Sustainability is wholly integrated with home life with Thailands first Bio-Solar House, a completely self-reliant abode in Bangkok where nothing goes to waste. The brainchild of Soontorn Boonyatikam, a professor of architecture at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand who is also the designer and occupant, the Bio-Solar House was developed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team comprised of students and faculty from architecture, engineering and science departments. Although the exterior features of the house differ little from the average middle-class Thai dwelling, its true powers lie in the installed functionalities that course through its interiors.
The Bio-solar home’s energy is generated entirely through solar panelling. A sufficient water supply is maintained collectively via rain, dew and condensation from a cooling system which can also be recycled and used to replenish the garden. Eco-consciousness is even extended beyond the premises with an electrical car that is powered by surplus electricity generated by the house. The additional investment for a Bio-Solar House may seem a tad costly in comparison to a conventional home but proves worthwhile when you think about never having to pay for another utility bill ever again.
Architect Soontorn Boonyatikam has always been interested in sustainable design, but personal circumstance provided additional motivation for this project. His wife suffers from pulmonary problems, and thus the family needed isolation from the notoriously polluted Bangkok air. The answer was a virtually airtight house in which the air is continuously filtered. Economics also played a major role in his design. Soontorn is also looking ahead to retirement and wanted a house in which “he’s never have to pay another energy bill”
For more details on the Bio-Solar house, please check out Jan Krikke’s great article from Architectureweek >
Via Architectureweek images courtesy of Jan Krikke
