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Yesterday Construmat, the biggest International Building Show, opened its doors in Barcelona to welcome thousands of architects, designers, engineers, builders and developers for a week of exchanging ideas, conferences and the latest in the world of construction. We are not surprised (see more ‘R projects’) that this year a whole pavilion has been dedicated to Sustainable Construction where you can visit the R4House, designed by the Valencian architect Luis de Garrido.
The R4House prototype consists of two bioclimatic homes (one of 150 m2 and a mini-flat of 30m2) made from materials that close the loop. The energy consumption of both is zero due to its bioclimatic design, the solar panels and the geothermal energy source. The waste production during construction is also zero. Both homes are modular and built from six recycled shipping containers; low-cost and allowing flexibility. The 4 Rs stand for Reuse, Recover, Recycle and Reasoning with the latter being the most important says Garrido. “With the construction sector being very inert and sustainable architecture looking to establish itself, reasoning is required to redesign the construction process and lower its negative impact on the environment.” The construction materials as well as interior ones have been carefully chosen and are all recycled as well as recyclable.
The R4House is however not only ecological but also economical in terms of pricing. The construction cost of the 150m2 is €60.000 and the small home costs €12.000. With the R4House, Garrido hopes to set an example for sustainable architecture in Spain and beyond.
PS: Wednesday, a day later:
Today I got around to visiting the R4House and left slightly disappointed. I expected great solutions for architecture as well as innovative interiors and furniture but instead I found what is more a display of different recycled materials put on walls and the floor. The furniture is not exactly an example of innovative design and although there are chairs made from recycled glass for example- I would not want to live amongst them. The kitchen appliances of the mini-flat are apparently recovered. This means they are old machines which had been covered with card board to make them look cooler… I don’t want to know how much energy it takes to cook dinner on these. And that’s my point. It doesn’t seem like this house has been designed to be lived in in a sustainable way. The bathtub jakusi is one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen, so not exactly water saving.
Some architects and designer think that the use of the home and the way you live in it is not their responsibility. And that’s where I disagree with them as I think the designer can help people live a more sustainable lifestyle, by creating for example comfortable & cool recycling systems, energy and water efficient machines, sexy & eco furniture people actually want to have not just because they are eco-friendly. I agree with David’s comment below that even if recycled shipping containers or other materials are eco-friendly during their production, the use (transport, energy, aesthetics, waste, ethics, …) cannot be ignored.
The R4House is working into the right direction tackling the waste issue in construction. Garrido has turned it into a huge project and published a 250 page book about his work, available for free if you email him via his web site. (Bob, check if information is available in English.)
You can visit the R4House at Construmat until the end of this week (May14-May19 2007). Via ::Construible ::Construmat
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Wow, I'm starting to get the feeling that some people are getting a little too fixated on the shipping container - why. Yea, I think they're cool, but let's get real, most people don't and WON’T live in a trailer - and most of those that do would choose not to.
This is an alternative option (and quite beautiful when placed, as shown, in its own private park) for as most builders will tell you, they build to market demands. The challenge for sustainable housing is the process not the product!
From a persual of the website it appears this designer has at least theoretically developed some well thought out if not proven systems. Does anyone know how we might get an English translation as there is quite a bit of detail there?
Well I see all this a bit dangerous, if architecture and design are gonna use eco as a wave to ride and leave it when is over is not going to work! My opinion is that ecodesign should be honest and conscious with the use of the product, isn’t it part of the life cycle? I’ve been fled with all the R4House merchandising over here in Barcelona and it looks too sponsored with main interior products companies, I think that’s why it looks more like a showroom than a real solution for housing.
I agree with comment 1 from DAvid, that the container thing is starting to be a bit borring.
I had the opportunity to assist to III International Sustainable ARchitecture Congress in Construmat 2007 where we could hear a conference from Luis de GArrido talking about the R4House and other projects. You can find a video of that conference (spanish) here in l3utterfish
I was there and to be honest it wasn´t good. The interior space is desarticulated, like a show-room of diferent materials. Misses the poetry, the simplicity - the delicatessen of depurated details - of real architecture. Plus, is not true that this kind of prototype can be everywere, each place is unique, the architecture has to be in a narrow dialog with nature, not any kind of nature, but the nature directed linked to a determined place. It´s why this house can´t be the same in Spain, or in Mexico, or in U.S....
It's the basic concept that works small, solar and sustainable. Forget the shipping containers; optimize the design for commercial mass production. Do it with a 12 volt power system, extremely low energy use appliances pre installed. The production will not be completely carbon free, but the long term pay off will be, and they will sell.