The architects from Steven Holl Architects have designed a wooden solar house located in a green area in Rhinebeck, New York. The passive house has an eye-catching design both outside and inside, which consists of different geometric shapes. With this project, the architects have built a completely independent house in the countryside.
Geometric shapes are central to the architecture of this solar house. Spherical rooms and windows intersect with trapezoids, creating a spacious interior. A ball made of wood carved in the house welcomes everyone who enters the house. The large windows invite the surrounding nature into the house and ensure living close to nature.
The passive house in the countryside is built almost entirely from raw materials. The window and door frames, as well as the stairs, are made of mahogany and the walls are made of birch plywood. No plasterboard was used in the construction of the house. The interior design consists primarily of wooden furniture that is in harmony with nature and the rest of the solar house.
Instead of fossil energy, the house is heated geothermally. The passive house is designed as a solar house and receives electricity directly from the sun, instead of from a power grid. Thanks to the solar battery, the house is completely energy independent. All light fixtures are made from bioplastic and the glass and wood used to build the house are sourced locally.
* The passive house in Rhinebeck is a project bySteven Holl Architects.
