Prefabricated private villas

The University of Georgia

Project idea

Located near Starigrad, one of the oldest Croatian villages, A group of prefabricated red villas is growing out of the local cliff landscape garden. designed to be self-sufficient, eco-friendly and sustainable, the concept of 7 modules was created. All of them separately and all together can me shifted and moved around , connecting with one another and creating multiple patterns, while maintaining the integrity of a cozy living space. the main module being the biggest one, represents a shared interactive space, where family members can gather and spend time together. The rest of the modules consist of bedrooms, storage units and WC. All of the villas are strategically placed around and turned facing south, for the modules to have sea view and natural sunlight throughout the day. Not forgetting about the passive solar design, the overhangs were added to most of the windows. Their purpose is to shade the windows in different seasons and thereby prevent villas from overheating. For summer months, overhangs completely shade windows facing the south. And during winter time, full sunlight must be allowed on windows.

Project description

Due to the steep incline in the relief of the area, not to disturb the flora and fauna, for maximum preservation of the landscape, it was decided to make the villas stand in the air, with the help of helical screws made from galvanised steel, that's a modern and cost-effective ground anchor for both small and large construction projects. As well as being more environmentally friendly, ground screws offer several benefits over concrete: no digging or excavation required. No mess or damage to the site or the surrounding area. they are 70% faster to install than concrete – and it is allowed to build on them straight away.
While going op with the landscape, the modules have become separated in height, which creates a more dynamic composition, that also helps with providing the view and is beneficial to the passive solar energy sufficiency techniques as well.

Technical information

being fully constructed with mass timber, using GLT for construction parts, CLT for ceilings, floors and walls and finished with the cork cladding, known for its permeability to water vapor and resistant to compression ,offering thermal insulation whilst also offering a number of acoustic benefits for its ability to absorb and dissipate sounds, villas are not only extremely eco-friendly and sustainable, but also prefabricated, which means the assembly of its modules and components at a location other than the building site. The method controls construction costs by economizing on time, wages, and materials. Prefabrication also permits building throughout the year, regardless of the weather. Less disruption to surrounding environment on-site. this kind of modular prefabrication is the most sustainable way to build, reducing waste by 80% when compared to traditional construction. in addition, prefabricated villa concept was mixed with the modular architecture , which means assembling multiple pre-fabricated modules on site to create a working unit. By joining similar elements together in various ways, this allows for more flexibilities in design and standardized repair.

Zones