A set of affordable homes for growing families just popped up in Örebro, Sweden, and they utilize passive building principles and photovoltaic panels to generate as much energy as they use each year. Stockholm-based Street Monkey Architects designed the zero-energy homes to be well insulated and nearly airtight, with ventilation systems that retain as much heat as possible.
A row of homes facing east-west is topped with solar panels. Each home’s pitch is angled to catch as much sun as possible.
Solar Zero Energy Homes
Rooftop solar panels almost completely power the homes, and on-site batteries store unused energy that can be sold back to the grid. Additionally, the buildings’ energy consumption is measured on an ongoing basis to adjust for power needs.
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Each two-story, 1,600-square-foot structure is composed of six factory-built modules that arrived on-site with finished interiors. Once erected, the facades were connected to smooth over transitional moments between the homes. Four houses face east-west, while six have a north-south orientation, and all of the roofs are topped with solar panels angled toward the path of the sun.
The solar panel–topped roofs vary slightly in height for added visual interest.
Although the development is designed as an interlocking series of homes, subtle variations give each residence its character. Some features white plaster facades, while the row running north to south is finished in dark, silvery steel.
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A more detailed shot shows the variation.
Wood slatting attached to every other house creates a visual rhythm, an element that Street Monkey Architects hopes will provide a sense of individuality for prospective homeowners.
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Each home has a deck with an extended backyard that’s accessed via glass doors.
The entrance (at the back corner) leads directly into the kitchen, dining room, and living room.
The kitchen is designed in a U-shape to enable socializing and to optimize space flow.
The living room, located adjacent to the dining area, leads to the backyard.
The homes’ interiors are open and airy. The ground-floor kitchen opens to the dining room, which leads to the living area. There, two sets of glass doors provide access to a terrace, expanding available living space. Steel stairs suspended by vertical wires allow light to filter to the ground floor. The upper level holds three bedrooms, a family room, and a large bathroom.
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Metal stairs attached via wires allow an abundance of light to reach the first floor
At the top of the stairs is a family room with natural wood floors and white walls
The family room sits adjacent to the bedrooms and a large bathroom.
A master bedroom on the second floor gets natural light through glass doors.
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