Italian design: Eco - houses
We live in the age of excess, wasting too much energy living in big and modern houses or flats, often not respecting enough our planet and the environment around us. We can do, however, a lot to change it by choosing more eco-friendly home, where to spend the rest of our lives with our families and beloved ones.
Why do we choose ecological houses? The answer is very simple: they do not clash with the environment and use as much as it’s possible natural resources. A well-chosen eco-friendly house also minimizes the energy usage by leveraging on natural sunlight and wind conditions. We have chosen for you some, in our opinion, interesting eco-sustainable houses created by Italian designers.
Massimiliano Mandarini, from Italian compact furniture maker Clei, has created a very original eco-sustainable Green Kinder House, with a wonderful silhouette and a traditional shaped roof coupled with an upper level clad in green plantings that create a garden in the sky. There are also recessed windows offering privacy without compromising views or natural light. Interiors of the house, although small, are created smartly to maximize every inch of living space.
The home is based on two levels: there is a public space on the main floor and upstairs is located an apartment provided with efficient and multi-functional furniture that divide rooms instead of walls. In the living area you will find a sofa sliding into three positions that allow the user to arrange the seating as wanted. It can also be a bed suitable for two persons and when you do not use it, it folds out. The best area of the house is the one dedicated to entertainment and fun, so-called Poppi Theatre with a single foldaway bed, topped by a wall-mounted shelf, and room for a television with cables.
If you want a modern but minimalistic house, the one designed by Andrea Oliva from Cittarchitettura is definitely for you. This contemporary house has a very simple design, starting from its flat property to straightforward rectangular shape. There is a flat roofline and neutral white-and-grey palette standing out against the lush green backdrop.
A simple countryside home design has been defined by two main elements: a plaster front porch, which also serves as an outdoor entertaining area in the summer, and the home’s main body. Windows provide a clean and modern façade to the structure whose interiors are bright and airy. There is also a white backdrop punctuated by wood-framed windows and the speckled staircase. The flat roof is equipped with solar panels that satisfy all electricity and hot-water needs.
At the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe competition Rome’s super efficient MED in Italy house won the first place not without any reason. MED in Italy is a smart play on words underlining not only the fact the house was made in Italy, but at the same time refers to the Mediterranean climate around which it was designed. When you look at it from the outside, thanks to a protective shield the house seems rather unremarkable. However, once you enter a leafy central courtyard, acting as a buffer zone between the protective shield and the rest of the house, you will feel as you have come to a totally new world.
The home is made of wood, and in order to use it as the main construction material, but still manage to maintain high energy performance, the Italian designers added wall layers able to be filled with heavy materials that have good thermal mass. Underneath the deck is collected rainwater used to keep alive the numerous plants in the green area of the house and contributes as well to water conservation. The rooftop photovoltaic panels generate approximately 9.330 kWh of energy per year, almost double than it is necessary, while tubes of thermal sand store leftover energy used to heat the house overnight. Interior of the house is in bohemian style, emphasized by the colorful décor and a fish painted on the wall.
Eco-sustainable means protection, safety and economy. It protects the environment, makes you feel safe and, which is very important, save electricity and money. Choose eco-house and be environmentally friendly. Respect the nature and promote the green values. The right choice is up to you!
©2013 Emina Ristovic; The Italian Heritage Magazine
Why do we choose ecological houses? The answer is very simple: they do not clash with the environment and use as much as it’s possible natural resources. A well-chosen eco-friendly house also minimizes the energy usage by leveraging on natural sunlight and wind conditions. We have chosen for you some, in our opinion, interesting eco-sustainable houses created by Italian designers.
Massimiliano Mandarini, from Italian compact furniture maker Clei, has created a very original eco-sustainable Green Kinder House, with a wonderful silhouette and a traditional shaped roof coupled with an upper level clad in green plantings that create a garden in the sky. There are also recessed windows offering privacy without compromising views or natural light. Interiors of the house, although small, are created smartly to maximize every inch of living space.
The home is based on two levels: there is a public space on the main floor and upstairs is located an apartment provided with efficient and multi-functional furniture that divide rooms instead of walls. In the living area you will find a sofa sliding into three positions that allow the user to arrange the seating as wanted. It can also be a bed suitable for two persons and when you do not use it, it folds out. The best area of the house is the one dedicated to entertainment and fun, so-called Poppi Theatre with a single foldaway bed, topped by a wall-mounted shelf, and room for a television with cables.
If you want a modern but minimalistic house, the one designed by Andrea Oliva from Cittarchitettura is definitely for you. This contemporary house has a very simple design, starting from its flat property to straightforward rectangular shape. There is a flat roofline and neutral white-and-grey palette standing out against the lush green backdrop.
A simple countryside home design has been defined by two main elements: a plaster front porch, which also serves as an outdoor entertaining area in the summer, and the home’s main body. Windows provide a clean and modern façade to the structure whose interiors are bright and airy. There is also a white backdrop punctuated by wood-framed windows and the speckled staircase. The flat roof is equipped with solar panels that satisfy all electricity and hot-water needs.
At the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe competition Rome’s super efficient MED in Italy house won the first place not without any reason. MED in Italy is a smart play on words underlining not only the fact the house was made in Italy, but at the same time refers to the Mediterranean climate around which it was designed. When you look at it from the outside, thanks to a protective shield the house seems rather unremarkable. However, once you enter a leafy central courtyard, acting as a buffer zone between the protective shield and the rest of the house, you will feel as you have come to a totally new world.
The home is made of wood, and in order to use it as the main construction material, but still manage to maintain high energy performance, the Italian designers added wall layers able to be filled with heavy materials that have good thermal mass. Underneath the deck is collected rainwater used to keep alive the numerous plants in the green area of the house and contributes as well to water conservation. The rooftop photovoltaic panels generate approximately 9.330 kWh of energy per year, almost double than it is necessary, while tubes of thermal sand store leftover energy used to heat the house overnight. Interior of the house is in bohemian style, emphasized by the colorful décor and a fish painted on the wall.
Eco-sustainable means protection, safety and economy. It protects the environment, makes you feel safe and, which is very important, save electricity and money. Choose eco-house and be environmentally friendly. Respect the nature and promote the green values. The right choice is up to you!
©2013 Emina Ristovic; The Italian Heritage Magazine