BeWalt
Great project, I'd give it four out of five stars. They will find that they need deployable shades of some sort outside the south-facing windows, to further reduce incoming radiation in the summer. Every degree matters when the building has no active A/C.
"Passive Houses" like this are the way to go.
Dan Marsh
I think the overhangs and depth of the window reveals would provide enough solar blinding without having to have actual solar blinds which would have increased the cost.
I think the build cost has been kept low thanks to the simplicity of it, even though concrete formwork is expensive.
The Skud
I hope no wind-blown sparks hit that foam, say, from a sustainable tree prunings BBQ for example. Still sounds very expensive to me, a little architectural pre-design work could have made most of those concrete shapes virtually modular, therefore pre-cast slabs would save cost.
Gearhead
A solar passive house with no eaves? Insulation is important sure, but shading your walls and windows blocks a massive amount of heat before it needs to be insulated against. Also, while we are trying to save energy, anyone figure how much embodied energy is in the concrete and polystyrene? Also curious about the labour component of the build price, & how that changes from South Korea to the US or Australia? Still, I think its a good addition to the ongoing dialogue about how we build our houses & how we can build them better.
James Byrne
I'd be interested to see this house modeled in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to see how it preforms.
Also while the house does not have air-conditioning it would require some kind of ventilation system. Living in an airtight building like this without a proper ventilation strategy in place is never a good idea and is potentially dangerous to your health.
davemv
Styrofoam is a fantastic insulation. I used it extensively on my own passive solar house; however, the manufacturers have yet to address the issue of insects in applied foam. The foam provides ideal housing for a number of species, including ant and termites, and they are quick to chew into it and build extensive housing. Given my own experience I would recommend the owner (and architect) monitor the foam on an ongoing basis. The insects are often hard to find at first but over time will compromise the house in many ways.
Bruce H. Anderson
Sandwich concrete panels have been around for a while, so this is nothing new. One benefit they offer is thermal mass on the inside, which helps regulate temperature. Styrofoam squeaks, and so minor shifts in the building (moreso in residential than in industrial/commercial construction) can set off sounds that make a woodpecker think there is food there. A pre-cast panel does not need paint, but it helps the aesthetics.
Bob
Nice design but I would have fears about the out-gassing of all that plastic along with the possibility of a fire and the very toxic smoke it would produce. Also, what sort of UV protection did they use that could last the lifetime of the house. Another consideration would be the radon, humidity and possible mold that could accumulate in such a tight building.
Dekarate
Great - make a zero footprint house using one of the hated plastics on earth: styrofoam. No recycle ability (eventually house will need to be demolished). Made of styrene as possible carcinogen. 57 chemical by-products in its creation, including hydroflourocarbons, which are quite as bad as CFCs, but not great. etc.
Edouin
@davemv. Correct! Or as they say in California - Bazinga!
Such a house would not last one season here in Canada. Winter/summer and freeze/thaw cycles would turn this home into a tinderbox in no time at all. Giant Carpenter Ants would have a field-day (pardon the pun!) and there is no shortage of those buggers in Alberta!
Now, perhaps if the walls were Pre-fabricated with wood exteriors (all 6 sides) prior to installation, there might be some saving there. But the roof MUST have a slope, there MUST be Eves and Soffets to allow air to circulate under the roof and above living areas to remove access heat and allow the cold to "temper" above the living area insulation.
As well, the foundation, while still concrete, can be slightly "over-sized" to allow for thicker "foam" built walls - again sheathed in wood or some other stiff water-repellant material. Air conditioning many not be required if a decent heat-pump were installed. A Geo-thermal system would be best, I think. Sure, it's OK to sweat a bit in summer and put on an extra sweater in the winter, but that is not the optimal way to live in this modern world. Too many people are inured to such decadent (medieval) ways of living.
Give me a heater and Air conditioner, and I will go to my grave in comfort!