Passive House by Karawitz Architecture

Aesthetically, this house is a sculptural and abstract replica of a traditional house.  The design by Karawitz Architecture reveals a double faced site sensitive house that is closed on the North to limit energy loss and opened on the South to take benefit of free sunshine. This project was labeled the best performance low consumption house in France and the first house in the parisian region to receive the european labeled certification PHI “Passiv Haus Institut”.

An openworked second skin in non-treated bamboo envelops the skeleton made of massive wood panels. This coating, that becomes grey with time, has been inspired from the typical barns in this region. It covers the windows on the North and continues on to the roof. Identical shutters that cover the large picture windows on the South, create light and shadow during the day or night. Photovoltaic panels were also incorporated in to the program. The foundation slab is the only element in concrete, the whole structure of the house is from assembling this very big panels of massive wood prefabricated in workshop.

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