Solar Tower House
The Next House competition brief invited a reimagining of the US suburban home. The Solar Tower House responds with a minimal footprint and small, four-story tower, leaving much of the site open for other program.
The house is designed as a system, intended to be a modular core and shell package that mimics the integration approach of a space habitat module. Purposely constrained by fabrication, transportation, and assembly, the home offers a wide variety of configuration options for both interior customization and lot utilization.
Building systems take advantage of modular fabrication methods wherever possible and frame on-site construction work as subsystem assembly. Components and materials emphasize lightness and are supported by a 3D printed foundation.
With every stair serving as a communal circulation stair, the kitchen, dining, and living areas are interconnected in three dimensions, with slight separation for the different program of the living room. A small patio on the kitchen level provides ample daylight and views.