Here's an idea for a beach house with a difference, courtesy of Brooklyn-based Studio Vural. Named Dune House, the home would be built into the beach rather than on it like you might expect, and would run off-the-grid with solar panels and wind turbines.
Not to be confused with this Dune House, nor this other one either, Dune House is envisioned for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Its distinctive design brings to mind the Edgeland Residence, though the firm doesn't mention Native American pit houses as an inspiration. Instead, a squid of all things provided that initial spark of creativity. Studio Vural head Selim Vural was on a nighttime fishing trip, when, spotting a squid's "flash" thought "If squids can power themselves, so should houses."
The interior would consist of two levels, with a gap in the middle separating the upper area into two halves. A large open kitchen and dining area is located upstairs, with a living room and more private areas like the bedrooms situated downstairs.
Solar panels and wind turbines would be located nearby, while the home being covered in all that sand and grass would also provide extra insulation.
"The un-plugged house has an autonomous power network, energized by a vast solar field and miniature wind turbines, designed to produce more clean energy than consumed," says Studio Vural. "This high energy efficiency is enabled by burrowing the house under the dunes, anchoring the foundation into geothermal temperatures of sand, consequently blanketing 80 percent of the envelope."
Naturally, building a home within sand dunes may pose a challenge with regard to planning regulations, especially with the obvious environmental concerns about disturbing a dune area. That said, OPEN Architecture managed it with the UCCA Dune Art Museum and, according to Dezeen, Dune House is scheduled to begin construction later this year.
Source: Studio Vural