Architecture

Passive House Che mixes sustainability with an indoor lawn

Passive House Che mixes sustainability with an indoor lawn
Passive House Che is a sustainable house situated in Suceava, Romania
Passive House Che is a sustainable house situated in Suceava, Romania
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Passive House Che is a sustainable house situated in Suceava, Romania
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Passive House Che is a sustainable house situated in Suceava, Romania
Passive House Che was designed by Tecto Architectura
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Passive House Che was designed by Tecto Architectura
Passive House Che is currently under evaluation for the Passive House standard
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Passive House Che is currently under evaluation for the Passive House standard
The frame of Passive House Che while under construction
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The frame of Passive House Che while under construction
The walls and cladding being added to Passive House Che
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The walls and cladding being added to Passive House Che
The glazing being added to Passive House Che
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The glazing being added to Passive House Che
The completed Passive House Che
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The completed Passive House Che
Passive House Che is situated in a forest
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Passive House Che is situated in a forest
Passive House Che has a bright and open-plan design
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Passive House Che has a bright and open-plan design
Passive House Che features an internal courtyard with a lawn and a "net lounge"
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Passive House Che features an internal courtyard with a lawn and a "net lounge"
A toilet in Passive House Che
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A toilet in Passive House Che
The net lounge in Passive House Che
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The net lounge in Passive House Che
The stairs in Passive House Che
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The stairs in Passive House Che
A plan of the ground floor in Passive House Che
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A plan of the ground floor in Passive House Che
A plan of the first floor in Passive House Che
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A plan of the first floor in Passive House Che
A diagram of the heating and ventilation in Passive House Che
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A diagram of the heating and ventilation in Passive House Che
The Passive House Che design concept
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The Passive House Che design concept
View gallery - 17 images

A house in Romania has been built in just the sort of environment it is designed to help protect. Passive House Che is situated in a forest in the Romanian city of Suceava. In addition to a host of sustainability features, the house also has a large net suspended between floors and an indoor lawn.

Designed by Tecto Architectura, the aim of the project was to create a simple, sustainable, two-story unit that would fit into its forest surroundings. Tecto says the house was designed and built to reach the Passive House standard, which is awarded to houses that demonstrate highly efficient energy performance. The evaluation process for Passive House Che's potential certification is currently ongoing, according to Tecto.

The building covers 250 sq m (2,700 sq ft) and is built around an interior courtyard in which the lawn can be found. The "net lounge" hangs over the top of the lawn and is designed as a place for residents to relax and play. Large expanses of glazing coupled with an open plan layout are used to give the house a bright and flowing feel. Tecto suggests that certain areas in the house give the sense of being outside despite actually being inside.

Passive House Che features an internal courtyard with a lawn and a "net lounge"
Passive House Che features an internal courtyard with a lawn and a "net lounge"

The firm says that the estimated annual energy required for heating and hot water is less than 14 kWh/sq m (1.3 kWh/sq ft). High performance cellulose insulation and pressed wood fiberboard insulation are used, which are said to be non-toxic, a deterrent to rodents and resistant to mold. Vaporproof membranes, meanwhile, help to protect against condensation in the summer and facilitate drying in the winter.

The building is orientated and designed to make the most of the sun's energy for passive heating. Its green roof helps to insulate the building and is angled so as to help increase the size of the main sunlight-facing window during winter. A small gas boiler with a buffer tank is used to provide some of the energy required for the underfloor and in-wall heating, but other forms of temperature control are also employed.

The net lounge in Passive House Che
The net lounge in Passive House Che

The house uses an earth-to-air heat exchanger that uses the temperature of the ground to providing heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, while the living room features a biomass chimney fueled by wood chips which is connected to the buffer tank. A mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system is used to introduce fresh air to the house, which Tecto says retains 85 percent of the heat in the outgoing air.

Elsewhere, Passive House Che has a rainwater harvesting system that is connected to an underground storage tank and used to irrigate vegetation and crops. The installation of photovoltaic panels is also planned at a later date to meet some of the electricity needs of the building.

The Passive House Che project was started in 2009 and completed last year.

Source: Tecto Architectura

View gallery - 17 images
3 comments
3 comments
Robert Hirsch
Once again, another bullshit expensive house that is not passive.... you have to heat and cool the frickin' thing. see Earthships.
David Rochlin
Is this a hydroponic lawn, or will it have dirt, and bugs?
William Carr
Plow under that lawn and plant a garden, you dorks.
When you can harvest your own spinach and tomatoes in January, you’ll really have something worthwhile.