A project of architecture is always a compromise between full and empty. Are built of solid but what is used at the end are empty. For this reason, the first and most important project is that architecture in which all voids are seen and can be compared in their relations and proportions.
The spread of CAD so that this intermediate step is often skipped and now we start to design a staircase directly enforceable. It is a grave mistake to start thinking more full when you are not satisfied voids. The shoe and leather Possoni be fine as long as you want but if they are close will hurt. Large drawings are filled with special lose sight of the concept of set or even hide the fact that this concept is completely lacking.
Our house has Prusik on passive forms of simple calculation above all to avoid complications. The main volume is about 11.20 × 11.20 × 15.60 = 1956.86 m³ must be added in a basement for the foundation structures and facilities. The surface of the three main levels is 11.2 × 11.2 = 125.44 m² for a total of 125.44 × 3 = 376.32 sqm. To these are added to 125.44 m² of terrace and 70 m² of local technicians on the ground floor.
The "warm heart" of the house, however, has only a volume of 11.20 × 11.20 × 9.18 = 1151.54 cubic meters and an area of 662.14 m² dispersant divided into 11.2 × 4x9, 18 = 411.26 m² walls and 125.44 × 2 = 250.88 m² of floors.
The ratio A / V is then 0.57.

A passive house is built like an onion. There must be several layers to protect a core hot environments in which they collected the most popular of the house. The fact is that a draft on the chair on which you sit most gladly be much more annoying than a closet where there are maybe only 18 degrees and then you must try to ensure that the seat is to be found in more sheltered storage room in the house and most dangerous ones.

This kind of considerations are practical application time to plant in the section.

Plant in an attempt to put the service areas facing north and, when possible, is to have protection on that side, so that reduced exposure to cold winds. It can be a row of trees or even another building. If the site we chose Prusik on what occurs in an optimal way, in fact we have a free field to the south while to the north we have a steep ridge that absorb heat all day and release him during the night.

In section it is advisable to insulate the floors inhabited by interposing layers are not heated to separate the living spaces from the ground and cover. In areas prone to hurricanes and severe storms these layers of compensation are very useful to decrease the high pressure caused by wind.

The bay area of pink section and our hearts warm. Towards the north is protected by a number of service areas, we have the top cover that is designed to collect rainwater, which covers a large terrace, creating an intermediate layer ventilated to the south we have a wall-soleil Brize want to apply the photovoltaic panels and below we have a technical plan for plants with the water tank.

As you can see the heart of the home never comes into direct contact with the outside but there are always areas of mediation between interior and exterior. It is a solution that may seem expensive but what you get in return is a great variety of situations that multiply the experience of living space.

The concept of our passive house is slowly taking shape at this point we need a master plan to calculate how big are the areas involved and how much energy we need.

The glazing can reduce the dispersion of the windows and, if you have a good g can make the most of free solar energy falls.
There are also other materials, while ensuring transparency less than that of glass, allow to maximize the efficiency of the 'greenhouse effect: the so-called TIM, transparent insulating materials .
A TIM lets light and radiant heat but stays warm. The heat can then be transmitted directly to the environment or can be sold to a wall that will store and return it when the temperature starts to drop, or it can be sold to a carrier, usually a layer of air, which is then put into circulation. This is a very efficient way to isolate and is particularly suitable for those latitudes where winters are cold but also many sunny days as may happen in the mountains .
A low level the risk is that the accumulation of heat in the sunny days can be excessive. To avoid this most modern products have a micro structure which maximizes the solar collection in a specific direction and this allows for some adjustment of the phases of absorption so that there will be no side effects.

Our construction will be primarily a scale and this element will be the focus of our project. The very simple scheme of the tower is inspired by the motto "do not pay what is not built." There are almost no interior walls. The staircase in the middle sorts and separates all sides of the environment with the exception of a small local departments to each floor. we use the stairwell as if it were a large radiant panel and we will use the mass as a thermal flywheel. Let's start with a diagram of 11.2 square meters on each side and repeat the same distribution on 5 levels.

0-On the ground floor we have the technical rooms with the water tank (+14.00)
1-arrange the first floor a living-room with kitchen (+17.06)
2-On the second floor sleeping area for 4 people (+21.12)
3-the third floor of the workplace (+24.18)
4-On the fourth floor a large covered terrace (+27.24)

Apart from the scale throughout the rest of the house will be built with panels of OSB and cedar trees.
The size of the square are the sum of 9 square meters of 3.6 × 3.6 + thickness of exterior walls. This is not a random choice. OSB panels on the market in size starting from 1.2 × 2.4 m and the form we have chosen we can produrretutti elements that we need virtually no material waste.

