Architecture

Romania's Prispa solar prefab feels like a real home

Romania's Prispa solar prefab feels like a real home
The Romanian Solar Decathlon team, in front of their Prispa home
The Romanian Solar Decathlon team, in front of their Prispa home
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The structure’s asymmetrical lines provides for a north-facing facade that is slightly angled and thus protects the building from harsh Romanian winters
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The structure’s asymmetrical lines provides for a north-facing facade that is slightly angled and thus protects the building from harsh Romanian winters
The home’s high ceilings offer impressive interior dimensions and facilitate the use of an elevated zone positioned above the kitchen
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The home’s high ceilings offer impressive interior dimensions and facilitate the use of an elevated zone positioned above the kitchen
The private master bedroom
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The private master bedroom
The structure’s asymmetrical lines provides for a north-facing facade that is slightly angled and thus protects the building from harsh Romanian winters
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The structure’s asymmetrical lines provides for a north-facing facade that is slightly angled and thus protects the building from harsh Romanian winters
The southern side features large open windows and sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
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The southern side features large open windows and sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
The photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding
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The photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding
The photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding
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The photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding
The home's kitchen
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The home's kitchen
The rest of the home is made up of open living, dining, kitchen and study areas, with a private master bedroom and bathroom
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The rest of the home is made up of open living, dining, kitchen and study areas, with a private master bedroom and bathroom
The southern side features large open windows and sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
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The southern side features large open windows and sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
The home features triple-glazed windows that allow natural light to enter the home while also keeping out the heat
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The home features triple-glazed windows that allow natural light to enter the home while also keeping out the heat
The home features triple-glazed windows that allow natural light to enter the home while also keeping out the heat
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The home features triple-glazed windows that allow natural light to enter the home while also keeping out the heat
The interior heating system utilizes infrared panels that are placed in the living room, bedroom and bathroom
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The interior heating system utilizes infrared panels that are placed in the living room, bedroom and bathroom
It is the first year Romania has been represented in the Solar Decathlon Europe
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It is the first year Romania has been represented in the Solar Decathlon Europe
The Prispa solar home is a great example of what one can be done within a relatively small structure
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The Prispa solar home is a great example of what one can be done within a relatively small structure
The Prispa prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls
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The Prispa prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls
Sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
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Sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda
The interior heating system utilizes infrared panels that are placed in the living room, bedroom and bathroom, while the heated air is recycled to minimize the amount of energy consumed
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The interior heating system utilizes infrared panels that are placed in the living room, bedroom and bathroom, while the heated air is recycled to minimize the amount of energy consumed
The Prispa prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls
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The Prispa prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls
Prispa home rendering
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Prispa home rendering
The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office
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The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office
The home’s high ceilings offer impressive interior dimensions and facilitate the use of an elevated zone positioned above the kitchen
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The home’s high ceilings offer impressive interior dimensions and facilitate the use of an elevated zone positioned above the kitchen
Prispa home rendering
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Prispa home rendering
Prispa home rendering
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Prispa home rendering
Prispa home rendering
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Prispa home rendering
The Prispa home features specifically designed furniture
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The Prispa home features specifically designed furniture
Prispa home floorplan
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Prispa home floorplan
The Romanian Solar Decathlon team, in front of their Prispa home
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The Romanian Solar Decathlon team, in front of their Prispa home
The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office
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The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office
View gallery - 29 images

The Romanian Solar Decathlon team has presented its innovative solar-powered prefab home ... and it looks good enough to move into. Dubbed Prispa, it blends comfortable living zones with an abundance of natural light. The prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls, and the photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding.

The structure’s asymmetrical lines provides for a north-facing facade that is slightly angled and thus protects the building from harsh Romanian winter conditions, including strong northern winds and heavy snow falls. The southern side features large open windows and sliding doors that open out onto the shaded balcony terrace with overhead veranda. On the eastern and western facades, triple-glazed windows allow natural light to enter the home while also keeping out the heat and thus avoiding a greenhouse effect.

The home’s high ceilings offer impressive interior dimensions and facilitate the use of an elevated zone positioned above the kitchen. This extra zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office. The rest of the home is made up of open living, dining, kitchen and study areas, with a private master bedroom and bathroom.

The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office
The extra overhead zone provides the small home with added space, suitable to be used as a guest bedroom, playroom or home office

The interior heating system utilizes infrared panels that are placed in the living room, bedroom and bathroom, while the heated air is recycled to minimize the amount of energy consumed. To protect the home from warming up during the summer months, large shutters have been fitted on the outside of the windows. Furthermore, a layer of dark colored stone has been laid at the base of the home’s exterior, which attracts and stores heat from the sun during the day and releases it during the night.

The Prispa solar home is a great example of what can be done within a relatively small structure, however it does come with a not-so-small price tag. The prototype cost €120,000 (US$150,360) to build, but as the demand grows it is anticipated that the price could drop down to €90,000 ($113,000) in the first year, with the goal of further dropping down to €70,000 ($88,000).

That being said, it can be fully assembled in just 30 days, and comes with a ten-year warranty. The house can also be divided into pre-fabricated modules, in order to be easily transported by truck.

Source: Prispa via Inhabitat

View gallery - 29 images
3 comments
3 comments
Jansen Estrup
Nicely done - If it only had a water collection/purification system it would be ready for anything! I'm glad to see Europe and the rest of the world leading the smaller home/footprint revolution. We in the USA are finally starting to notice!
Loving It All
It would be helpful on all your articles about housing to indicate the square footage.
Calson
Brilliant design. Agree with the comment about the value of an optional rainwater collection system though its value would depend upon the site location - great for Costa Rica but terrible for Tucson and of no value in Vancouver.
Best design would allow for altering roof pitch for optimum production year round from the solar panels. Angle should be equal to latitude of the site location. In Costa Rica a pitched roof would cut solar production by 15%.