Swooping Astonyshine Solar Decathlon House Boasts a Bold Combination of Stone and Wood

Our <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/solar-decathlon-europe/">Solar Decathlon Europe</a> coverage is winding down but we still have a few more houses to show off, including the <a href="http://www.astonyshine.com">Astonyshine house by team France-Italy</a>. Despite its bold design that combines freestone building materials with a swooping wood interior and cutting-edge renewable energy technology, the home's structural integrity has come into question and it is currently has the <a href="http://www.sdeurope.org/?p=7733&amp;lang=en">lowest score of all the homes</a>. A few other cosmetic details detract from the original concept, but still, we have to admit that this is one of our favorite projects at the Villa Solar. Hit the jump to find out why.

The French-Italian team behind Astonyshine have had some trouble at the Solar Decathlon Europe

Eager to experiment with unconventional materials, they opted to build with Freestone

An attractive material with good thermal properties, Freestone is nonetheless heavy

Combined with the wood interior and a splash of color, it looks beautiful

The outdoor patio offers an extension of the interior space

This team was required to leave in their steel support beams because the judges were worried about the ability of the timber framing to sustain the weight

The curvilinear design is supposed to mitigate the weight concerns but the judges chose the cautious route

Despite this, some unfinished detailing and a few other imperfections, we really loved the interior of this home

The combination of wood and stone is deeply attractive

Dappled natural light warms the interior

The upstairs unit has two extra beds so there's plenty of room for a small family

A beautiful wrought iron spiral staircase leads to the upstairs loft

A swooping roof lends a wonderful fluid aesthetic to this home

The furnishings are natural and soothing

We admire this team for risking everything in the name of innovation

The kitchen is adjacent to the dining area

Although this home currently has the lowest score, we give the team behind Astonyshine a resounding A+ for effort!