The Self-Sustaining Isoleé House Barely Impacts Its Environment At All.

The Isolée house is an eco-friendly and modern home described as a self-sufficient residence by Frank Tjepkema and Agustina Cociffi. The tiny structure is essentially a 'smart house' which incorporates a unique, solar tree-like device into the functional aspect, meaning very little to no fuel is required. That tree protrudes from the home's roof, containing circular photovoltaic panels which generate energy from the sun into the residence.




The exterior is comprised of long, thick shutters which are controlled by electric motors that are monitored by a computer system run on solar power. They can be opened or closed given the homeowner's preference, but they allow for natural light and can automatically close when a storm is approaching.





A wood burning stove helps to heat the residence while LED lights utilize rechargeable batteries. The designer states "Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet. The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind's relationship with the world."



Three levels make up the interior, connected by a diagonal staircase. A living room encompasses the first level, while the kitchen area is on the second floor. The bedroom is located on the third story along with a bathroom and terrace.







This house is a new architectural design delivering an ecologically friendly retreat from the modern world. Combining intelligent technology with elegant sophistication, this design creates a habitat that barely impacts its environment.



With massive opening shutters spanning the length of the building, an intelligent heating system integrated within the structure of the house and topped by a solar tree, this home ensures minimal fuel reliance. Applying a minimalized product design ethos, Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet.



The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind’s relationship with the world.

"On seeing the house, you're bound to be captivated by the design language. 'My approach was the same as if I were making making a piece of furniture,' Frank Tjepkema says. 'Rather than a solid block of concrete for the foundation, for instance, I set the house on an elegant four-legged base, as if it were a cabinet. Minimal footprint.'"



Design team: Agustina Cociffi, Frank Tjepkema

Tjep

Gorgeous Green Modern Beverly Hills Home With A Bowling Alley That Has An Underground View of The Pool.

Designed by Marc Whipple of Whipple Russell Architects, this spectacular home on Summit Drive in Beverly Hills uses extensive solar power, a gray-water reclamation system, and sound passive-solar design elements, making it the first house permitted under the city of Beverly Hills green building ordinance. I have almost 40 photos of this amazing house for you, so get ready to drool.

Edge Land House With Triangular Smart Pool and Living Roof By Bercy Chen Studio.

This Austin, Texas residence by Bercy Chen Studio is not only stunning to look at in terms of architectural design and interior styling, but it's a project that also takes the environment, the landscape and local plant life into consideration.










The Edge Land residence (also called the Edgeland House) is a concrete, steel and glass 1400 sf residence located in Austin, Texas near Town Lake. The project touches on architecture as site-specific installation art and as an extension of the landscape. As with many of Bercy Chen Studio's designs, the influence is often drawn from vernacular precedents of various cultures. While the essence of the project is conversant with a Native American Pit House, the roof form has been largely influenced by the ancient art of origami.







The modern home's design integrates hydronic heating and cooling, geothermal heat exchange, phase-change thermal heat storage, rainwater collection, a smart pool that provides an additional thermal mass that ties into the geothermal system and an integrated living green roof.



The house’s relationship to the landscape both in terms of approach as well as building performance references the oldest housing typology in North America; the pit house. Like a pit house, the house will undergo a 7-foot excavation gaining benefits from the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. Such architectural settings create opportunities for maximum energy efficiency using a proposed Integrated Hydronic HVAC system.

The seasonal wildflowers planted on the roof were done in conjunction with The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas.





The planting of the roof:






Images of the construction and structural framework:





The triangular smart pool can be used for swimming and provides an additional thermal mass that ties into the geothermal system.






Text from the architecture firm:
Edgeland Residence is located on a rehabilitated brownfield site and is a modern re‐interpretation of one of the oldest housing typologies in North America, the Native American Pit House. The Pit House, typically sunken, takes advantage of the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. Like this timeless dwelling, Edgeland Residence’s relationship to the landscape both in terms of approach as well as building performance involves an insulative green roof and a 7‐foot excavation‐ gaining benefits from the earth’s mass to help it stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Such an architectural setting presents an opportunity for maximum energy efficiency when combined with high performance systems such as the integrated hydronic HVAC system. The mechanical system combines: hydronic heating and a green roof for maximum energy efficiency.

Edgeland Residence is about healing the land and ameliorating the scars of the site’s industrial past. The project raises awareness about a diminishing natural landscape and its finite resources by creating a balance between the surrounding industrial zone and the natural river residing on opposite side of the site.

Both visually and functionally, Edgeland Residence touches on architecture as site‐specific installation art and as an extension of the landscape. The program is broken up into two separate pavilions, for the living and sleeping quarters, and requires direct contact with the outside elements to pass from one to the other. This project sets new standards for sustainability while providing great aesthetic qualities through its small footprint and integrated mechanical features.

all images and info courtesy of Bercy Chen Studio

Bercy Chen Studio LP is an architecture & urban planning firm with design/build capabilities based in Austin, Texas founded in 2001 by partners Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen

A Look Inside and Out of Thomas Cowen's Seashell-Inspired Big Sur Beach House.

You may have seen this modern concrete and wood structure, with it's living roof, referred to as the Seashell-Inspired House or The Abalone House. The unusual modern home (it's really just a small beach house) in Big Sur, California has been recently featured, with few images, on several blogs (trendir, designyoutrust and inthralld for example) and Pinterest, even though it was completed four years ago.



The above two images are from unknown source. If you know who to credit, please tell me.

It's no wonder it's difficult to find more images and information about this modern structure (which is only 775 square feet). The Carmel, CA architect, Thomas Cowen, has no website. The landscaping company from which the images in the aforementioned blogs were procured did not credit the photographer and they misspelled the name of the building contractor in their credits. But with some serious research, I have uncovered several more images of and information about the home I have yet to see on any blogs or architecture sites and am excited to share them with you.

Rana Creek the landscaping company who designed the living roof calls it the Abalone House.





The glass skylight you see on the roof of the structure is actually above an interior shower:



From the aerial image of the property below, you can see how it's been termed the Seashell-Inspired house because it's more of a Nautilus than an Abalone.



It's set on a private road (9525 Pias Ranch Road), just off the bluff, south of Sycamore Canyon Road and the owners of the home are venture capitalist Alex Balkanski of Benchmark Capital and wife Sybilla.



Below are images of the circular structure and its interior, complete with concrete walls, wood beam ceiling and curved cabinetry:






The spiral shaped concrete structure was actually a second floor addition to a three bedroom three bathroom single-family dwelling totaling 775 square feet. And according to the approved development permit for the Balkanskis (PLN040665/Balkanski), it also was intended to have a detached 575 square foot underground wine cellar, a 120 sq. ft. mechanical room, a 375 sq. ft. pool and spa with a retaining wall and deck. Whether or not these were all completed, I do not know.

Completed: 2008
Client/ Owners: Alex & Sybilla Balkanski
Location: Big Sur, California
Architect: Thomas Cowen
Contractor: Kevin Rider, Rider Construction

photos courtesy of photographer David Bryan and Rider Construction