Beijing-based MAD Architects recently completed its “home of the future” prototype, a net-zero energy pavilion that aims to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Created in collaboration with Chinese renewable energy company Hanergy, the “Living Garden” features a curvaceous, latticed roof topped with Hanergy solar panels that are angled for optimal solar conditions and generate enough electricity to satisfy the daily needs of a household of three. The futuristic structure was installed as part of the 2018 China House Vision Exhibition located next to the Bird’s Nest Stadium inside Beijing’s Olympic Park.
Conceived as an experimental model, “Living Garden” does not have much in common with a traditional house. Rather, the structure was built like an airy pavilion filled with lush green space and seating. The nature-inspired structure consists of three main parts: a series of angled solar panels, a latticed timber roof structure and columns and various living spaces and gardens on the ground level. The grid-like roof is inset with translucent, waterproof glass to provide shelter from the rain. Hard angles were eschewed in favor of organic curves, while the addition of feathery grasses and trees help soften the overall look.
“Defying notions of the traditional home, where walls and roofs form boundaries, MAD’s design envisions an ‘en-plein-air’ atmosphere,” the architects explained in a project statement. “Maintaining an openness toward the sky and its surroundings, ‘Living Garden’ sees life, (solar) energy and nature coincide, seamlessly blending together to create an architectural ‘living’ landscape — one that emphasizes humanity’s emotional connection with nature.”
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MAD Architects and Hanergy’s “Living Garden” installation will be on show until Nov. 6, 2018. Launched as a cultural research project by Japanese graphic designer and curator Kenya Hara, the 2018 China House Vision Exhibition commissioned the design and construction of ten 1:1 scale “home of the future” pavilions.
Images via MAD Architects
