Since the beginning of the 20th century, architects have been considering how to bring as much daylight as possible into a building. This is because its beneficial effects on human well-being and health are well known. Nowadays we also understand that reducing artificial lighting also means less electricity and power consumption, and thus reducing the building's impact on the environment. In their design of the experimental hotel and conference center Green Solution House, architects from Denmark's 3XN Architects have achieved impressive results in terms of daylight access. On top of that, the Green Solution House is built with fully biodegradable materials and electricity comes from renewable energy sources. This is the pinnacle of architecture in the spirit of sustainability.
Green Solution House is located on Bornholm. Its authors, from 3XN Architects, have created an experimental and demonstration space. Its main goal is to allow users to experience what sustainable living looks like in a world without waste. The facility was created using the "Cradle to Cradle" system . This is a sustainable design model that treats materials as a component of a project with a life cycle of more than one generation. All the materials used to create the Green House Solution are fully biodegradable. Nothing is wasted here: water is sourced from rainwater, used water is biologically treated and reused, and vegetables and fruits come from integrated greenhouses. Renewable energy sourced primarily from light is also an important element.
Green Solution House
© Velux
healthy and sustainable living
Sunlight and the energy derived from it play a non-negligible role in this design. At the heart of this design is the realization that daylight has a salutary effect on human health and fitness. Light affects the synthesis of vitamin D in the body, which is responsible for immunity, as well as mood and mental health. This is why access to daylight is so important. In addition, greater use of daylighting of rooms also means less electricity consumption. At Green Solutions House, a number of measures have been taken to ensure that the DF is very high. The DF, or Daylight Factor, by which the level of daylight in a building is measured, is one of the key parameters that should be taken into account at the design stage. In the case of Green Solution House, the architects used the VELUX Daylight Visualizer for this. It's a free, professional daylight simulation tool. You can read more about it at VELUX ArchiTips.
Daylight at work and at rest
At Green Solution House, daylight even reaches areas that are darkened in traditional hotels and conference centers. Conference rooms are usually shrouded in twilight because of the presentations shown in them. Here, LED screens with special technology have been used, allowing the room to be brightly lit. This significantly increases the comfort of its use and improves the concentration of the people in it. The hall is illuminated by completely glazing one of the facades. This allows users of the building to benefit from daylight while doing other activities - listening to a lecture, giving a talk or watching a presentation.
hotel lobby full of light
© Velux
not just roof windows
Blurring the boundaries is perhaps GSH's biggest plus. With its large, sloping windows and glass facade, the traditional division between inside and outside is disappearing. As a result, the way users function is also changing. Time is no longer divided between work done in dark rooms and rest, during which one can enjoy the sun. Users have access to daylight all the time, no matter what they are doing. Almost every space of Green Solution House is filled with daylight. Common spaces are covered by a slanted roof made entirely of glass. Other areas with a slanted roof feature skylights and lap windows. Lighting in the bathrooms has also been solved in an interesting way - through tunnel skylights and skylights that bring in daylight, but do not disturb the sphere of privacy. The hotel part is also well lit. The rooms and corridors use skylights to reduce the use of artificial light during the day.
Daylight Factor analysis of the building
© Velux
daylighting in the house as well
The Green Solution House demonstrates that sustainability is not just a frothy slogan that sounds good at conferences, but a real-world design practice. Such projects pave the way for sustainable construction, where renewable energy sources are the basis, and access to daylight realistically reduces electricity consumption. The solutions used in the Green Solution House can be successfully applied to residential construction. A type in which they would work very well is a house with an attic. With the use of skylights, roof windows and knee windows, the attic can become an equally well-lit living space.
