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Architects: Juan Robles
- Area: 420 m²
- Year: 2010
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Photographs:Andres Garcia Lachner
Text description provided by the architects. CONCEPT
Casa Mecano function as an organism composed by a structure, skin and a mechanism that adapts the its environment. The project maximize the use of passive design strategies through biocli matic architecture in sinergy with the integration of a Building Management System that operate the glazingvents in order to achieve the thermal comfort levels, adequate for the tropical environment.
At the same time, the team designed a manual system that allows the client to change the in clination of a sail, with the goal of controlling the direct sunlight projected inside the house. The project maximize function in the smallests pace possible, reducing the footprint and allowing the minimum use of construction materials.
1. SITE
a. It is located at the top of a hill, where the natural ventilation and theviews are taken into advantage
b. The total footprint is a 5.3% of the total plot allowing the habit atres toration and permeability
c. The natural to pography was previouslydeveloped, so the project team took advantage of the property characteristics to control thee rosionduring the construction process
CLIMATE
3. ENERGY
a. The design team assembled a basic layout to reduce the size of the project, and the amount of area that need silumination and construction materials
b. The project includes a gas system for kitchen, BBQ Dryer and a Solar Water Heater, install edon the roof in order to reduce the energy bill
c. Lighting design include a minimum amount of lighting fixtures and the use of energy efficient lighting. The BMS helps to control the amount of light in the different ambiences within the spaces
4. WATER
a. The amount of rain in theareais406 (mm Hg), this way the rain water is harvested in a 10m3 tank which is used for irrigation
b. Permeable surfaces in the project hard scape and natural landscape, help water absorption back in the soil
5. MATERIALS
a. The main project goal is to minimize the amount of construction materials needed
b. The steel structural system is modular, allowing the reduction of construction debris
c. The roof panels allow the reduction of roof supports as they have a great structural capacity
d. The materials chosen are low maintenance
6. ENVIRONMENT
a. Use of low emitting products
b. Thermal comfort acheived with the use of passive strategies
c. Natural ventilation
d. Natural ilumination
e. Interior / Exterior integration
f. Adequate internal accoustics
7. TECHNOLOGY
a. The project maximize the use of passive design strategies through bio climatic architecture in sinergy with the integration of a Building Management System that operate the glazingvents in order to achieve the thermal confort levels, adequate for the tropical environment. At the same time, the team designed a manual system that allows the client to change the inclination of a sail, with the goal of controlling the direct sunlight projected inside the house, achieving good sinergy between design and technology
8. INNOVATION
a. The use of low cost technology is inside the project requirements that is why mechanisms are specially designed and built, allowing the movement of sails to respond to the natural climate and adapt as a living organism
9. PROCESS
a. The design process represents the opportunity to evaluate, prevent and improve the concepts and strategies applied to the house design
b. The local communities are taken into consideration since the beggining of the project in order to use the regional resources and reinforce their isolated economies.
