Located in Suceava, Romania, Passive House Che is a sustainable two-story home that wraps around a contained central courtyard that contains the stairwell and an indoor lawn. The exterior wall and ceiling that wrap the double-volume courtyard are completely glazed to allow as much natural daylight to permeate the home as possible. On the second story, a netted lounge creates a relaxing and oh-so-playful lounge area.
Passive House Che was designed to reach the passive house standard in the harsh northern Romanian climate. Tecto Arhitectura was able to design the home in such a way as to reduce the need for heating and hot water to below 14kwh/sqm/year.
Additional sustainable elements used in the home are wood and natural insulation materials, as well as a green roof and high performance windows. There is also a resource management system for the heating and electrical supply.
Natural daylight is four times the average for a home of this size – due to the placement and size of the glazed areas. By incorporating natural daylight into the design of the home, the passive solar energy gain is also increased.
The inverted roof line maximizes the solar input used for heating, while the green roof replaces the flora removed by the home’s footprint.
The vertical natural cedar slats on the facade blend the structure into the surrounding woodland. The staggered volumes increase the shadow effects, which further blend it into the landscape – as do the foliage reflections in the glazings.
The main level of the home is wide open and has no interior walls, except for those that surround the bathroom and technical room.
Since the bathroom is closed off from the open space, it is one place where a bold color is used. The fuschia brings a sense of cheeriness to an otherwise utilitarian space. Here too, sustainability is at the forefront, with hot water obtained through solar thermal collectors and a heat buffer tank.
A groundwater power heat pump reduces the need for heating and at a later date, photovoltaic panels will be installed on the roof to provide the electrical requirements for day-to-day needs.
The main floor contains the social zone and an open riser stairwell within the central double volume courtyard. This leads to the master suite, a library, a second bedroom and bathroom as well as that super fun net lounge.
Even in the dead of winter, Passive House Che keeps a strong connectivity to the surrounding forest via its unique use of glazings. Can you imagine how beautiful and serine it would be to relax in the net lounge and watch the snow falling in a night sky? It must be an incredible experience.
Tecto Arhitectura
