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Located the shore of the Rybinsk reservoir, the building context is a planned development of up to 500 homes for use by employees of SeverStal JSC, a Living Steel member company with a large manufacturing operation in Cherepovets.

The city has a population of 314,000 and is located in the northern part of the great eastern European plain. Its climate is temperate and continental, with long winters, short summers, high diurnal and seasonal temperature variation, and exposure to arctic winds.

The Steel Wedge Leads

Peter Stutchbury Architecture's design calls for a long, thin, earth-sheltered structure, wedge-shaped in section, that opens out from its low northern side to a bank of windows on its taller, southern side.

A thermal wall housing the energy-based systems forms the spine of the home. Systems are kept simple — direct and largely passive, with low energy demands — and the building's heat leakage is minimized.

The rooms are aligned linearly along this thermal services spine, forming a long, rectangular floor plan. A connecting corridor runs along the north side of the house, between the spine and the building's earthen north wall. Additional bedrooms can be added for larger families, extending the rectangle along its east-west axis.

The main entrance to the house is at the west end, into the north corridor. An airlock keeps cold winter air out. During milder weather, folding glass doors can be opened onto a patio formed between the house and the sloped western berm. The garage forms a bookend on the home's east end, also bracketed by a berm.

Designed to be significantly prefabricated, the prototype suggests rapid construction and easy transformation into different housing types. Preliminary cost estimates by the firm indicate that the building could stay within the €80,000 budget if mass-produced.

Steel appears in several forms. Self-spanning steel panels form the roof, which is sloped to encourage snow to release. Wall and ceiling panels are steel-clad and insulated, with water pipes connected to the inside face.

Steel piles provide structural support for the earth wall, and steel flooring provides effective distribution of radiant heat.

The internal thermal wall is made of steel for its radiant and conductive qualities. This prefabricated form could be added to and reconfigured, and partially filled with sand to create additional thermal mass. Water piping is integrated, and heat from appliances, light fittings, water reticulation, and people is captured in a horizontal duct at the top of the wall and distributed as required.

Radiant heat is trapped in spaces above the ceiling and returned by ducting or water pipe conductors to the central heat duct. Heat from warm vehicle engines in the insulated garage is also captured.

An additional efficient-energy system, such as a high-efficiency chip heater, would provide supplemental heat.

The south-side windows are triple-glazed, with the wall sloped to optimize sun incidence in the winter. An externally mounted white light shelf increases light levels in the building. The glass is positioned to maximize solar gain of the thermal floor mass. Insulated double-hung shutters can be drawn over the windows to limit heat loss.

The design also incorporates systems for rainwater collection and reuse.

For interior finishes, the firm proposes refined cardboard for its recyclability, aesthetic warmth, and excellent acoustic and thermal properties.

Except for the concrete subfloors, the house is designed to be recyclable. Use of prefabricated components facilitates disassembly.

The passive design approach results in systems that require active participation from the building's occupants for optimum performance, engaging them with their environment. For example, shutters and vents must be operated manually.

The proposal also addresses the house in its context. The building sits low to the ground, and the sloping berm on the structure's north side further minimizes interruptions of the landscape, preserving views of the reservoir. The house's south facade creates a more typical streetscape.

The jury, chaired by Pritzker Prize laureate Glenn Murcutt, praised Peter Stutchbury's entry for going beyond the program requirements to offer "a more considered, thoughtful and larger trajectory," including "a very imaginative understanding of the landscape theme."   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The Peter Stutchbury Architecture entry further addresses harsh winter conditions by surrounding the house with a berm on three sides. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture The winning Living Steel home design is long and thin, with its main axis oriented east-west for optimal solar exposure. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Site plan drawing of the winning design, by Peter Stutchbury Architecture. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Extra Large Image Option 1 floor plan drawing. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Extra Large Image Option 2 floor plan drawing. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Extra Large Image Cross-section drawing of the winning design. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture Extra Large Image Insulated sliding panels serve as daylighting controls and protect against winter heat loss. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture The slope of the south wall was selected for optimal wintertime sun penetration. Image: Peter Stutchbury Architecture   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.