If we look at the energy consumption of a household we see transport is number one. Open areas in a downtown area are not easy to find, which explains the long travel distance people make. Old harbors are located in the center of a city on the other hand are mostly wasteland. The
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If we look at the energy consumption of a household we see transport is number one. Open areas in a downtown area are not easy to find, which explains the long travel distance people make. Old harbors are located in the center of a city on the other hand are mostly wasteland. The rea- son is that the area has a high flood risk because it is located outside the dike.To develop housing in such areas they need to be built in a climate adaptive way that overcomes the problem of flooding. Urban The urban plan had a few criteria that were taken into account. Minimizing the size of jetties, maximizing the number of houses, creating parking places and making the plan fire proof were the main points. Fitting as many houses as possible in the plan would make the financial aspects more convincing. Ensuring the fire safety of the plan means there are always two ways to escape, hence the circular infrastruc- ture. This plan brings all aspects together to provide a stable and realistic base for the architectural design at the meso scale. Climate The house is using the sun and the water to regulate the indoor climate during all seasons. There are active and passive en- ergy systems integrated in the design. The active energy system are PV cells integrat- ed in glass, PVT panels, heat recover y units, floor heating/cooling, rainwater collectors and in the bottom of the concrete box is a system of pipes positioned to transfer heat and cold with the ambient water. The passive energy systems contributed to the shape and orientation of the design. Thermal mass on the North side for cool- ing during summer, thermal mass on the South side for absorbing deep penetrat- ing sunlight during winter, wind cowls, thick insulation and good crack sealing are the main passive aspects.The green roofs lead to a gradual discharge of rainwater, provide better isolation, increase rooftop protec- tion durability, provide compensation for lack of green in cities and help purify from fine dust. Another great passive aspect is the incoming light which is reflected from the water to the ceiling what gives a beau- tiful visual experience. Construction The homes are composed of 3 elements: - The concrete box functions as the float- ing part -The timber frame lowers the center of gravity - The glasshouse is used for regulating the climate These three elements together lead to an architecturally, technically and aesthetically interesting design.The elaboration of the details proved that the design could be constructed flawlessly. The homes are designed as two-under- one-roofs.After being transported independently to their location they will be connected to increase the stability and decrease the obliquity. The main goal “Designing a climate adaptive, energy efficient and sustainable house” has been achieved because of the good integration between the macro, meso and micro scale in this design.