The project was featured in an architectural competition for Xella Cellular Concrete Blocks. A compact square plan provides for energy-efficient building panels that form the supporting structure of the house.
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 1
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The Xella blocks, 15cm and 10 cm in thickness, come lined with a vapor barrier and a black waterproof roughcast coating to exploit solar energy and to discourage snow-accumulation on roofs. Geothermal pumps are there to drive fresh cold air into the trombe wall. The trombe wall acts like a greenhouse, heats the air and traps it between two layers to avoid any heat loss. Heat, collected during the day, is distributed through the house via motorized valves when it’s dark.
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 2
The house gets a continuous supply of light and fresh air in summer, as it is a close-to-the-ground construction with an open, central courtyard. A higher indoor temperature is permitted to bedrooms and bathrooms on the south end.
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 3
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 4
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 5
nicolas dorval bory and emilio marin snow house 7
Via: Designboom
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