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Coated Glass Facades and Vertical Battens Define a Sustainable Home in California

Authors:
Huda Yaghmour, Fatma Elzahraa Hassan, Ranim Alsaleh
Coated Glass Facades and Vertical Battens Define a Sustainable Home in California

Project in-detail

Featuring a façade of coated glass and strategic vertical battens, this California residence emphasizes energy efficiency through thoughtful material selection and layout while providing a comfortable living environment.
5 key facts about this project
01
Coated glass façades enhance natural light and visual connection to the landscape.
02
Vertical battens provide solar shading while adding architectural interest.
03
Reinforced concrete structural elements ensure durability and longevity.
04
Grey water recycling system minimizes water footprint and promotes sustainability.
05
Open floor plan fosters flexible living spaces for contemporary lifestyles.

**Project Overview**

Located in a contextually rich area, this residence integrates modern aesthetics with sustainable practices and innovative design. The architectural firm emphasizes practicality alongside environmental considerations, resulting in a structure that serves as both a home and a sustainable investment. The design focuses on maximizing natural light and optimizing air circulation while ensuring a habitat conducive to comfortable living. By strategically arranging the building mass along an east-west axis and orienting expansive glass façades to the north, the dwelling effectively captures sunlight while minimizing heat gain, thereby addressing the climatic conditions of the locale and maintaining energy efficiency.

**Spatial Configuration**

The residence is organized across two primary levels—the ground floor and the first floor—allowing for a purposeful distribution of functions. The ground floor features interconnected social spaces, including a spacious living room and an open kitchen that flows into dining areas. These spaces are distinctly zoned through careful furniture arrangements and variations in ceiling heights. In contrast, the first floor accommodates private quarters, comprising several bedrooms equipped with en-suite bathrooms, thereby promoting privacy while offering considerable views of the surrounding landscape through generously sized windows.

**Sustainability Features**

Sustainability is a key component of the design, incorporating various technologies that enhance energy performance. Solar panels are deployed to harness renewable energy, generating electricity for the household. Atmospheric water generators provide a sustainable water supply sourced from humidity, while a grey water recycling system efficiently reuses water for irrigation and other non-potable uses. The commitment to sustainable construction and reduced carbon footprint is further illustrated through a life cycle analysis, which evaluates both the environmental impact and the economic viability of the residence, reinforcing its status as a conscientious architectural endeavor.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
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