11/23/13


green design, eco design, sustainable design, Natales, Chile, Solar power, architecture, OutsideIn, Fernanda Vuilleumier






OutsideIN House

Puerto Natales, Chile

The OutsideIN house is designed to bring the materials from the out side in. Materials carry ambivalent meanings in vernacular ways. On one-hand OutsideIN houses are concerned with domestic and functional purposes.A HOME that thinks has Passive Solar elements in order to collect, store, and distribute solar resources for heating, cooling, and day lighting. Trombe wall is a sun-facing stone wall built from richer materials that can act as a thermal mass. The Roof works as a wind sail in order to flow the air in one direction and captured rain running water.

Vuilleumier’s goal was to harness the natural forces in the Natales region, and have the OutsideIN home harmonize, rather than work against them. The sloped roof was created in response to the strong Northwest Winds that can reach up to 60 mph. The angle and positioning of the roof allow the winds to sweep through and cool the interior. Alternatively, the sloping roof also collects rain water that can be used for gardening and irrigation.
The exterior of the home uses functional and simple materials. Wooden beams are placed in a V shaped formation to support the slanted roof. Vuilleumier used inexpensive corrugated  metal  to line the front of the façade which faces shade. The back of the home is an added Trombe wall, which is a glazing and stone wall that  faces the sun and absorbs solar energy. Trombe walls store solar energy and release it selectively toward the interior at night,  and also act as a solar chimney which circulates air throughout the day.
Set by the sea, the OutsideIN home is a functional and economical home which uses the elements of the area to help power the home.