outdoors barcelona, SUMO architects wraps its BE home in an operable shading system
the passive dwelling in argentona
SUMO architects introduces a breezy dwelling, dubbed ‘BE house,’ for a family of four in in argentona, a small city situated 30min by car from barcelona. the house is situated along a plot of 370 square meters with an optimized orientation within its natural and built surroundings, characterized by small, clustered houses. the house was designed inspired by passive house principles. it is compact, and defined by its offset occupiable facade. the concrete floor on the ground floor allows the interior to become a low heating and cooling demand building.
constructing the BE HOUSE
the design team at SUMO architects (see more here) explains the construction of its BE house, noting that the ground, and first floors are built with a ‘dry industrialized system.’ the frame stands as an assemblage of wooden slabs, beams, and a façade finished with thermo treated pine wood strips. the plinth of the house, in contact with the ground, is made out of concrete. a hot galvanized steel tube profile defines the porch. a slim structure generates an intermediate space between the inside and the outside. wooden rolled shooters protect the house from sun radiation and allow cross ventilation.
each material is used where it is most efficient — the team employs a green roof to protect against the exposure to direct sunlight to avoid overheating. a photovoltaic plant integrated on the roof produces the energy that the house needs. accumulation batteries allow the house to be unplugged from the electricity grid.
