KODA is constructed of thin composite panels made of a concrete exterior and wood interior, with silica-fume vacuum insulation panels in-between. This combination of materials creates a strong and durable exterior, a nice and cosy interior and will keep the building as warm or cool as needed. The front of the house is a four-ply glass wall with a small terrace and a concrete sunscreen.
The concrete we use is 2-3 times stronger than the usual, standard concrete and becomes even stronger over time. Additionally, the look of the concrete doesn’t change over the years, meaning no repainting and refurbishing is needed. We cast the concrete over aged yacht sails, which creates a unique texture and pattern on the panels.
In the interior, we use CLT panels made of softwood. Finished with natural oils and waxes, the wood is both friendly to the environment and to humans. The wooden shell is hermetically isolated from the other panel layers, meaning that no chemical yields from those can enter the living space.
Vacuum panels are one of the most effective insulators out there and they take up little space. We use panels that are just 60 mm thick. We would need up to 8 times thicker insulation layer to get the same results if we used the most common isolation materials.
By having walls just 178 mm thick, we are able to create more space for living.
FOR HEALTHY LIVING We have put extra effort into creating a healty space for living. Proper indoor CO 2 and moisture levels are maintained with the help of a smart ventilation system that measures and reacts accordingly. The enthalpy heat exchanger also contributes to the optimal level of humidity in the room.
The house receives a significant supply of daylight through the glass facade. While the complementing interior lights allow to adjust the amount and tone of light; colder tones increase alertness, and warmer tones help to relax and fall asleep. Exterior noises are kept out with the help of 60 mm concrete panels, a four-ply glass facade and a sturdy door. Also, the interior technical systems are constructed and positioned to create minimal noise disturbances. Last but not least, we use natural, non-toxic finishing materials in the interior.
THINKING GREEN KODA is a sustainable building. The materials that we use are long lasting but once they do arrive at the end of their life, all components can be disassembled, reused or recycled. Also, the amount of natural resources used to build a KODA is minimal. For example, to build one KODA, we need just 9 m 3 of concrete – that's less than a normal log house needs for its foundation. Energy waste is minimal thanks to a design that makes the most of sunlight, smart heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and a built-in automation system. The heat transferred through the well-insulated walls and the large four-ply glass facade is minimal, with a U-value of 0.1 W/m²/K for the walls and 0.33 W/m²/K for the glass facade.
In Northern areas, where the sun stays low from late autumn to early spring, the maximum amount of daylight is let in through the glass facade. Additionally, the dark kitchen furniture absorbs the light and thus creates hundreds of watts of extra heating energy for the cold months. As well, the opposite happens with the heat of the summer sun or normal conditions in sunny Southern areas, wherein the front frame combined with the concrete sunscreen cut down the effect of the sun’s rays, thereby reducing the need for cooling, and the special coating of the glass does the same. Our home automation system will know which is the most optimal heating and cooling source to use at any given moment. With solar panels on the roof, the house returns more power to the grid on an annual basis than it uses.
CLEVER DESIGN With no room to waste, we have considered every detail to make the most of the space, yet keep it comfortable and simple. Therefore, the shower and fold-out panel sink of the wet room can be opened up only when being used; the dirty laundry drawer is ventilated; the washing machine is hidden inside the wall; the sleeping area is taken on upper floor to use the empty space on top of the wet room, to name a few. Also, the small kitchen has everything you need, including an oven and dishwasher.
As all of the necessities are already built into the house and all surfaces finished, the house is instantly ready to be used once erected and connected to water, electricity and sewerage. The existing KODA is a prototype of a living space for 1-2 dwellers. Yet, using the same technology and logic, the house can be re-configured to create a whole different space, for example, by leaving out the sleeping area, kitchen or wet room, it turns into a city-centre studio or cosy cafe, an office space, lakeside summer house or even a classroom. KODA houses can be assembled to create a multi-room space – either on one level, or by placing one on top of the other. Additionally, using special weight bearing structures, KODA can be lifted; creating a parking space under the house.
FREEDOM OF LOCATION KODA is free-standing, and its design and structure allow it to be assembled and disassembled many times over.
As the components of our house are manufactured in a controlled and optimised factory environment, the assembling of a KODA house takes no more than seven hours on site. A KODA house can also be transported in one piece. All of this spares from noise, dust and the other inconveniences that come with normal construction work. Thanks to its solid structure, our house can be assembled on gravel, asphalt, or any other surface without digging up the ground and laying foundations. All a KODA needs is a ground with sufficient weight-bearing capacity, levelled footing, and connection points for water, electricity and sewerage.
AUTHORS' STATEMENT We initially came together to address two issues: first, housing makes up 40% of Europe’s entire energy usage, and second, the construction industry has remained relatively unchanged for centuries - lagging significantly behind, for example, car or computer industries in terms of speed, quality etc. It was easier for us as newcomers to address these issues. We had the luxury to stand in the middle of an empty factory and fill it with dreams. In the process, we found two other critical components for housing.
First, as people spend 80-90% of their life inside buildings, inner climate is critical for their daily well-being and long-term health. Inner climate is a wide term that includes the levels of CO 2 , moisture, temperature, light, noise, materials used, and other elements.
And second, architecture is considered to be an ‘eternal’ art – houses are built to last where they stand, therefore ‘temporary’ is considered a synonym of ‘low quality’ in the construction business. However, the needs of people and communities change. We should be able to make use of the empty slots in city centres that are sitting empty while waiting for the new skyscraper to be erected in 10 years’ time. This space could be utilised as a pop-up urban village during the wait; with cafés, studios and dwellings. Whenever the construction finally starts, the village could just be moved to another location. And, there is no need to make compromises in the living quality of the inhabitants of the pop-up village.
One of our development methods is based on open communication. We have shared our ideas with field experts, universities and even with companies that could be considered competitors. In return, they have provided us with plenty of questions, remarks and improved ideas. KODA is the result of this development work.
QUOTES FROM THE AUTHORS We look for the most straightforward way to create the perfect place to live. To me, what we create is an environment in which man’s greatest technological achievements are combined with everyday knowledge of architecture and production. - Hannes Tamjärv
I like doing things that have a broader meaning. The housing situation in Europe and in the world as a whole for that matter is certainly one. One problem is that houses waste an awful lot of energy; and indoor air quality – together with an inhabitant’s health – is often sacrificed to solve this. I’m convinced that there are better ways. - Taavi Jakobson
I’m part of a process that aims to produce houses where everything’s been thought of and no compromises have been made in designing them. - Ülar Mark
It’s been a long process of trial and error so far – a creative one, with its fair share of problems, but one that’s tested us in the best possible way. And that’s what keeps us going. We’re really just using the basics of chemistry, physics and engineering to create something simple and cool. - Marek Strandberg
It's like looking through a spyglass – from one end you see the universe, the macro world; from the other end you see something much smaller, the micro world. KODA combines the two. It’s so small in size, but so big in terms of its technical achievements and other features. There’s a lot more to it than there seems at first. - Kalev Ramjalg
