The Sun House ዘላቂ ቤት

Press Kit

Unique Properties

An organic architecture that combines technology, design and human-centered. With roof and exterior walls made of solar panels, the interior are mostly recycled cypress timbers. Mixing various of energy circulation systems with cutting edge equipment, the design put energy storage and circulation into practice, leveraging this sustainable house to be self sufficient.

Dimensions & Packaging

The total area of this project including the outdoor garden is 4,496 square meters, and the building has 440 square meters of indoor space. The rooftop solar panels are 60 cell modules, with a total capacity of 65.57kW.

Tags

Sustainable, Solar technology, Rain collection system, Recycled building materials, technology house

Production Technology

In keeping with the concept of recycling, up to 90% recycled materials are used in the interior. Equipped with a Heat Pump system to circulate heat to regulate the temperature. The outdoor water collection area is designed to collect rainwater resources and store the rainwater in a 10 ton water storage tank, which can water up to 250 square meters of the garden turf.

Design Challenge

In keeping with the concept of recycling, up to 90% of the interior materials were made from recycled cypress timber, which the owner spent four years collecting. The design team recreated different sizes of discarded timber into ceilings, flooring, furniture, partitions and wall decorations, giving each recycled piece a new value in this space.

Research

Considering that the case is located in the northern hemisphere, the design team wrapped the south side and roof with 25% light transmitting photovoltaic panels to provide sufficient indoor lighting, and the roof directly above with only 9% light-transmitting photovoltaic panels to shade and reflect sunlight. The overall configuration of the house can reduce the solar radiation heat by 40% and make the indoor temperature 3 degrees cooler than normal houses.

Inspiration

Nature is the fundamental and inspirational source of organic architecture. The concept of regeneration is used throughout the project, with self generated energy and various energy circulation systems to build a comfortable living space.

Project Duration

The project started in January 2015 in Chiayi County, Taiwan. Finished in February 2020 in Chiayi County, Taiwan.

Operation Flow

In order to create a sustainable building that is symbiotic with the environment, the design team has integrated technology into the design, together with an energy reuse system, using solar photovoltaics, systematic energy monitoring equipment, water recycling systems and heat collection design to maximize the efficiency of all energy sources, so that the building can regulate the environment, store electricity and recycle energy.

Image Credits

Image #1: Dirk Heindoerfer Photography, The Sun House, 2020.
Image #2: Dirk Heindoerfer Photography, The Sun House, 2020.
Image #3: Dirk Heindoerfer Photography, The Sun House, 2020.
Image #4: Dirk Heindoerfer Photography, The Sun House, 2020.
Image #5: Dirk Heindoerfer Photography, The Sun House, 2020.