Technology
The house is heated by geo thermal heat. A 170 meter deep hole is drilled into the rock from which energy is retrieved. The thermal heat pump is situated in the small Leaf house, which also functions as a storage space. Because the small building is also heated by the pump, it is used as a laundry, where the wet clothes dry up very fast.
The heat is delivered to the main building by a systems of water pipes in the concrete floors. Most of the windows are sealed and The air circulation is mechanically driven by a system which transfers the heat from the outgoing air to the incoming air. No air conditioning is needed.
The building is founded on pillars. Under the supporting concrete platform is a 150 mm thick layer of Polystyrene. On the platform is a 50 mm thick layer of Polystyrene and a 80 mm thick layer of concrete, which holds the pipes for the heating system. The stiffening structure between the ground floor and the first floor is reinforced concrete and the pillars steel and concrete.
The structure inside the outer walls are seven meters long 200×51 mm Glulam wooden beams, made in the shape of the walls, which are curved both horizontally and vertically. The insulation inside the walls is a 200 mm thick layer of natural thermal insulation, which is made of recycled newspaper. The production of Ekovilla abides by international ISO 9002 quality norm. On the outside there is a 25 mm thick drywall made of wood fibers, fastened on the Glulam beams. Linen insulation is used to insulate the window- and door profiles,.
The bearing structures of the roof and the Bluebell winter garden are also Glulam beams.The inner roof is made by a layer of 39 mm thick plywood sheets. Insulation is the same as in the walls, thickness 400 mm. Almost all the windows are made of sealed triple pane glass elements.
The ”ball shaped” structure of the house is also good for the energy efficiency because the ratio of the surface of the outer core compared to the volume remains small. The percentage of the surface area of windows to the whole facade area is 12,7 %. The Blue bell winter garden is not taken in account, because it is not heated to room temperature the whole year around.
In planning the house, all spaces not necessary needed, have been excluded, for example there is no sauna (exceptionally for being Finns, we don’t use sauna!), no car garage (our van stands outdoors), no cellar( we support a minimal life style). Including the Blue bell winter garden the house is 147 m2.
Symbolically the interior design of the house points out the importance of recycling and reusing. All the wash basins, toilet stools and the bath tub are from recycle centers. The family’s old furniture is reused, the living room sofa covered with a new fabric.
Pshycology
One of the purposes with building the house has been to investigate ways how to gradually mediate the outdoor nature into the house through culture: To create an ”Iconic Space” by using pictorial elements as the leaf shaped ground plan, leaf and drop shaped windows, ornamentation based on natural forms, as well as the curved indoor walls which create a feeling of walking on a pathway in natural surroundings. We are interested in how these elements, along with several art works incorporated in the structures, help to create a mental state in the inhabitants, which makes them more connected to the place and even create a feeling to dwell more emotionally in the house, thus inspiring a more local, poetic and sustainable life style.
