Cube 100 house project from Root Architects

The CUBE100 house was one of the winners of the architectural competition for a house of up to 70m2 built, organized by the General Administration of Building Control (its previous name was CUBE70).

CUBE 100

BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS:

CUBE 100 is a residential, single-family, one-story building, without basement, with a flat roof, on a square plan with a side length of 8.3 meters.

Building area: 68,9^m2
Building height: 6,3 m
Usable area: 107.2 ^m2
Gross cubic capacity: 344,5^m3
Width of front elevation: 8,3 m
Width of side elevation: 8,3 m
Flat roof, slopes for drainage: min. 1,5°
The minimum plot size is 20.5 m x 21.5 m.
Non-renewable primary energy demand EP -23.1 [kWh/m2year] (ecological variant)

CUBE 100

In the designed building we assume the use of such solutions as:

photovoltaic panels
- The panels are to be arranged on the roof in several rows, on racks at the optimal slope and facing south (if possible). When optimally positioned, they should provide 100% of the necessary electricity.
Mechanical ventilation (heating with cooling function) with recuperation
- The control unit is located in the technical room on the first floor.
air heat pump with outdoor unit
underground retention tank for rainwater.

The house is intended to be as environmentally friendly and self-sufficient as possible, so as to significantly reduce energy and water consumption.

CUBE 100

ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS

The house is characterized by a simple but modern form. The distinguishing design theme is the square. The shape of the square is in the projection of the building itself, all windows, sliding doors and also the proposed elements of the plot development, such as paving slabs, a terrace on the garden side, a double parking space, elements of the external fence and even a solid waste shed next to the fence.

CUBE 100

Through the simple form of the building, which refers to a typical Polish cube, we wanted the building to become an object of modern and interesting architecture, and through its minimalist form to fit well into the architecturally diverse environment in which it will be built.

CUBE 100

A big plus and also an argument for using a cube shape with a flat roof is the fact of maximum possible use of space — the first floor has the same area as the ground floor, unlimited by the roof pitch. The flat roof also allows you to use its entire surface for photovoltaic panels, which are at the same time almost invisible.

CUBE 100

On the one hand, the designers tried to reduce the size of the windows and their number to minimize heat loss, on the other — for functional reasons — each room has a large sliding portfenetr window and its own exit to the balcony. The largest double doors from the living room to the terrace have total dimensions of 5.00m x 2.50m. The sliding living room door is located under the balcony cover, which shields it from the sun in the summer and winter, when the sun is lower, it allows for increased solar heating of the interior. The rest of the windows are smaller and located only where we deemed necessary to minimize heat loss from the building. The windows on the first floor have the option of installing concealed external blinds that allow additional regulation of solar penetration as needed.

CUBE 100

FUNCTIONAL AND UTILITY SOLUTIONS

The building was designed with a clear upstairs-downstairs functional division: into an open ground floor — a public area and a private area on the first floor, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. An internal garage was deliberately omitted to maximize the use of the building area for essential functions, so that this small building could meet all the needs of a family of four.

CUBE 100

The entrance to the building is located on the north side, and is sheltered from the weather by a balcony panel. Upon entering the house, we find ourselves in a lockable vestibule with access to a spacious dressing room for outer garments. This is followed by a small hall from which we have access to all ground floor features and the staircase to the first floor. Access to the technical/laundry room is provided, while access to the room/office does not force us to go through the living/semi-private area. There is also a small toilet tucked under the higher stair run.

CUBE 100

The main space on the ground floor is a large open living area with a living room, fireplace, dining room and with an open kitchenette (with the possibility of separating it), with a large island that can serve as a bar or a place to have a quick meal. A fold-out table will allow 8 or even 10 people to sit comfortably. The living room has space for a 3-seater sofa and additional armchairs. On the walls, you can make a place for bookshelves, paintings or a TV set.

CUBE 100

The living area has large sliding doors, allowing to open it almost freely to a very large outdoor terrace and garden. Functionally, this allows the indoor and outdoor zones to be connected, enlarging the area for relaxation for the whole family.

The floors are connected by a comfortable double staircase reaching a small upper hallway providing access to all rooms — three bedrooms and a bathroom. There is also room for a technical roof hatch.

CUBE 100

The two children's bedrooms (on the south and west sides), with areas of about 11m2, have large full-height glass doors that bring light to the interiors and lead to two outdoor balconies. Between them, there is a „children's” bathroom with a toilet and shower. The parents' bedroom is larger (12m2) and has an additional dressing room as well as its own large bathroom with two sinks, toilet bowl, bidet and large bathtub. As in the other bedrooms — a large sliding glass door with access to the balcony was designed here.

CUBE 100

MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

The load-bearing system of the building consists of prefabricated reinforced concrete exterior and interior load-bearing walls with a structural thickness of only 12 cm, with thermal insulation of 15 cm, allowing to meet the latest requirements of the Technical Conditions.

CUBE 100

The facades are covered with thin-coat mineral plaster in white or light gray. In the balcony areas they are covered with wood cladding and anthracite-colored plaster. In order not to interfere with the minimalist perception of the building, all-glass balustrades made of structural safety glass for the full height of 110 cm with fastenings concealed from underneath and delicate steel handrails were proposed.

Woodwork in wood and anthracite colors. Fix and tilt-and-turn windows. Tilt-and-slide balcony doors, sliding or smart-slide terrace doors.

Partition walls of reinforced concrete, 10 cm thick, or of silicate.

Ceilings — monolithic reinforced concrete, 15 cm thick.

Internal stairs — reinforced concrete, prefabricated. The building is founded on a reinforced concrete foundation slab, which allows it to be erected also in places with poorer soil conditions.