proyectos

Rosenberg/Zuckerman Residence

California

A single-family home in Sonoma County (California), designed by Arkin Tilt Architects, a Berkeley studio specialising in ecological design. The house sits along the contour line of a natural hollow, with straw bale walls on the east, north and west orientations finished with sand-toned lime render, an exposed structure of posts, Douglas fir beams and trusses, reclaimed timber, and a corrugated corten steel roof. The passive solar design captures winter radiation, while the high ceilings stratify heat and the thermal mass of the floors and finishes keeps the interior cool in summer. Solar thermal collectors above the pool pavilion feed the underfloor heating in winter, and grid-connected photovoltaic panels supply the electricity; the 25-metre pool serves the dual function of fire-fighting water reserve and thermal storage for the heating system. It is considered one of the most successful examples of large-scale straw bale construction in California.