HAUS 757

HAUS 757 by studiovol, was born following a year of consultation with the clients, a young couple looking to create a homestead to meet collective environmental and resilient design aspirations. Ultimately focusing on a material and constructional methodology that included rammed earth, a design solution with the possibility of going above and beyond the initial objectives was selected.

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Located in the agrarian landscape of southern Ontario, the project is nestled in a glade surrounded by lush verdant woodlot. The house rises from the ground supported by massive load bearing exterior walls constructed out of concrete stabilized insulated rammed earth, CSIRE walls. CSIRE walls are a natural environmentally sound construction capable of weathering the infamous Canadian winter and fabricated utilizing local soils grounding the project in its time and place. CSIRE walls, aside from their striking aesthetic, provide superior thermal mass, control interior humidity levels creating a stable microclimate, and are low maintenance and extremely durable. The upper volume is an insulated wood frame construction that utilizes trusses to create volumetric interior spaces and is clad in stark anthracite standing seam panels. This elevated volume is punched with generously sized openings that take advantage of expansive views of the surrounding woodlot through the seasons. Designed with passive design methodologies in mind, all utilitarian spaces were placed along the north façade to minimize openings and reduce the heating load in the winter. The openings to the south/southeast provide opportunities for ample heat gains throughout the winter, whilst the overhang of the second floor provided for a protected outdoor terrace in the summer. The roof is structured to support future solar panel capabilities and the house is served by an aquifer sustained well,  as such, the immediate landscaping around the house is designed to offset the impact of the building on site serving to accommodate runoff and filter soil infiltration.

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As an anchor and primary home for the clients this project embodies and expresses, efficient space management, sustainable energy initiatives, smart technologies, and an interior atmosphere that is pet and family friendly, all aiming to serve the needs of a growing family for generations to come.