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
When is there a right to light, and what happens if it is obstructed?
Infrastructure nationalisation
What would the nationalisation of economic infrastructure mean for GB?
A new guide to improving value by reducing design error.
We've reached 80,000 page views a day and 10,000 registered users. Why not join them?
A masterplan is a framework within which a location is encouraged to develop or change. Read our introductory article.
New consultation announced on a specialist Housing Court to settle landlord-tenant disputes.
Inclusive cities and transport
ICE responds to a transport consultation advising the government to make decisions enabling more inclusive cities.
BRE and Loughborough University complete first phase refurbishment of demonstration home.
How the risk of collapse of fibrous plaster ceilings is being addressed in theatres.
We’re looking for a full-time Editor
If you’re a great writer and have practical experience of the construction industry, it could be you.
Frustrated by long documents or technical jargon? Put off by sign-up forms or costs? Take this 5 min survey to help improve construction knowledge.