Energy efficiency and protection of the environment are the main elements of the design. The supply and disposal of the building are due to the biogas system self-sufficiently-therefore ‘‘off-the-grid’’. Biogas has gained enormous traction in recent years, as biomass from forestry, agriculture and waste is used in a bioenergy village to generate electricity and heat. At the global scale, its substantial energy content could reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, as no climatically harmful waste gases are released and the risks of nuclear energy are avoided, bionergy can certainly revive the ecosystem.
Besides supporting the use of renewable energies, the project aims to strengthen the local economy. With time, all the houses in the village were connected to this model solution of villa F and got benefited, as energy operating costs were significantly reduced. The concept to setup self powered communities was developed through concerned citizens’ initiatives. Through community participation economic inequality could be regularized providing a more affordable housing to young people and middle income families.
The client of villa F has an agricultural background, together with his father, he is a pioneer in the field of the biogas technology in Germany.In search for identity, he aspired to experience the space of a circular building, inspired by the shape of his own installation, in which round form is obligatory. Consequently, the design evolved in a cylindrical shape composed by two floors. On the ground floor there is an office and technical rooms used for biogas production, while in the loft character first floor is the living space.
The lay of the land, and in particular the falling slopes of the mountains, are reflected in the shape of the roof. In addition, the landscape of the area was as if drawn to the inside of the building by means of loggias and balconies.The connection with the outside reflects the clients’s rootedness in this place. The farmer’s close relation to nature is also shown by the self-designing of the facade with stones from a nearby creek,leading to a constant development of the building.
Materiality: mudstone, bricks, wood
