solar decathlon: astonyshine solar house

astonyshine solar house by france + italy
all images courtesy of astonyshine


students from france's école nationale supérieure d’architecture paris-malaquais and école des ponts paristech joined forces with
italy's polytechnic of bari and university of ferrara to produce 'astonyshine', a prototypical house for the solar decathlon europe
taking place in madrid, spain in september of 2012. exploring the classical aesthetic of stone masonry, this home reintroduces
the historic building material for its low technology thermal qualities. when quarried within 1000 kilometers from the site,
benefits include its minimal toxicity risk, ability for downcycling and recylcing as well as reduced air and water pollution
during construction. perfect for warm climates, thick perimeter walls will still provide proper insulation while self-ventilating
as it is more permeable than concrete.

a modern design interpretation for a typically limiting material, the structure is comprised of lower level living and dining area
and a loft for convertible bedroom. the ground floor is bound with a glass facade to overlook a small courtyard. the roof is an upgrade
of a reinforced stone arch design introduced by french architect viollet-le-duc, instead interweaving stones to mimic timbers in
a reciprocal frame to reduce the forces from horizontal thrust. the curved surface is ideal for lighting and acoustics. a concentrated
energy system which hybrids photovoltaics and thermal energy sources will power the dwelling.



living and dining on the ground floor



view of loft from ground floor



loft



exterior



video courtesy astonyshine



isometric



floor plan / level 0



section
1. wooden structure flooring system
2. stone walls
3. stone roof
4. laminated wood beams
5. triple pane windows
6. stairs
8. toilet
9. bedroom
10. kitchen
11. wooden partitions
12. wood structure mezzanine



section
1. wooden structure flooring system
2. stone walls
3. stone roof
4. laminated wood beams
5. triple pane windows
6. stairs
7. mezzanine