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This unique concrete home has been developed by Kodasema as a prototype for an innovative mobile house. The small prefabricated unit is designed to allow residents to relocate in less than a day.
KODA is constructed of thin composite panels made of a concrete exterior and wood interior, with silica-fume vacuum insulation panels in-between. This combination of materials creates a strong and durable exterior and a pleasant, cosy interior and will keep the building as warm or cool as required.
The front of the house is a four-ply glass wall with a small terrace and a concrete sunscreen.
The concrete Kodasema use is 2-3 times stronger than the usual, standard concrete and becomes even stronger over time. Additionally, the look of the concrete doesn’t change over the years, meaning no repainting and refurbishing is needed. The concrete is cast over aged yacht sails, which creates a unique texture and pattern on the panels.
The interior is made of CLT panels made of softwood. Finished with natural oils and waxes, the wood is both friendly to the environment and to humans. The wooden shell is hermetically isolated from the other panel layers, meaning that no chemical yields from those can enter the living space.
Vacuum panels are one of the most effective insulators available and they take up little space. The panels that are just 60 mm thick. Kodasema would need up to 8 times thicker insulation layer to get the same results if we used the most common isolation materials. The 178 mm thick walls create more space for living.
CO2 and moisture levels are maintained with the help of a smart ventilation system that measures and reacts to conditions accordingly. The enthalpy heat exchanger also contributes to the optimal level of humidity in the room.
The house receives a significant supply of daylight through the glass facade. While the complementing interior lights allow the home owners to adjust the amount and tone of light.
Exterior noise is kept low with the help of 60 mm concrete panels, a four-ply glass facade and a sturdy door. Also, the interior technical systems are constructed and positioned to create minimal noise disturbances.
The existing KODA is a prototype of a living space for 1-2 dwellers. Yet, using the same technology and logic, the house can be re-configured to create a whole different space, for example, by leaving out the sleeping area, kitchen or wet room, it turns into a city-centre studio or cosy cafe, an office space, lakeside summer house or even a classroom.
KODA houses can be assembled to create a multi-room space – either on one level, or by placing one on top of the other. Additionally, using special weight bearing structures, KODA can be lifted; creating a parking space under the house.
KODA is free-standing, and its design and structure allow it to be assembled and disassembled many times over.
As the components of our house are manufactured in a controlled and optimised factory environment, assembling of a KODA house takes no more than seven hours on site. A KODA house can also be transported in one piece. All of this reduces noise, dust and the other inconveniences that come with normal construction work.
Thanks to its solid structure the house can be assembled on gravel, asphalt, or any other surface without digging up the ground and laying foundations.
WAN Small Spaces Award 2016 now open. For more information contact:
christina.ingram@builtenvironmentmedia.com
+44(0)1273 201 123
Nick Myall
News editor