Origami-Shaped “Beached House” Saves Energy Amid Australia’s Idyllic Landscape

Sometimes you look at a house and the landscape that surrounds it and just think: wow, they totally belong together. That's exactly how we feel about <a href="http://www.b-k-k.com.au/">BKK Architects'</a> beautiful origami-shaped Beached House in Australia. An AIA award-winning, timber-framed building set in coastal Victoria, the humble abode uses site orientation, glazing, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/slunakov-eco-education-center/">passive design techniques</a> and energy-efficient appliances to keep its carbon footprint to a minimum without compromising on its wide and playful expanse.

This origami-shaped home and this bucolic landscape belong together

A timber framed home with 5 star energy ratings

The Beached House in Victoria employs numerous tricks to boost its energy efficiency

All of the home's windows are double glazed

Which controls solar gain without interrupting light flow

Roofed terraces provide shade and shelter

Thermal massing on the southern end is amped up

Keeping energy consumption low, even though the footprint is fairly substantial

[gallery_extend]

While the exterior zinc and ash panels - diagonally and vertically placed - emphasize the playful shape

Rainwater is harvested and recycled

And water is heated using a heat exchangesystem