swHouse is a proposal for 700 square feet freeform house. After careful climatic zone analysis, I decided to place the house in the north lot corner, a point that sunny and breezy remains throughout the daily and annual period. As you can see from the shadow masks and the sunshine study (solstices, 06/21 orange and 12/21 blue) the lot turns out to be sunny in winter as in summer. Fundamental choice is to support the house with the green space on the west. Trees and shadow, on summer, could provide a great outdoor habitable space, away from noise and the main road. The house consists of three spaces; first, day area, is kitchen/living room/dining room; this is divided from the sleeping area by a hallway that divides the two parts from the bathroom.

The resulting shapes, very natural and fluid trying to join formal aspect and technical requirement, shielding the hot summer sun (through the lugs, the upper and the lower). In winter the upper lug allow sunlight to penetrate inside the house. The envelope is unique and is form resistant. The top part of the shelter, exposed to the weather action will be specifically treated to endure for years. The lower lug that characterizes the main facade, it also serves to carry the prevailing winds on the cover: useful tool for any eventual natural-inside ventilation system and relative vents on the ceiling. The living room area, non aligned with the sleeping one, seeking to connect the outer green space, with the interior, and providing a direct passage between the entrance and the back, amplifying the through ventilation and air changes. The sleeping area, with lower minimum height, trying to evoke a past and history related setting for man, a cave, the primordial refuge and shelter.

For a less land use, I chose to set up the house on a series of laminated wood beams with an horizontal structure in Cross Lam Timber. The reinforced concrete structures are limited to retaining walls to make this installation more sustainable as possible. These make possible to fully restore the area to its original state, recycling and reusing the materials used for the construction. The floor, inside the house, allow dry editing easy assemby inspection and manteinance.

The high inner walls in the living area allow standard furnitures. For the sleeping area, the furniture can be arranged to have a standard format, or it may be custom designed to take advantage of the wall-cave.