Solo House II
In May 2017, Solo House II, the second in a series of holiday homes, was completed. The ring-shaped house threads between trees on a plateaued site, providing views of the surrounding forest and landscape.
Located in the mountainous region of Matarraña, the house was designed by the Brussels-based architects Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen for the French developer Christian Bourdais.
The architects attempted to to make the architecture ‘invisible’, to emphasise the impressive scenery at the site and the natural quality of the surroundings.
The house comprises a simple, circular roof with a diameter of 45 m, supported by four rows of eight columns that intersect with the circumference of the circle. Three of the four sections formed by the resulting straight and curved edges enclose the living areas of the house.
The outer portions of the circle incorporate a sliding facade made from expanded metal mesh that provides dappled shade and privacy when closed. This can be drawn aside to completely open up the rooms to the outdoors. The remaining spaces beneath the curving roof are left open to the elements and look out towards the landscape.
The off-grid dwelling relies on solar panels for heating and electricity, while water is collected and purified on site by tanks and a filtration system on the building's roof. The artist Pieter Vermeersch applied a graded acrylic paint to two cylindrical volumes that emerge from the roof to accommodate the utilities.
Images and content courtesy of Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen.
Photographs © Bas Princen.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Extended reality in a post-pandemic world.
Can XR technology be leveraged in design & construction?
Or are you capping.
STEM ambassadors needed for ICE CityZen award.
Digital gaming competition for UK students aged 16 to 18.
Heritage protection in England vs Australia.
Fire doors and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
Three-quarters of fire doors fail inspections
UN International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.
The role of geoparks, biospheres and world heritage sites.
BSRIA conference 2022, June 23.
Just one month to go ! Find out more here.
Restoring Broadbent’s Bath House
A new gallery for the University of Huddersfield.
Corruption in the construction industry.
What will it take to stop it ?
To celebrate world bee day 2022 !
Just one month until the changes to part L come into effect.
Not forgetting part F and the new part overheating part O.
Heat Pump demand rises by one quarter.
As energy prices jump up in cost.
With people in the UK from Ukraine.
Industry leader Steve Murray takes on role.
An abundant and versatile building material.
How overheating complicates ending gas in the UK.
600,000 heat pump installations targeted per year by 2028.
Cost planning, control and related articles on DB.
Helping prevent those unwanted outcomes.
ICE debate Public transport - post pandemic.
How has transport changed due to Covid-19 ?
Cross-ventilation in buildings. Do you have it ?
Will you need it ? after June 15 and the new Part O ?
Share your knowledge with the industry.
Create an account and write the first of many articles.
The green jobs delivery group.
CIAT commentary after the first meeting.
Liverpool's world heritage site status
Who is to blame?
Research recommends focussing on portfolio success rather than project success.