French designers continue to put the “fab” in prefab: Construisons Demain, a brilliant design from architect Eric Wuilmot, premiered at Batimat in Paris earlier this month. The system showcases low-energy living with three prefabricated wooden modules, resource and energy efficient systems, healthy finish materials, and inviting living spaces.
The structure uses FSC-certified wood siding to create a footprint just 12 x 17 meters. An 8 x 8 meter interior courtyard invites natural daylight with a sliding glass canopy that can be opened in summer. The sheltered outside patio allows natural ventilation and cooling for high-indoor environmental quality. At roof level, the courtyard is flanked by vegetated roofs that retain and recover rainwater.
The building is highly insulated with wood wool and wool cellulose. Double-glazed wood windows have an argon fill to increase the building’s thermal envelope. Solar thermal collectors coupled with a a condensing boiler provide heat for domestic hot water and radiant underfloor heating. Sixteen rooftop mounted photovoltaic panels capture solar to generate electricity.
Interior finishes focus on low-emission materials including no-VOC textile tiles made from recycled polyamide fiber and low emission eco-labeled paints. Finish choices are high in recycled content, recyclable, and reusable. The home is wired for intelligent management that allows remote adjustment of system functions and continual improvements to overall energy efficiency.
+ Construisons Demain
+ Batimat
What a beautiful thing to see a courtyard included into ESdesign again.
Just the other day I was writing up a teaching aid on the interpretation of space using the mind game of getting someone to first define what their definiton was of an interior space and then an exterior space.
“Now try to imagine a space that is both interior and exterior at the same time and then explain how you might contain and divide such a space.”
People look at that question and you can see on their faces “Does not compute, does not compute!!!!”
Thank you ‘Demain’ or should I say thank you ancient Crete, 1000 BC.