A Modern, Energy Efficient Home Inspired by Traditional Romanian Architecture

Introduction to ZeroEnergy Homes

New sustainable and energy efficient building concepts are being revealed more and more these days, and ZeroEnergy is one of those new concepts. Soleta, a team of designers and builders from Romania set out to develop a modern and ecological building with traditional Romanian design features. The Soleta ZeroEnergy is their completely functional prototype that has been out for about 4 years now in Bucharest, Romania. The smallest model based off of their PLOUS models includes everything the larger model has, but in a smaller, more efficient package. These homes are a great alternative to conventional architecture with a style that's all their own. They wanted to make an affordable home that used minimal energy which also would reduce the costs of electricity and heating. People living in a Soleta home will even be able to forget about having to pay an electricity bill at all since these eco-homes include a power generation system made up of a combination of solar, hydropower and wind power. There's even a computerized energy management system that helps to reduce energy consumption as well. The heating in the home is generated by solar and geothermal energy as well, so the systems in the home basically run themselves.

Innovative Building Features

Another interesting factor in these home designs is that they don't have to be built on foundations. One of the aspects of building a home is to have a foundation in place before a prefabricated unit arrives at the site. But with the ZeroEnergy home, the house is just set on the KSF screwdriver. The homes are also much lighter than conventional homes and is set on a flexible foundation which means that they are able to move with seismic shifts. The builders only use high quality 97% recyclable building materials which makes it one of the most sustainable homes in the world. The designs can also be expanded upon once they are built too, so if customers need an extra room or some extra space, they can have another room added on. These homes can also be built in relatively no time at all, so in just 3 to 4 months, people can move into their homes after paying and signing the contract. Catalin Butmalai, who is one of the creators of Soleta came up with the building concept when he wanted to create a family home that was safe and smart but also stylish. He was inspired by traditional Romanian architecture, so he took some of the building concepts of the past and merged them with current style and technologies. This ZeroEnergy building has been the first of its kind in Romania, an East European country. So the prototype is in Bucharest, Romania, near the US Embassy where people can have a look at it in person.

Stylish Design and Functionality

You can see that these homes are really stylish in appearance too, so you don't have to sacrifice style over function. The homes have an angled roofline almost like an extended gambrel roof with the roof and the side walls of the home blending into one continuous line. The awning on the home also extends out over the deck providing some shelter while out on the deck. Inside, the ceilings are really high making for a wide-open space inside the smaller home. The full wall of windows on the front of the home also helps to open up the home to nature and allows the sun to stream in providing both heat and light. The living spaces also include a kitchen, living room and dining area and then a bedroom and a bathroom at the back. These homes could be a great solution for many people, and they provide affordable, safe, efficient homes for all.