L.I.S.I. – It Began with a Tree
In October 2014 in the territory of the center of prefabricated houses The Blue Lagoon (Blaue Lagune), located near the Austrian capital Vienna was opened to the public a unique eco-house named L.I.S.I. In 2013, the project won an international competition in sustainable architecture – Solar Decathlon, which took place in the United States. The house is designed, built and fully equipped with everything necessary for life, including furniture, home furnishings and even the dishes, thanks to the joint efforts of the four Austrian universities.
Abbreviation L.I.S.I. stands for “Living Inspired by Sustainable Innovation” – is Austria’s contribution to the solar decathlon 2013 competition and a house for the future. L.I.S.I. is not only firmly rooted in Austrian traditions and values, this 2-person home also conceptually draws on key elements of alpine culture, in particular, the meaning of trees in this country.
About half of Austria’s surface area is heavily forested, which has for millennia provided environmental protection against severe climate conditions and natural disasters, indispensable energy sources and habitats for diverse wildlife, as well as an especially valued, lightweight, renewable resource for building construction. The use of wood as a primary construction material is furthermore co2-neutral and beneficially impacts indoor climate.
The tree is an inspiration for L.I.S.I. at several levels: in its material and structural properties, situational adaptability, renewability and life-cycle efficiency. The clean, minimalistic design approach yields an architecture that highlights this cultural heritage.
L.I.S.I.-house consists of three zones: service core, living area and bordering patios, which can be closed up through a flexible outer façade. The synergy of modular timber construction and the use of renewable materials and energies creates a sustainable and affordable house for different users and sites. L.I.S.I. not only ensures a healthy, comfortable, and enjoyable environment for its residents, but also generates at least enough energy to fully power their daily lifestyle.
THE WORLD CHAMPION
L.I.S.I. is the winner of the international competition solar decathlon 2013 in Irvine, California, and was named the best solar house in the world. This interdisciplinary project was developed and implemented by a team of 172 participants consisting of students, professionals and companies.The project was created by Vienna UT in collaboration with UAS. Salzburg / campus Kuchl, UAS. St.Pölten and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). The management team was led by Karin Stieldorf (project leader, Vienna UT), Andreas Claus Schnetzer (project manager) and Gregor Pils (project manager). The management team was responsible for coordination and implementation of all departments.
96 percent of L.I.S.I. is wood. Furthermore, nine different local species of wood were used. The house is designed so that all parts of the tree are used, creating a deliberate handling of raw materials – solid timber for construction and finishes, bark as a surface material in the interior as well as sawdust for furniture in the living room.
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Materials provided by ecoplus International