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International green buildings |
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Domespace rotating homes
Imagine coming back to your house to find the front door in a different spot then when you left. It's something owners of Patrick Marsilli's Domespace homes are familiar with - the buildings can rotate automatically or by remote control, following the sun to maximise solar gain or avoiding it to prevent overheating. Domespace say just 370W is needed to power the rotation, about half the energy demand of an average toaster. US distributors Solaleya say the movement is imperceptible, and stationary versions are also available. The houses have been built throughout Europe and in the US and New Zealand, though there are none yet in Ireland.
The Domespace home can rotate automatically or by remote control
The spherical shape of the house lends itself to energy efficiency, minimising the surface area from which heat can escape and allowing for passive cross ventilation. The wall build up includes red cedar shingles externally, 200mm of cork insulation and spruce panelling inside. All timber is FSC certified. Sizes ranging from 474 to 2,150 square feet are available, and energy demand is impressively low: the rotating Harmonique model boasts a primary energy demand of 38kWh/m2/year for space heating, hot water and lighting, giving it an A under the French building energy rating system.
The first Domespace showhouse in France featured solar thermal
collectors from Solaris Energy Systems, one of Ireland's longest
established and most respected solar companies.
All timber is FSC certified
The rotating house can gain full benefit from its solar collectors
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