The house that we’re about to present is a masterpiece of both architecture and technology. It was completed in just ten weeks by a company named NOEM in Castellon, Spain, and it offers 1,033 square feet of living space. Its design and manufacturing processes were conceived digitally, which means that the architects had full control of even the slightest details of this wooden eco-friendly house.
What makes this residence stand out is the fact that many of its systems can be controlled via a smartphone, especially since most of its equipment is connected to the internet. Highlights include a HVAC system that changes its settings according to the weather forecast, while the mechanical ventilation turns on automatically whenever it detects a high enough CO2 concentration. All switches are operable via radio, which means that the Ecological House 3.0 features few wires. The residence boasts a small volume called a “refugi”, which was put together using two prefabricated wooden volumes. Then there’s the larger volume, which contains a well-lit living room, kitchen and dining space, all of which are linked to a patio thanks to a retractable window.
Due to its innovative and energy-saving technologies, this house flaunts an energy consumption class A, which is an incredible achievement.
Photos by Meritxell Arjalaguer
From the architect:
A bioclimatic and technological house, built in record time with a 100% digital process. A modern and relaxing design, with 3.0 technology to automate the house from a smartphone and achieve maximum energy efficiency. What more could you ask for? The owners of this unique building wanted a digital home respectful of the environment of the Serra which they love. NOEM designed and built this modern passive house for them, and in 10 weeks finished the project.
This ecological wooden house 3.0 is 100% digital: in both its design and manufacturing process, as well as the control of its use. Digitalization has allowed us to design a bio-climatic house, optimized and intelligent, and to send this design directly to digital cutting machines without intermediation. The result, an efficient and sustainable home in every sense: economic sustainability by saving time and errors (8 weeks for prefabrication + 1.5 weeks for assembly) and process optimization; environmental sustainability through the intensive use of local renewable materials and a passive wooden house that is highly energy efficient.
All the equipment is interconnected via internet …. even the light switches. Home automation allows not only to execute orders to increase comfort, but can also act autonomously to achieve greater energy efficiency. The HVAC system adapts to the weather forecast, the irrigation system operates according to soil moisture and rain forecast, and mechanical ventilation activates when the concentration of C02 is high. The lights can be synchronized with the schedule on a smartphone or programmed to wake us up or greet us when we get home via GPS or detectors. The switches are autonomous, without wiring, and function via radio, we can move them around and program them as we like: no electricians or cables required.
“The refugi” consists of two wood modules prefabricated in a wood shop and assembled on site, which together have a floor area of 96m2. A broad and generous porch with a large automated awning, facing south and overlooking the Serra welcomes us.
The larger module is 9 × 4.5 m and contains a luminous living room-dining-kitchen that connects to the porch through a large retractable window 3 meters wide, which transforms the two spaces into one. A second 9 x 3 m module contains a double bedroom, a bathroom and a flexible study that can turn into a double bedroom.
The modules are built with solid structural panels of laminated wood 81 mm thick. Wood fiber panels 16 cm thick thermally insulate the entire envelope. The facades are covered with larch wood mounted on a ventilated chamber. The glass is high performance. And inside wooden beams, parquet floors and white walls are combined.
In short, an ecological wooden house 3.0 built with digital technology in record time. Without forgetting comfort or design. It demonstrates its efficiency through data: an energy consumption in class A air conditioning of only 15.05 kwh / m2 (representing savings of 90% in consumption compared to a traditional dwelling), a negative CO2 footprint of 56.95 kgCO2 / m2, equivalent to saving enough CO2 during construction to go 4.5 times around the earth by car, and finally all energy consumption and production, water consumption, temperature, humidity and more data accessible via smartphone in real time.