This passive house was the continuation of the Ziphouse concept started with the Line, Frame and Square Houses – to change the traditional outlook of low-cost prefabs homes, focusing on modern designs, yet keeping the vital functions of practical family living. A white L-shaped tree box with a light sloping roof embraces two adjacent terraces. These terraces are folded out as a continuation of a frame, acting sun shields around two wide window areas, each with one integrated glass door. The gap between the two terraces invites nature to touch the house at a piece of black timber panelling which bisects the otherwise white facade.
The one terrace is a continuation of the dining area by the kitchen while the other is continuation of the living room, dividing the outdoor space into different uses. While entering the house, one also enters on an axis following a clear sight line ending with a full-height window in the living room at the far end of the house. Counter-balanced on the main axis is the master bedroom and a vista through a glass door at the end of the wall. In the two social areas, consisting of the dining area and living room, the functions expand outwards on to the terraces, erasing the boundary between the interior and exterior. Between the two parts of the social room, there is a wooden box projecting outwards from the facade with an integrated window, making a niche on the inside to sit or lying in, realxing or reading a book. The building utilizes a unique building system which is a refinement of the normal SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) building method. It is 100% damp proof, extremely air-tight, and well insulated making it one of the first prefabs certified according to the Swedish Government’s strict regulations on passive housing. – Pompom Arkitekter
