VITAL HOUSE
by Jill Fehrenbacher
Erin Vali from Ulterior Mode has recently been getting all sorts of attention for an art-studio house he recently designed in the Catskills (profiled in The New York Times). Just as interesting, however, is his concept design for an eco-friendly, solar-powered four bedroom prefab that uses passive heating and cooling techniques to further minimize its energy footprint. Vali utilizes all sorts of clever methods to get the most out the design, Vital House’s ventilation is controlled through a system of louvers and fans which can create drafts when you’d like to cool things down and that can recycle heat when temperatures fall. The building is covered in opaque insulation panels, while the south and east elevations of the house are clad in water-filled tanks which absorb radiant energy during the day and then radiate that stored energy at night after the sun has gone down. No word yet on what Vital House might cost, but presumably you’ll be saving some cash on your monthly utility bills.
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