Villa Bio: House With a Cantilevered Living Roof is a Feat of Engineering
One first notices this striking home because of its lush living roof,
modern facade and floor-to-ceiling window that cap the end. Upon
further study, the home is completely composed of concrete in what looks
like a fantastic ode to MC Escher. Appearing as if it were cut from one
ribbon of concrete,
the home splits into three levels and even has an underground parking
ramp. What is even more amazing is that there are no internal beams
supporting the concrete inside the home, even with the green roof on top.
The Villa Bio house is located in Figueres, Spain in the province of Girona, and was built by Barcelona-based Cloud9. Composed of a long rectangular concrete structure, the home is split into two halves that look as though they were pulled apart to create a split-level house. The ends are capped with floor to ceiling glass, as are the interior walls, which let light into the interior. Even though concrete has a high carbon footprint, it lasts for ever and is easily recycled, making it at least semi-green.
What is amazing is that there are no support beams spanning the whole length of the house. The single solid-poured, cast-in-place concrete roof stays put, even though there is a living roof on top of the roof, which probably adds a fair amount of weight. The green roof on top is actually a hydroponic garden and also supports people lounging on the deck and gardening.
Originally published in Inhabitat.
The Villa Bio house is located in Figueres, Spain in the province of Girona, and was built by Barcelona-based Cloud9. Composed of a long rectangular concrete structure, the home is split into two halves that look as though they were pulled apart to create a split-level house. The ends are capped with floor to ceiling glass, as are the interior walls, which let light into the interior. Even though concrete has a high carbon footprint, it lasts for ever and is easily recycled, making it at least semi-green.
What is amazing is that there are no support beams spanning the whole length of the house. The single solid-poured, cast-in-place concrete roof stays put, even though there is a living roof on top of the roof, which probably adds a fair amount of weight. The green roof on top is actually a hydroponic garden and also supports people lounging on the deck and gardening.
Originally published in Inhabitat.
