AART Architechts

Home For Life

Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects

HOME FOR LIFE

AART Architects

ARCHITECTS
AART Architects

DEVEOPER
VKR Holding

ENGINEER
Esbensen Consulting Engineers

AREA
200.0 m²

MANUFACTURER
Cupa Pizarras, VELUX Commercial, Velfac

BUILDR
Velfac and Velux

CATEGORY
Houses

LOCATION
LYSTRUP, DENMARK

YEAR
2008

Text description provided by architect.

With buildings accounting for 40% of carbon emissions in the Western world, and 30% of buildings having deficient indoor climates, we sought to create a carbon-neutral building that would benefit from solar energy, both actively by producing electricity and solar heat and passively by benefitting from the heat of the sun.

Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects

Together with engineers, manufacturers and researhers, we came up with the design for Home for Life – an active house producing more energy than it consumes.

With an expected energy surplus of 9 kWh/m2/year, it takes Home for Life approximately 35 years to produce the same amount of energy that was used to produce its materials, and by that time, the house will have returned more to nature than it has consumed.

Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects

Over the long-term, therefore, the house will be an asset for rather than a burden on the environment.

Furthermore, the structure of Home for Life is made of wood, while the facades are clad with natural slate, the floor tiles consist of mosaics of recycled glass and the windows use the latest energy-conserving glass technology.

Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects

In addition, the window area represents 40 percent of the surface area, which is twice the area compared to a traditional single-family house.

In this way, Home for Life ensures a healthy indoor climate by optimizing daylight, creating a close contact with nature and having integrated sensors that measure the heat, air humidity and CO2 in all rooms.

Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects

The house also has an automatic facade system that adapts to the seasons of the year and draws fresh air into the house.


Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects
Home For Life
Courtesy of AART Architects


Home For Life
Situation
Home For Life
Ground floor plan
Home For Life
First floor plan


Home For Life
Axonometry / Ground floor plan
Home For Life
Axonometry / First floor plan
Home For Life
Axonometry / Roof plan
Home For Life
Scheme

AART Architechts
T +45 87 303286
AART Architechts
Mariane Thomsens Gade 1c, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark