Motivation
The Emerald House is a concept structure I co-designed to act as a guest house at MIT to showcase the institute's commitment to sustainability. It was meant to act both as a place of short-term living for visiting officials, and as a demonstration of energy-efficient building technologies. We believed that a building with such purpose should not just be sustainable, it should scream sustainable.
Concept
The objective was two-fold: to provide a place to live and to promote zero-energy/low-energy passive heating/cooling/lighting technologies. The key was to promote dialogue -- to force people to ask questions about the structure -- to make people think -- and wonder -- about sustainable design.
The first objective is accomplished with a four-room floor plan that includes large inviting common spaces. These open-floor-plan common areas are central to moving about the house. This nurtures interaction among residents. In addition, they feature spectacular views of the Charles River, which entices residents to sit down and interact.
The second objective is achieved by a futuristic aesthetic. The modern structure is juxtaposed on a proposed site at MIT between two neoclassical structures each nearly 100 years old. This serves to heighten the structure's sense of progress. It stands in a highly public space that is central to campus life. The straight lines with bold angles, the unorthodox windows, the shameless glass facade, the sculptural wind scoop (obstructed in the picture below) -- these elements encourage residents and onlookers alike to explore the structure and learn more about the design features that allow it to be a zero/low-energy building.
Design
See the informational poster here for CAD drawings, sectionals, and descriptions of the sustainable design features integrated into the concept house.