Why are architectural competitions good? It is there that architects and designers send their most interesting and striking projects. It is not surprising that the projects-winners of the competitions attract everyone's attention - as a rule, they can rightfully boast the title of "best of the best".
The "Precious Heat" competition, established by the Association of Producers and Suppliers of expanded polystyrene and organized by RIA "ARD" with the support of the general sponsor of the competition, SIBUR Holding, in order to demonstrate the most interesting projects using expanded polystyrene, allowed everyone to get acquainted with examples of a variety of energy-efficient buildings - both small private houses and entire residential complexes.
The winners of the competition, architects from St. Petersburg Maxim Nizov and Maria Surkova, designed a private cottage in the Leningrad region, which was built in 2013. the poetic name "A House with a Warm Heart".
According to Yuri Vladimirovich Savkin, Director of the Association of Suppliers and Producers of expanded polystyrene and co-chairman of the competition jury, “this is an amazingly beautiful house, both light and low, and seems to be a winter garden from the south and powerfully insulated walls, foundation, ceiling. Modern architecture and design, combining constructions made of glass, wood, OSB and expanded polystyrene of different thickness for different tasks, up to 360 mm."
After the awarding ceremony, the winners shared their impressions of the competition, as well as talked about their work on the project.
You became prize-winners of the Precious Heat competition in the Best Low-Rise Building Project nomination. How and why did you decide to participate in this competition?
In our opinion, this competition is very interesting and important - it gives architects and designers an opportunity to demonstrate their vision of modern architecture and the possibilities of modern technologies and materials, such as expanded polystyrene.
In addition, it allows you to attract public attention, because it is the consumer who must understand what wide opportunities open up to him with the use of energy-saving technologies based on generally simple techniques and inexpensive materials. Thanks to the projects presented at this competition, people can understand that modern beautiful architecture is not something distant and abstract, but the realities of the world close to them, in which it is very comfortable to live.
What allows your home to exist in balance with nature?
First of all, low power consumption. Our house is very environmentally friendly, while much has been achieved by simple methods - for example, orientation to the cardinal points, vestibules, a winter garden, used as a buffer from the cold in winter and as protection from the sun in summer … Thanks to ground heat exchangers, the temperature in the winter garden can be regulated by cooling in summer and without dropping too low in winter.
In addition to the above, we used heat recovery technologies, expanded polystyrene as insulation and double-glazed windows with inert gas and low-emission coating. We managed to create a kind of balance between natural and modern technologies.
Harmony with nature also arises from an aesthetic point of view - visually, nature enters the house, and the house merges into nature. The winter garden surrounds the house on three sides and can be used for recreation, sports, etc.
You chose Styrofoam because it enhances
energy efficiency of the building? Or does he have some other merit?
Firstly, expanded polystyrene is an environmentally friendly material, both in production and in use. And it is produced in Russia - and this is important, because transportation also requires resources.
Secondly, this technology has long established itself in construction, the experience of its use is huge, and the technology of using expanded polystyrene is well known. And the time-tested material inspires more confidence in the consumer than new ones.
Thirdly, an important role is played by the economic component - the price of heat-insulating materials based on expanded polystyrene is lower than, say, for materials based on stone wool.
The lightness of the material is also important: a cube of facade expanded polystyrene weighs only 25-30 kg, which is almost 5 times lighter than stone wool heaters. Another plus is easy installation and low water absorption, respectively, it does not lose its heat-insulating properties over time. In addition, it is possible to use various technologies for its use: it can be slabs of different sizes, production of fixed formwork based on expanded polystyrene, etc.
How exactly did you use this material in your project?
In our project, expanded polystyrene slabs are used for complex building insulation: wall insulation made using frame technology, floor insulation on a concrete screed, foundation and roof insulation. We used 1200 mm x 1000 mm slabs because they are easy to install and transport.
This made it possible to significantly reduce the heat loss of the building, made living in it more comfortable and economically attractive. Moreover, this is what allowed us to create a large winter garden, which acts as a buffer between living quarters and the street.
Based on what criteria did you develop the concept of your project? What was most important to you?
Dissolution in nature is the concept of our project. The building itself dissolves into the surrounding landscape due to the nature inside and glass reflecting the nature of the outside.
Our other task was to show what huge opportunities for life are provided by the use of energy-saving technologies, because only their effective use allows us to form large glazing areas in a fairly inexpensive building, to design winter garden spaces without increasing the cost of their operation.
In general, our idea in this project was to draw the attention of consumers to the fact that everyone is able to create a beautiful, comfortable and economical home without large investments in additional equipment.
What is good architecture from your point of view? What are the metrics that make a project really good?
In our opinion, good architecture is when even the smallest space has a meaningful idea, when the main thing is not size, but quality and novelty, when there is nothing superfluous in the project, but at the same time it is unique and self-sufficient. The main task of a good architect is not to create an object, but a new quality of life for those who will be in it.
