Work submitted for the Halina Skibniewskaya student competition - HEALTHY HOUSE
The house was designed with energy efficiency, ecology and renewable energy sources in mind, while "matching" its form to traditional single-family housing in the Polish countryside. The house consists of modules that can easily be combined with each other.
Three modules are part of the project: the main module first floor - living room with kitchen and bathroom, attic with bathroom and two rooms; additional module first floor - two rooms, attic - bedroom with bathroom and dressing room, and module vertical greenhouse serving as a heat buffer. It is sized to meet the requirements of a family of four.
The project includes three modules
© Anita Janicka
A two-car garage connected to the house, along with a utility room, is equipped with charging stations for electric cars. On the plot design, a dotted line has been drawn to indicate the direction of possible expansion of the house and garage by attaching additional modules of your choice. The walls of the house were made of lightweight frame construction, which can be easily rebuilt and prefabricated. The roof of the greenhouse was covered with glazing with photovoltaic cells that act as solar panels made of perovskites, so the house "produces" energy on its own. Perovskites are a group of minerals made up of inorganic chemical compounds that perfectly absorb light, allowing solar energy to be converted into electricity in a photovoltaic cell. Such a cell is lightweight because the perovskite layer can be extremely thin. They are also less expensive than commonly used panels.
first floor and attic plan
© Anita Janicka
A submersible heat pump was used for heating to optimize energy efficiency. This solution may seem expensive at the time of drilling during the construction phase, but considering the cost of use, it is an excellent source of energy both ecologically and economically. The construction costs pay for themselves after several years of use. The airtightness of the house was preserved by using mechanical ventilation with recuperation.
diagram of ecological solutions
© Anita Janicka
In addition, downpipes have been underground connected to a tank for rainwater, which is used to water the plants in the greenhouse, recovery of "gray" water is also envisaged. In front of the greenhouse is a microbiogas plant, a container for crop waste and food scraps, which are turned into biogas that can be used to heat food or even heat the house or water. A home anaerobic digester that can provide the equivalent of 6,000 BTUs for 2 hours or 1.75 kWh per day.
visualization of the greenhouse
© Anita Janicka
On the technical side, the system works as a flow-through system, i.e. waste is fed from one end and gas and fertilizer from the other. The mechanism regulates the gas pressure, allowing the gas to be delivered at the constant and predictable pressure required for stable use. The biogas produced is filtered through an active special-purpose filter, which removes all odors and toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The liquid fertilizer is sanitized by passing it through a chlorine tablet to reduce the amount of active bacteria in the wastewater. The at-home biogas plant is an innovative project by HomeBiogas, a foreign company.
plot development plan
© Anita Janicka
Despite its modern and ecological solutions, from the outside the house fits perfectly into the village landscape. The elevation of the house and garage with utility room covered with siding refers to wooden traditional houses. The windows have been equipped with sliding shutters, which protects the house from excessive overheating.
The roof is covered with anthracite tile
© Anita Janicka
The roof, with a slope angle of 45%, was covered with anthracite-colored tiles. In addition, the main entrance was accented with a porch with a gable roof. The house, including the garage, was situated on a plot of 10 acres, which is a typical-sized plot of rural and suburban land with a shorter side length of 22 meters.
Anita Janicka
Illustrations: © Author
