“House with Balls” is a unique project by the architecture firm Matharoo Associates, which is strongly oriented towards the needs and requirements of the client. An aquarium was integrated into the interior and is the highlight of the building. The customer is professionally engaged in the breeding of tropical fish species and has his business in the city.
The brief was to design a house in the country that would provide enough space and facilities for breeding fish, within a limited budget of $12,000. The task was extremely demanding and the architects had to resort to inexpensive but effective solutions in every area. The result was a minimalist oneHoliday homemade of concrete with green area, living and sleeping area.
A 9000 liter aquarium stretches along the entire living area and provides a habitat for numerous species of tropical fish, aquatic plants and beautiful pink water lilies. The large water tanks are located on both sides of the elongated building.
Concrete was used as the cheapest possible material. It can be quickly and famously shaped and is also a frequently used tool in modern architecture and interior design. The architecture firm commissioned prefers concrete and has already been awarded several times for its remarkable projects (AR December 2003 and 2005). Even the “House with Balls” was awarded for AR Haus 2010.
In addition to the aquarium, the concrete house is characterized by unusual windows or some that are missing. Instead of glazing, an entire elongated opening on both sides of the building was left without glass and equipped with shutters. The shutters seamlessly cover this opening and are adjusted from the outside using a simple manual mechanism.
The opening along the main room is closed and opened using concrete weight balls. This simple, almost primitive solution regulates the amount of daylight required for the aquariums.
*learn more about Matharoo Associates' projectshere