The most important section of the site that we chose on Prusik is shown in the drawing that post today. One can see that behind the cape the land rises with a slope of about 20 ° for 25-30 meters and then becomes much steeper. Even 20 degrees are few, but unfortunately there is not a real balcony on which to develop a building horizontally, it should build but this would require major excavation work or terracing. Then choose a vertical construction in order to have a few renovation of the ground.

Site section

Unless your site is not as flat as the desert of Utah should always begin designing the department of land. Although there is only a drop of one meter from the four corners of your site that will put the high entrance fee is the first decision and we can rightly take only after a detailed survey of the shares existing. If the terrain is almost flat with just a couple of interesting profiles but for a site such as Prusik not settle for anything less than those indicated in the figure.

It takes a significant enough to allow accurate tracking of contours.
If your architect shows you the sections which does not describe the soil profile exists but only that the final settlement wrinkled her nose and ask for explanations. If sections do not you just do not see any shows and only plants already finished architect changed.
The space is three dimensional and the third dimension is height. Pay attention, the particularity of the site is all contained in its heights, not in details. Begin to plant without knowing well the site means to orient drawing sheet rather than the reality. Are the physical limits of the sheet to guide the design of those not good relief. Look around and find that the world is full of buildings A4.

Once you have assessed the site, or where to place the building within the borders, we must choose the technology which will be built.
Steel, masonry, concrete or wood. They are all systems go well, assembled on site or prefabricated. This is just choose the cheapest system.
In general, try to use what It is available in abundance in the vicinity of the site chosen.
In the case of a small house on passive Prusik the problem is different because there is virtually nothing on the island and, whatever the technology chosen, all necessary materials will be loaded into containers and then taken there. Might even be easier to build four container somewhere where it is comfortable and then place them only assemble together. The problem in this case would be fitting because most cumbersome parts that we handle and more powerful must be the crane that will be useful during assembly. On second thought even download the materials on an island with no piers is a problem. Imagine that the cargo can approach up to fifty meters from the coast and then a cable car safe is the most simple to download and then, without aids, moving parts that weigh more than a few hundred pounds on the island becomes very difficult.
With the help of a helicopter could solve many problems but the time of hire of the helicopter is likely to cost more than the house. Let's pretend that the passage by ship costing us very little but that the helicopter is over budget so as to assume a position closest to normal working conditions.

Can be seen that the assembly should be divided into two phases. Initially, this will create a plan suitable foundation to support the construction and when this work plan will be ready into them over the materials and the assembly will proceed. The rocky nature of the island is not particularly complex si'che create a series of columns on which to build a wooden deck at the end of the building could be used as a terrace. Even the water tank should be done in the same way using maybe some natural cavities. Initially this will only flashover one container load of material and timber approx. We ought also to provide for the transport of a small drill to micro because on 'island do not nothing to burn for warmth in winter and we only use geothermal energy.
With a very tight time schedule could solve everything in two or three weeks but, since there no one runs after we take a month to produce works of foundation concrete. Meanwhile most of precast construction by building a structure based on panels of about 10m ² / 1t already complete with all facilities and to assemble on site using a small crane to the scope of a few tons at most. Once the foundation is completely empty plan to pull the panels on the building in a week and then to finish in a month.
As basic material for the panels choose the wood. You could also think of steel but is heavier, more sensitive to corrosion under insulation and then cost much more. Do not expect to have more than two or three floors so the wood enough.

We saw yesterday what would be the most suitable location for a new building on Prusik. In drawing up here and the area span in light green. You can imagine the alternatives? Obviously all of you and I have chosen two that could present some advantages.

Variant B chooses to use the dock at the base of the canyon south. That position helps you get the catchment area of the canyon, but rather requires massive intervention is to prepare the plan campaign to mark the docking area. It should be added that the rest of 'island remains difficult to achieve. Climb the ridge through the canyon was too steep and there would in any case to move to the area A from which the climb is easier.

