C a s a Z e r o E n e r g y
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The meeting with the nature, for the psychological comfort and the leisure of the
inhabitants, has been looked up in strictly contact with the surrounding environment and
it is exalted by the architectonic and constructive solution. The north façade of the
building is not totally closed (as in a passive house) for permitting to the inhabitants to
see the Alps skyline. At south, a big terrace is and the occupants have the possibility to
have a bath in the lake. On the east side of the building, a small organic garden to grow
vegetables is, in order to discover again the old traditional taste of vegetables.
Deciduous trees are around the building, not only for protecting the house from the sun
rays in summer and for allowing their reception in winter, but also to create a green
crown for protecting the house from indiscreet eyes.
Figure 2: the external pavements made using recycled bricks (left side); the main entrance is a gate
in recycled iron (right side)
The use of natural, renewable and recycled materials
The meeting with the nature is also demonstrated by the attention to
preserve the
environment
during the construction phases through the use of natural, recycled or
recyclable materials. The envelope and the structure are totally in natural and renewable
materials derived from wood. The insulation is in wood-fiber and cork panels and the
structure is in wood.
Several recycled or recyclable materials have been employed in the building
construction, such as the hardscapes, made using recycled bricks; the entrance gate, in
recycled iron without any superficial treatment; the kitchen, in recycled glass and
aluminum and also completely recyclable (Fig.2).
The use of natural materials is important also for the health of the inhabitants.
CasaZeroEnergy is a house without VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), which means
that no pollutants, dangerous for the occupants, are in the indoor environment.
In a protection of the environment perspective, a natural strong concept has been
pursued with the design of the swimming pool. It is a bath-able natural lake because it
only needs of a partial chemical treatment. Most of the depuration of the water is
delegated to the phytoremediation. This allows preserving the natural life cycle of the
water.
A new and innovative anti-seismic timber frame system
The use of timber as main structural material is not finalized only to the meeting with the
nature, but also to improve the anti-seismic behavior of the house (Fig.3). The joint
between posts and beams and the used bracing system are the best solutions to
guarantee the safety of the inhabitants during and after the earthquake. The energy of
