Vetsch Architektur
(Photograph of the Dolder house - Courtesy of Vetsch Architektur, Columns by Bruno Weber)
Vetsch Architektur was founded in 1978 by Peter Vetsch in Dietikon, Switzerland.
Peter Vetsch was first graduated from the Agriculture School in Cernier. Then he became an apprentice in structural design in Winterthur and worked for an architecture office in St. Gallen. In the following years, he attended the internationally-renowned Art Academy in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he graduated in 1970.
Peter Vetsch "earth-houses" are built using the technique of sprayed concrete, and then soil-covered with 80 cm and sometimes up to 3 m. The ground is an insulating blanket that efficiently protects it from rain, low temperatures, wind and natural abrasion. An earth house does not have to be built under the ground, it can be placed onto naturally grown terrain.
"Earth houses stand out due to their closeness to nature and allow an experience beyond the usual four walls and their right angles."
Beneficial features:
Insulation
Earth houses are designed as integral arches - one of the direct consequences of this kind of engineering is highly efficient insulation. The reduction of heat results in energy savings of up to 50%.
Air-Impermeability
Rooms are completely draught-free.
Humid room air cannot penetrate the structure and therefore prevents structural damage. As earth houses are impermeable, they can be considered ideal for controlled air conditioning.
Improved sound insulation
Resistance to natural abrasion
Variety of heat zones
The specific architecture of earth houses leads to an efficient subdivision of the building into several heat zones.
Climate adaptability
The house keeps cool in summer and warm in winter. A further advantage is the higher air humidity of 50 to 70% as opposed to overheated rooms of conventional houses in winter. The interior walls of an earth house are furnished using loam rendering which provides superior humidity compensation.
Windstorm, Earthquake and Fire Protection
The unique architecture of earth houses protects them extremely well against severe windstorms. They cannot be torn away or tipped over by strong winds. Structural engineering and, above all, the lack of corners and exposed parts (roof), eliminate vulnerable surfaces which would otherwise easily suffer from storm damage. Furthermore, earth houses benefit from improved stability due to the organic shapes of arches and, compared to other building materials, such as wood, earth houses feature efficient fire protection owing to the use of concrete.
Landscape integration
Soil-covered roofs (0,8 to 3 Meters soil cover) return parts of the green landscape and useable surface.
Optimised land use
The structure can be built right up to the property boundary and can easily be built into hilly terrain.
Quality of light
Earth houses are built using wide glass facades and dome-lights, allowing rooms to become bright and suffused with light. Dome-lights provide natural light for bathrooms and secondary rooms.
Location: Dietikon, Switzerland
Size of lot : 4000 m2 total
Living space : 60 m2 to 200 m2 per house
Cubature: 1500 m3 to 2200 m3 per house
.
Vetsch Architektur was founded in 1978 by Peter Vetsch in Dietikon, Switzerland.
Peter Vetsch was first graduated from the Agriculture School in Cernier. Then he became an apprentice in structural design in Winterthur and worked for an architecture office in St. Gallen. In the following years, he attended the internationally-renowned Art Academy in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he graduated in 1970.
Peter Vetsch "earth-houses" are built using the technique of sprayed concrete, and then soil-covered with 80 cm and sometimes up to 3 m. The ground is an insulating blanket that efficiently protects it from rain, low temperatures, wind and natural abrasion. An earth house does not have to be built under the ground, it can be placed onto naturally grown terrain.
"Earth houses stand out due to their closeness to nature and allow an experience beyond the usual four walls and their right angles."
Beneficial features:
Insulation
Earth houses are designed as integral arches - one of the direct consequences of this kind of engineering is highly efficient insulation. The reduction of heat results in energy savings of up to 50%.
Air-Impermeability
Rooms are completely draught-free.
Humid room air cannot penetrate the structure and therefore prevents structural damage. As earth houses are impermeable, they can be considered ideal for controlled air conditioning.
Improved sound insulation
Resistance to natural abrasion
Variety of heat zones
The specific architecture of earth houses leads to an efficient subdivision of the building into several heat zones.
Climate adaptability
The house keeps cool in summer and warm in winter. A further advantage is the higher air humidity of 50 to 70% as opposed to overheated rooms of conventional houses in winter. The interior walls of an earth house are furnished using loam rendering which provides superior humidity compensation.
Windstorm, Earthquake and Fire Protection
The unique architecture of earth houses protects them extremely well against severe windstorms. They cannot be torn away or tipped over by strong winds. Structural engineering and, above all, the lack of corners and exposed parts (roof), eliminate vulnerable surfaces which would otherwise easily suffer from storm damage. Furthermore, earth houses benefit from improved stability due to the organic shapes of arches and, compared to other building materials, such as wood, earth houses feature efficient fire protection owing to the use of concrete.
Landscape integration
Soil-covered roofs (0,8 to 3 Meters soil cover) return parts of the green landscape and useable surface.
Optimised land use
The structure can be built right up to the property boundary and can easily be built into hilly terrain.
Quality of light
Earth houses are built using wide glass facades and dome-lights, allowing rooms to become bright and suffused with light. Dome-lights provide natural light for bathrooms and secondary rooms.
Location: Dietikon, Switzerland
Size of lot : 4000 m2 total
Living space : 60 m2 to 200 m2 per house
Cubature: 1500 m3 to 2200 m3 per house
.
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Location: Dietikon, Schweiz
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