Smart & Natural Green Coastal Apartments
Written by Jennifer Heyns
When it comes to sustainable structures, we see a lot of single-family homes and big business ventures, but it’s rare to find multi-family dwellings with as much effort invested in responsible design. It’s tough to build huge structures efficiently, especially when diverse people with vastly different lifestyles are moving in. And then trying to add character and uniqueness? It’s so rarely done right…
Until now. This project in Izola, Slovenia, however, managed to pack all of this goodness into one coastal apartment complex. The building was completed in 2006 with the goal of constructing low-budget housing for young couples and families. It offers beautiful views of the sea, privacy from neighbors and a smart heating & cooling design.
The result reminds me of the Chinese yo-yos I used to play with as a child. Sort of a colorful, accordion-pleated toy. While the interior is quite traditional in style, the exterior is laden with staggered balconies for individual apartments – tenants get a singular view of the scenery rather than one of each other’s alcoves. Each loggia has a colorful shield on top to simultaneously reflect direct sunlight and provide shade. The shields vary in color, giving the overall complex a playful, toy-like appearance. The balconies are also sided for privacy, but contain small holes about 10 centimeters in diameter for proper ventilation.
The shading, shielding and ventilation components make it possible to dispel much heat in the summertime, while serving as a heat collector in the winter. That’s smart and natural climate control.
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