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Energy-neutral living while maintaining a sense of home
A team of about 50 TU Delft students, three professors and more than 40 companies developed a pioneering, energy-neutral renovation for the typical Dutch row house. As many as 1.4 million of this housing type exist, mostly outdated, cramped and energy-guzzling. Yet they form the heart of Dutch housing culture. The solution: ‘The Skin’, a second skin around the house that both creates extra space and makes the house completely energy-neutral, without affecting the familiar character.
On the south side, a transparent greenhouse structure forms the beating heart of the energy concept. Integrated solar cells in the glass supply the entire house with energy. In addition, panels extract heat from the greenhouse for tap water and heating. In winter, the closed greenhouse functions as a heat buffer, with the warmed air ventilating the house through a heat exchanger with minimal loss. In summer, the greenhouse can be opened completely, keeping the extra space light, airy and comfortable. The north side is post-insulated, dramatically reducing overall energy consumption.
Hot-dip galvanized steel as the backbone
The greenhouse structure consists of a main support structure of hot-dip galvanized steel to which aluminum profiles, solar panels, awnings and the folding façade are connected. The beams are attached to the gable and ridge and the columns – made of tubular profiles – carry the vertical forces. The choice of hot-dip galvanized steel was deliberate and triple-supported:
