Suelo Solar

Renewable Budgets


  • 3January 2012
  • Author: Aquitaine Bordeaux Campus
  • Not commented
  • 1709 Readership

Created through the symbiosis between man and environment, our design project aims to be a sustainable house, which can be modulated according to everyone’s needs.


The energetic performance is acquired by associating bioclimatic principles: great insulation, green materials, natural ventilation, solar protection... and engineering systems: phase change materials, solar panels or concentrators.

Collecting rainwater and recycling grey waters through a vermi-filtration to reuse them participates to a great water management.
Savings and responsible consumptions of water and energy lead to an autonomous house.

The materials are chosen after the evaluation of their life cycle analysis. Moreover, using local materials, as timber, reduces the transport and so the costs and helps to maintain and support local factories. It also participates to a low environmental footprint.

We put a lot of effort into solar systems which are the heart of the competition. By using concentration, tracking and cogeneration we can use solar energy wisely and preserve raw materials.

Bioclimatic concepts

We focused on a few bioclimatic principles, as ventilation, solar strategies and great waste and water management. In this project we cannot use the ground's inertial mass, so we have to be really efficient on ventilation and solar strategies in order to reach great comfort conditions.

Solar strategies

Winter: the house captures free calories through windows on the south side, warms up, and therefore it reduces the house heating needs. We use inertial materials that stock the heat and diffuse it later.

Summer: the second skin protects the house from the sunrays, and during the night, we create a natural over-ventilation to cool down the entire building.


We use a system of natural ventilation through the house with temperatures’ differences. The heated air flows up due to the difference in temperature and density, and exits through superior windows.

We also add a heat-exchanger ventilator, a simple device that keeps heat in while moving stale air out in winter, or cooling down the incoming air in summer.

At the back of the house, on the North side, we have set up a system to regulate the winds: swivel blades, going from the ground to the roof.

Architectural Design

These bioclimatic strategies lead us to a specific design for the house. Also the house spreads towards the South through the second skin to provide in summer a great protected exterior space that is adapted to this climate's lifestyle. On the other hand, on the North side the house is mainly closed, as the glass surfaces lead to major heat loss. There only are a few openings in the thermal envelop, leading to a small exterior area, to enjoy a shady place during the hot summer days.


The house can be adjustable according to the seasons, the time of the day, and the inhabitants' needs: from a single family house, we can develop a large area to welcome several people. Most of the furniture is put away in the walls, to release a larger interior space.

This interior space can also be equipped to accommodate a 4-people family by developing different rooms.

This living house is also related to nature, as changes can occur in the envelop, through moveable elements, allowing more or less contact and continuity with the exterior.

Also, a second skin creates an additional space, an intermediate area between the private house, and the exterior space.


A well insulated building, linked with natural ventilation and a great hygrothermal management would provide a correct level of comfort in the interior space.

The sloped shape of the roof, allows the building's envelop to take off so as to bring natural light from the North: a diffuse and homogenous light, favorable to studious, resting and calm activities.

We can always modulate the interior space so as to find the best atmosphere, according to our needs: through the furniture, the lighting ambiances.
With all these components, we live in harmony with the house and the exterior environment, in real osmosis, and total freedom!

Systems design

An important part of our project consists in energy systems in the house.
To improve the efficiency by respecting the environment, we are developing innovative systems.

A heat exchanger using phase change materials, which cools the house passively. The HVAC facility is coupled with this exchanger to maximize the efficiency.

After the house’s consumptions optimization, we have to produce clean energy. We are developing innovative solar systems that can produce electricity, hot water and very hot fluid from the solar energy. These systems are designed to preserve raw materials and to be as efficient as possible.

Dissemination activities and current impact

The main objectives of our communication are to talk about Sumbiosi project and to raise public awareness about sustainable development.

We use many of the traditional means of communication like social networks (Facebook, Twitter), website and trade shows… But we also want to use some original communication supports.

Therefore we decided to create a mascot that can talk to kids about ecology and environment. It will give advice to them through our website, in trade shows or in the street.

We also create a part in our website with a lot of articles about sustainable development and environment. We want to inform the public about what is going on and on good practice to have to save the planet.

We will soon organize, in partnership with the Science Week, discovery days for children with a visit of NAPEVOMO House, and games around ecology.


Oportunidades de Negocio para el Profesional Solar