r4house

image by Luis de Garrido

all information from http://www.archello.com/en/project/r4house


Facts

R4House (Retrieve, Reuse, Recycle, Reason) 
2007 
ANAVIF. Construmat 2007 
Barcelona 
150 m2 + 30 m2 
EUR 110,000 + EUR 25,000 
(The Standard in Sustainable Architecture) 

image by Luis de Garrido

Building description

1. Most Important Goals 

- Formalize a new architectural concept in which the construction is made only by means of recoverable and reusable elements, using only salvaged, reused or recycled. 

image by Luis de Garrido

- Achieve the highest level of sustainability in construction 

All decisions made in the design and construction of R4House have been designed to meet the maximum with the 5 pillars that underpin the sustainable architecture. 

- Reducing emissions and waste generated 

- Reduce energy consumption 

- Optimize materials and resources used 

- Improve the welfare and human health 

- Reduce maintenance and cost of buildings 

To do this, we have defined a set of actions properly to ensure compliance architectural depth of 37 sustainability indicators defined by Luis de Garrido. This ensures the highest possible level of sustainability. 

R4House faithfully complies with all of them. 

2. Perform a self-sufficient home with zero energy consumption. 

R4House has zero power consumption in conventional energy. 

R4House is heated in winter by a combination of 3 different systems: 

1. Right bioclimatic design 

2. Adding a solar heating system captors 

(For hot water and underfloor heating) 

3. Economic incorporation of an ingenious system of geothermal energy. 

Similarly, cool in summer R4House through the combination of 2 different systems: 

1. Right bioclimatic design 

2. Incorporation of an inexpensive and ingenious system of geothermal energy. 

The extraordinary low lighting, and energy-efficient appliances, are powered by electricity generated by photovoltaic captors. 

3. Propose a building system that allows waste disposal 

In the construction of R4House not generated virtually no residue. 

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

The few waste generated (chips, small pieces, etc..) Are practically negligible, and in many cases have been reused in the construction of the prototype (packaging, wooden pallets, paper and cardboard) in different parts of it. 

To achieve this goal has been adequately controlled the entire process of design and construction. In addition, we have proposed a new system of formal composition that ensures the optimization of the materials used, the use of waste, and easy renewal of all its components. 

This methodology has been referred to as "the beauty of imperfection." 

image by Luis de Garrido

4. Show constructive solutions allowing complete reuse of all components of the building 

All components of R4House (from within the supporting structure to the smallest element) can easily be retrieved, it can be used again in another building, once exceeded its useful life. 

To achieve this easy recovery, all components have been assembled dry through nails and screw fixation, or by pressure. Only in some cases have used queues, low adhesive strength and also allow easy retrieval of the components without causing any damage. 

image by Luis de Garrido

5. Include a minimum of 30 m2 housing 

Within R4House dwelling unit, including a home has at least 30 m2. 

This shows that minimum housing can perfectly satisfy the needs of a person or a young couple with a limited area. Therefore, it comes equipped with all types of infrastructure, equipment, furniture finishes and high level. 

The minimum housing has been built, using only a container port, within four weeks. 

image by Luis de Garrido

6. Show a housing unit flexible, reconfigurable and expandable 

R4House shows extremely flexible type of housing. 

Initially, the user could purchase a module of 30 m2, which could be enough to meet its initial requirements. As your needs grow, and their economic possibilities, the user could acquire successive modules. This way you can have a flexible housing 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 m2, or more, depending on their needs at all times. 

Thus, the user would buy the space they need, without having to mortgage the rest of his life. 

image by Luis de Garrido

7. Building a house of high quality and low cost, 

The cost of housing construction of 150 m2 can be very variable, depending on the finish. If you simply look for an exercise of extreme low price, you could build a basic version with a cost that ranges around 60,000 euros (basic finishes). In contrast, the economic cost of the version presented in Construmat 2007 has risen to 110,000 euros (with all types of finishes and high experimental value). 

On the other hand, the price of housing construction of 30 m2, could range from approximately € 12,000 (basic finishes) to 25,000 euros (which is the real cost of the version presented in Construmat 2007), or even more, depending on the chosen finish. 

image by Luis de Garrido

8. Provide a real solution for housing in poor countries 

Because of its low construction cost, ease of transport, speed of assembly and its extreme flexibility, R4House aims to provide a real and workable solution to the housing problems of poor countries. 

The homes that are currently provided in these countries have high maintenance costs, are still priced high, are not flexible, they are not relocatable and above all, generate an enormous environmental and urban problems. 

