Contemporary Design in Detail: Sustainable Environments

117

Above No additional furniture is required in

the unit since everything, including stereo,

plasma screen, communications systems,

and utilities, is built in. Most of the furnish-

ings are aluminum. Seven units were fi rst

introduced in the student village at the

Technical University Munich, where the

pods are arranged along an elevated walk-

way that supplies all utilities—electricity,

water, and sewer.

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118 Sustainable Environments

Architekturbüro Rolf Disch,

Solarsiedlung at Schlierberg,

Freiburg, Germany

 e fundamental concept driving the design

of this sustainable community is to use

natural resources for all energy, construc-

tion, building, and transportation systems.

Rows of fi fty-eight “plus-energy” houses and

a mixed-use block are closely grouped to cre-

ate sheltered outdoor spaces and to encour-

age social interaction.  e terraced rows are

oriented along the east-west axis so that the

inclined roofs, consisting of photovoltaic

panels, capture the southern sun throughout

the seasons.

119

Above and Left  e long form of the Son-

nenschiff (literally, “Sun Ship”), with its mix

of commercial and offi ce spaces below and

penthouses above, shields the row houses

from the main road and creates an entrance

front for the Solarsiedlung.  ermal vacuum

tube collectors on the building provide hot

water for the entire community, and a cen-

tralized woodchip station generates power

for electricity and heat. To further reduce the

reliance on fossil fuels, residents are encour-

aged to share cars, ride bicycles, and take

public transportation. Conservation extends

to water consumption as well: Rainwater is

collected and reused to irrigate gardens and

to fl ush toilets, while runoff is discharged

above ground in swales incorporated into the

landscaping.

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120 Sustainable Environments

121

Above In each of the row houses, the living

spaces are located on the south, while service

rooms like the kitchen and baths are on the

north. All mechanical services are concen-

trated in a central machinery canal serving

the row. Using prefabricated wood com-

ponents allowed a measure of precision in

construction while keeping the on-site work

effi cient and costs lower.  e exterior wall

has a thick, 400-millimeter (16-inch) profi le

with an interior timber frame that minimizes

thermal bridges. In addition, rather than in-

terrupt the continuous insulation within the

wall, utilities such as water pipes are housed

in heavy timber baseboard circuits.

Opposite  e sheltering photovoltaic roof

panels supply additional electricity to the

community. All of the passive technologies

contribute to energy savings; however, the

homes actually generate more energy than

they consume—hence the term “plus-en-

ergy.” Excess energy is returned to the utility

grid, providing a profi t to the residents.  e

two- to three-story units are fairly standard

as they are based on a modular system; fi nish

colors and external features such as the spiral

stair add diversity.

Alternative Energy Sources