Sustainable design practice A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) has combined traditional tropical architecture elements with modern prefabrication to produce the No Footprint House, a contemporary and energy-efficient abode that boasts a minimal environmental footprint. Developed for mass production, the first No Footprint House prototype was installed last year in Ojochal, a small village at the edge of a tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. To keep cool in the region’s humid climate, the home relies on passive climate control strategies, from the double-layered facade with operable panels to the slanted solar shades. Spanning an area of 108 square meters, the first No Footprint House prototype is the largest in the No Footprint House series, which also includes a “tiny” version at 36 square meters and a mid-size version at 81 square meters. All housing types can be customized with different finishes and layouts and will be available for purchase in 2020. The No Footprint House in Ojochal was prefabricated in the Central Valley of Costa Rica based on a structural grid of 12 by 9 meters and comprises a combined living and dining area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a multifunctional terrace. The home was transported to its current […]
Latest Articles
A Reuse Renaissance Continues to Reshape Mexico City
A balcony at Círculo Mexicano Courtesy Gabriel Monroy The practice of converting aging buildings for different, more timely functions isn’t new in Mexico...
Eco Anxiety – The New Normal?
Eco Anxiety – The New Normal?
By Sharon Michelle, MSc Psychology When I was about 8 years old I ran all the way home from the...
Harnessing Rice Fields to Resurrect California’s Endangered Salmon
Jacob Katz, director of Central Valley operations for the conservation nonprofit California Trout, looks out on the Sacramento River, near the Rough and...
Vincent Callebaut proposes a green, food-producing footbridge for Paris
Vincent Callebaut Architectures has unveiled fantastical designs for the Green Line, a futuristic “inhabited footbridge” in Paris that would run on renewable energy,...
Global heating could stabilize if countries go net-zero emissions, scientists say
This story was originally published by The Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The world may be...
The Surprising Ways America Can Hit Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
Even without reading the report, you can probably guess some of the key points: More renewables. More transmission. Electrify transportation. Carbon capture and...