A concrete house built on a south-facing hill in southern California, powered by solar and wind, is the latest conceptual design from American architect Michael Jantzen. Featuring two large arrays of photovoltaic solar cells and two large wind turbines built into the structure, the alternative energy sources will ensure that there is always abundant power to meet the needs of the household. The electrical energy will be stored in batteries.
Additionally, the house will be passively solar heated and naturally cooled. Large overhangs built into the structure will keep the large glass windows and doors shaded in the summer. Air intake vents at the base of the house will draw cool air into and through the structure as it naturally flows up the hillside.
Solar heat will be pulled off of the solar cells in the winter to provide some of the space heating, as well as domestic water heating. Additional solar heating in the winter (when the angle of the sun is lower) will enter the house directly through the glass doors and windows. Large thermal mass areas will be built into the structure for wintertime heat retention.
Waterless toilets will be used along with other water conservation techniques such as low flow showerheads. Rainwater will be captured by the structure and stored in containers for use in and around the hillside house. The rooftop of the house will feature large-scale areas for growing food crops.
“The primary purpose of this design is to explore ways in which to utilize normally unused hillside real estate,” explains the architect. “Also the design explores ways in which to integrate alternative energy gathering and storage systems into the built environment in an aesthetically pleasing way while integrating the growing of food crops into the architecture.”
Visit: www.michaeljantzen.com
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