Ecological building materials

A container house made to promote local wood larch in the Saku area of Nagano  Prefecture, Japan. It has a floor area of 9.9M2 and a size of about 2.3x5m. It can be moved by a 4t truck by putting an iron pipe under the steel base. Although Shinshu larch is a beautiful red color and relatively strong among conifers, it has not been used as a building material so far because of its large warpage and twist, but due to the progress of drying technology, the concern has been resolved. It is expected to be used for various purposes. Here, logs, pillars, and beams of structural materials, floors, walls, eaves, furniture, etc. are mostly finished with larch, and visitors can experience the material and space.  takeshi noguchi take... More

The former cemetery of Nikaia is a residual space on the border between the city and Mount Aigaleo. We consider this degraded and currently unproductive area to be a byproduct of urban development, which is to say a natural component of an evolving city. Simultaneously, we interpret the space as a significant carrier of memory and an integral element of the city. The different manifestations given to this specific space over the years, up until its current usage, make it a point of reference. With the above points in mind, we recommend creating a park comprising four thematic units, as part of a wider effort to interconnect the landscape infrastructure with new, ecologically evolving platforms for activity development. Therefore the project... More

THE IDEA A landscape characterised by sparse, mostly low and bushy vegetation. Few trees – mostly cedars - are visible in the region. A harsh, dry, rocky, Mediterranean landscape with earthy colourations. A sloping landscape, eroded at its lowest point by constant direct contact with the sea. The natural formations and cavities of the rocky terrain, created by the long-term exposure to the sea water, were the starting point for the compositional design.  KAAF KAAF THE MYTH The myth unfurls through the dual meaning, firstly of the cavity, or cave, as a receptacle for residence, and secondly of water, the sea waves, as a potential natural source for producing kinetic energy capable of shaping both the actual formation... More

What if a house were not only a home but a real vital space?   The modular house in Miraflores de la Sierra / Madrid, is a cooperation between Madrid based studio Holleghaarquitectos and the german eco-house pioneer Baufritz. It was built in 2012 as the first construction using the Baufritz-system on spanish territory. The prefab-elements provided by Baufritz and produced in their EMAS-awarded plant in Bavaria, Germany, guarantee a completely pollutant-free indoor climate as well as a very high level of sustainability. As an architectural firm, the relationship with Baufritz enables us to offer our clients top quality ecological architecture almost without design restrictions. More and more people look for homes that are built res... More