R4House would address these problems. 

image by Luis de Garrido

9. Provide an alternative without environmental impact of construction in rural and protected 

The conceptual model provides an alternative R4House construction without environmental impact without energy consumption, repositionable, removable, reconfigurable and expandable. And what is best, be regarded as movable and immovable. With all the advantages it has in rural settings. 

image by Luis de Garrido

10. Propose a new formal architectural language development: "the beauty of the imperfect." 

It is clear that to achieve true sustainable architecture, it is necessary to define a new architectural language. 

R4House has served as a test tube experiment with a diverse set of new syntactic elements of architecture. These new rules have been used in the overall architectural composition, the definition of architectural envelopes, and even in the interior of the set. 

A glance at the prototype provides an idea of ​​what was intended to achieve. For example, the composition of the facades states that have sought beauty using every last scrap of material. And the same goes for ceilings, floors, walls, furniture and kitchen furniture.

image by Luis de Garrido

2. Architectural Solution 

R4House is more than a home. R4House is a basic unit of living consists of two houses, which are closely related. 

The set of coexistence has been built using container port 6 (40 feet long). Four containers are assembled together, forming a house of 150 m2. A fifth container housing forms at least 30 m2. And the sixth container at the core of vertical communication and fireplace natural bioclimatic air extraction. 

The tripartite architectural structure corresponds to an intermediate step in the evolution of a particular dwelling unit. 

The origin may have been the construction of a minimum housing, from a container of 30 m2. This house could have been expanded on, with the passage of time, to accommodate the needs of an entire family. Finally, a member of this family could have been emancipated, and built a minimum housing, integrated with existing housing. The final set would form a core of coexistence. 

Set of six containers arranged in such a way as to form a double-height central space, like a patio. The whole house is turned over to this central space, so do not lose any surface as hallways or distributors. In turn, this space is the largest room of the house, and is connected to the input of minimum housing. 

The ground floor houses the largest housing the kitchen, living-dining-room, a bathroom and a study. The first floor houses two bedrooms and two bathrooms. 

The spaces have been distributed in order to take full advantage of the containers that shape in order to achieve the highest possible functionality and the highest level of comfort for occupants. 

The kitchen has a very special since all the furniture is just that, mobile. The various appliances are included in separate modules, so that can be achieved completely different types of kitchen furniture, depending on the specific needs and available space. These modules can slip, and assembled with each other by pressure. 

The toilets in the bathrooms are also movable (mobile) and relocatable. The bathtub, sinks and showers can be moved, and even leave the bathroom space. Thus, the user can swim next to the bed, watching a multimedia show.

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

3. Sustainable Analysis 

1. Resource Optimization 

1.1. Natural Resources. They take full advantage of resources such as the sun (to heat the house), the wind and earth (to cool the housing and fill the roof garden), rain water (for watering the garden and flushing toilets) , wool and hemp (for insulation), ... .. On the other hand, has installed water saving devices on taps, showers and tanks of the complex. 

1.2. Resources made. The materials used are maximized without generating residues (following a new architectural syntax: "the beauty of imperfection"). On the other hand, the few waste generated have been used in the construction of the dwelling itself. 

1.3. Resources recovered, reused and recycled. 

The house is built using only materials recovered, reused and recycled. 

Recovered: disposable container port, sheep wool insulation, hemp, metal profiles, tile-based waste Silestone, tile, wood fibreboard, chipboard, roof coating based on waste glass, decorative panels waste-based glass and marbles used, washing machine-fridge and microwave (restructured based on cardboard), based earthen waste glass, etc. 

Re: metal sections of the staircase, beamed sloping roof, sloping roof panels, battens inside the containers, strips outside (prior to transport pallets of materials), decorative items, furniture webs based, central lamp , paving stones of marble, appliances, old toilets, etc.. 

Recycled glass, polyethylene and polypropylene pipes, metallic elements, Silestone, tile, zinc panels, artificial turf, etc.. 

2. Decreased energy consumption 

2.1. Construction. 

The house is built with minimal energy consumption within a period of seven weeks. The materials used were manufactured with a minimum amount of energy. On the other hand, housing has been built with little supporting resources, and with very little labor. 

2.2. Use 

Due to its unique characteristics bioclimatic housing has zero consumption of conventional energy is not renewable. The house is heated by greenhouse gases and a system of floor heating powered by solar thermal sensors 7 (which also provide hot water required). No backup boiler is necessary because of the enormous thermal inertia, and geothermal heat. 

