Equinox House

The Equinox House is a small passive building made for discreet enjoyment of life in balance with nature. It aims to create a modest but sophisticated architectural object that delicately interacts with natural phenomena on all levels from embracing local views to tracing universal solar motion. Steep site with amazing marine views to the South and prevailing northern winds have led us to a simple linear solution that is inserted into and sheltered by the coastal cliffs. Green roof planted with local grasses covers the entire house providing for 95% site recovery. Low profile over the ground makes the house almost invisible from the North. Residential program is solved on three levels: entrance on top, day functions in the middle and night level below. Similarly to ancient examples, the building facade inclination and cross section proportions are set by the solar Equinox and Solstice angles turning it into a celestial instrument.

Narrow roof oculus lets inside a noon sunspot that travels daily on a calendar scale built into the living room. On technological level the house respects nature by meeting the passive standards for extra low energy consumption. Certified triple glass is part of the insulated envelope that eliminates thermal loss. Integrated ventilation system with recuperation and solar panels provides passive heating and cooling. Linear swimming pool utilizes the extra power from the solar collectors in summer. Arid local climate mandates rainwater collection and wastewater reuse. Small bioactive wastewater treatment unit turns waste into dry biocompost and irrigation water. Local materials and labor were used in order to avoid cost and pollution from unnecessary transportation.

Equinox passive house specifications: Annual heating demand: 15 kWh/m2 Building envelope insulation values: walls 0.15 W/m2K roof 0.10 W/m2K glazing 0.8 W/m2K Site area: 1000m2 House footprint: 250m2 Total building area: 515m2