A project from Girona wins international award for designing a sustainable home in Alaska
An architectural project drawn up by teachers, ex-teachers and students at the University of Girona (UdG) got the third prize in the ‘Living Aleutian Design Competition’, one of the most prestigious sustainability competitions of the world. The test consisted in making a house of 150 square meters which was 100% sustainable in Alaska, a place that must stand extreme weather.
Girona (ACN).- An architectural project drawn up by teachers, ex-teachers and students at the University of Girona (UdG) got the third prize in the ‘Living Aleutian Design Competition’, one of the most prestigious sustainability competitions of the world. The test consisted in making a house of 150 square meters which was 100% sustainable in Alaska, a place that must stand extreme weather. The housing design is characterized by the fact that, once its life cycle ends, it can be dismantled piece by piece, including foundations, and returned to the land in its original state. In addition, the building is wrapped around the entire perimeter of 20 cm of insulation made with wood derivatives.
Being capable of designing a comfortable and efficient housing in Alaska, where there are one of the most adverse climates in the world, means that you are able to make others with the same characteristics "in all other parts of the world." That is the way one of the directors of the organisations convening the competition, Dan Duane, assessed the ability of the authors of the winning projects.
The fundamental idea of the Girona project is the physical separation between the dwelling itself and the part needed to be energetically self-sufficient. The house has 150 square meters, three bedrooms, a storage room, a bathroom, a kitchen and a lounge. It has low impact on the terrain, placing the building high in order to respect the natural course of the local flora and fauna.
Moreover, once the housing life cycle ends, it can be dismantled piece by piece and returned the land in its original state, removing even the foundations easily. The materials used in the design meet the requirements of the ‘Cascadia Green Building Council’. The foundations are made from steel, anchored helically to the land and structure, and finishes are of wood. The coating is made of zinc sheets. The building does not include thermal bridges in its design and is wrapped around the entire perimeter of 20 cm of insulation made ??with wood derivatives.