The variant C instead move the building in the highest part of the 'island and the only flaw on the distance from the sea and the large exposure to the wind. As has its own charm and is proof of the catastrophic tsunami Provisioning would always be very uncomfortable. The position of "lighthouse" is also the one that maximizes the sense of isolation since a 360-degree sea cancels the effect of land and creates a psychological feeling of abandonment.

From a design point of view the challenge proposed by a place so isolated is the lack of anywhere else that creates a sense of confinement. Exploit all the topical areas of the island to create a range of spatial situations as varied as possible is crucial. While continuing to prefer the site we need to identify other sites of interest to 'internal perimeter of the island and in addition to those already there are three others with potential, the headland to the southeast and the small bay to the north and along the slope descends to the west.

In the case of Prusik imagine having to build a house suitable for 2-4 people for an agency that will rent to people who want to spend po'eccentriche a few weeks in complete isolation.
The house will be inhabited more or less throughout the year and linked to the mainland via a flight of 'hydroplane every two settimane.Valuteremo site according to the criteria defined in the previous post.

Water.
We estimate a requirement of 120-160 liters of drinking water per day you could meet in many ways.
Given that there the sea the easiest way would be to use a watermaker boat . A good model can produce 200 gallons per day requires a power of 500 W and it takes three hours to produce all the 'water needed. With 2 kWh are in place. Alternatively, conservatively estimated 600mm of rainfall per year, could provide a cistern for collecting rainwater. If we imagine a coverage of about 80m ² shown and it can pick up 48m ³ of rainwater in a year that are made about 48,000 liters, 130 liters per day. Finally, it could provide a pool of sea water desalination plant to install a solar condensation. In the first case we are dependent on electric energy and material consumption of the desalination plant in the latter rain in the third from the sun. If the weather is fine we can produce water if it rains we can gather, if we can desalinate e'nuvolo. You could also try the water and pump it deep into the surface but for the moment we do not account.

Accessibility
As we said Prusik links with the continent are very limited and therefore we should not worry about all those services that accompany any site that is in an urbanized region. There are no markets, schools, theaters, sports fields, parks, roads railways etc.. etc.. to be taken into account. The only things that interest us are access from the sea and access to less-steep 's island. Since the peaceful and prudent to build the ground floor of our house passive least 20 meters above high tide level.

The topography of Prusik at this point severely limits the choice. There are two main findings connected by a saddle from which descend two canyons to the sea, one north and one south. Then there is a significant lowest form as a small promontory facing southeast. Right here are the less steep land. Something else is even higher on the south side of the saddle. All other parts of the island are quite steep and although it is not impossible to build something would undoubtedly far more complex.
The isthmus connecting the promontory to the main island forms two bays where there are two beautiful beaches. Other points of docking is favorable to have the ends of the canyons that descend from the saddle. The position that minimizes the links to all relevant points of the 'island is more or less 20 meters above the' isthmus. From here you can quickly reach the beaches of the Cape and also the saddle connecting the two hills of the island.

Exposure
For an island the wind exposure and what counts more than the sun. Prusik immaginaimo that at 180 ° E and 40 ° N, halfway between Japan and Canada. In that area quite turbulent clash hot winds from the southwest that date back to those cold reduction from the northeast. The wind direction is not constant as the equator and one side there is no safe place but having to choose one side to choose again the southeast, over the isthmus, which also gives us a good exposure to the sun.

There is one last thing that you should always do when evaluating a site and sees a solution that begins to like. We must imagine that for some reason we like imperative that solution is impossible, then you should carefully consider the alternatives. It may seem unnecessary work but the disadvantage is that a solution favored beginning, you do not see the flaws and the only way to see and compare it with alternatives. We will do it in the next post.

When you build something you run the choices that are linked together in a pyramid.

The 'most common error is to start with instead of decisions that should be taken later, after solving other questions that are upstream. Understand the important characteristics of the place where you build and act accordingly is the first step and is also the most important. All evaluations done wrong even when there is nothing, not even a pencil on a white sheet will then be very difficult to correct.

All sites have special qualities and Leon Battista Alberti taught that to understand what was right to build in a place you had to stay at least three days and three nights. Better yet, if in three different seasons. This is because what you see and hear from the window as long e'piú important and 'made the window and it is the fourth dimension, time , to give life to buildings.

What should I consider when evaluating a site for a dwelling?

There are many answers to this question but I value above all three things:

• water,
• accesibility
• exposure.