On the other hand, the buildings are cooled by means of bioclimatic architectural systems, so you do not have any energy. 

2.3. Dismantling 

All materials used in R4House can be recovered easily (once the life of the building) to be reused in the construction of another home. And this is due to special assembly systems used to dry. 

All these systems have been designed by Luis de Garrido, exclusively for such housing. 

Floors: 

Simply supported and embedded glass pressure 

Silestone Parquet placed in dry 

Mosaic panels of chipboard, dry assembly 

Bamboo Parquet pressure placed 

Plywood panels and polyethylene 

Silestone debris panels, assembled dry 

Walls: 

Trespa panels bolted 

Double glass panels filled with decorative material 

Double glass panels filled with insulation 

Decorative tempered glass panels 

Plak'up backlit panels 

Chipboard 

Bamboo plywood panels 

Plasterboard painted cellulose 

Zinc panels 

Ceilings: 

Bamboo plywood panels 

Sandwich panels of fir plywood 

All these elements can be reassembled to recover for another building. Of course, you can recover up to the battens and fixing elements and support. The reusability is absolute in R4House. Of note is the original parquet design Silestone placed dry, the panels of floor-based relocatable remains of the Silestone manufacturing and decorative double glazed panels and insulation. 

Therefore, we can say that R4House has an infinite life cycle. In this way, it makes sense to talk of dismantling, but ongoing maintenance, with very low power consumption. 

3. Using alternative energy sources 

The energy used is of three types: solar thermal (solar captors for the ACS and underfloor heating, and evaporation of water to air cooling), solar photovoltaic (electricity generating needs housing), and geothermal (system fresh air by taking advantage of existing low temperatures underground in the tunnels).

image by Luis de Garrido

Because of the low energy consumption and generation systems incorporating renewable energy, R4House, is a completely self-sufficient housing. 

4. Reduced waste and emissions 

The property does not generate any emissions and does not generate any waste, except organic. Some of these household waste are used again to treat them accordingly (gray water for watering the garden). On the other hand, during the construction of buildings has not generated any type of waste (all were used). 

5. Improving health and wellbeing 

All materials used are environmentally friendly and healthy and have no emissions that can affect human health. Similarly, the house is naturally ventilated, and maximizes natural light (artificial lighting can not be used as long as natural lighting), which creates a healthy environment and provides the best possible quality of life for its occupants. 

It should be noted that, due to the drilling side of the containers used, do not induce any effect "capacitor" or created any effect "Faraday cage" so that the housing maintains the natural electromagnetic balance of the environment. 

6. Reduced price of the building and maintenance 

The house has been designed in a rational, optimizing staff resources, and using salvaged, reused or recycled. This construction allows a very low price, despite the ecological equipment includes. Similarly, the home requires very low maintenance: Regular cleaning and treatment of wood biennial vegetable oils. 

4. Highlights Innovations 

1. Construction made exclusively from reclaimed materials, recycled materials and waste. 

2. Portant architectural structure based on discarded containers ports. 

3. Maximum level of sustainability in construction. 

4. Housing self-sufficient, with zero energy consumption. 

5. Architectural structure flexible, scalable, readjust and relocate. 

6. In the construction of housing were not generated waste. 

7. Reusability total of all architectural components. The removal will not generate any waste. 

8. Correct architectural integration of alternative energy generating devices 

9. Pavements based on industrial waste and rags covered with glass base. 

10. LED-based lighting. 

11. Really very reduced price housing. 

12. Using authentic materials green. 

13. New recycled glass decorative features of high added value (antiscratch slip, etc ....). 

14. New glass sandwich panels, insulation and transparent. 

15. A new concept of modular kitchen, reconfigurable and expandable. 

16. Underfloor heating and solar energy-efficient radiator. 

17. Unique furniture, dry assembling a different set of panes of glass, cardboard, Silestone, birch plywood and bamboo plywood .. 

18. New Silestone kitchen furniture antibacterial. 

19. Appliances ecological and energy-efficient multimedia. 

20. All the furniture of the minimum housing is made entirely and exclusively of folded cardboard without glue. 

21. Health and recovered appliances, with more than 40 years old. 

22. Materialization of a new architectural language development: "The beauty of imperfection" (walls, facades, floors, ceilings, floors ..). 

23. Flexible solution to the social problem of housing affordability.

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido

image by Luis de Garrido