Tenerife is known for its wind – whether you’re into kite boarding or a wind farming – so this amazing home set right next to a wind park had to take gusty breezes into consideration. Designed by Ruiz Larrea and Associates, the Bioclimatic House is surrounded by a circular wall and covered on top with a gorgeous living roof. Natural ventilation, daylighting, and passive design all work to protect the house from the elements and keep the indoor climate comfortable despite the warm temperatures and the wind. Sustainable materials and native vegetation complete this terrific home – read on for a look inside!
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The Bioclimatic House by Ruiz Larrea and Associates has a wind farm right in its back yard, so when it came to the design, high winds had to be accounted for. Located next the to wind park of Granadilla at the Instituto Tecnologico y de Energias Renovables, the home is one of 25 Bioclimatic Houses incorporated into the research center. Ruiz Larrea’s design competition-winning home was inspired by Geria – a traditional way of growing grapes in Lanzarote by protecting the fruit from the strong and continuous winds with a semicircular wall of volcanic rock. The home is surrounded and shielded by a circular wall of volcanic Tosca stone, and has no heating or air conditioning, relying completely on passive strategies to keep the interior warm or cool depending on the season. Insulation, weatherproofing, and thermal mass all help to retain or remove heat when necessary. Natural ventilation provided by cross breezes, the stack effect, and louvered openings encourages air to move through the house.

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