Iceland Thermal Springs Guest House / Vo|Students

Armani Architects: Our design, inspired by the nature and local environment potentials, is a response to the environmental issues.

Our creative solution is in line with a trend, in which the architectural design considers the consequences of environment destruction by human beings and seeks a sustainable futuristic solution. Utilizing the new construction methods and digital tools, our idea has evolved considering local traditions, in order to achieve a design in which local skills and environmental conditions can be employed to create a sustainable environment and an enjoyable space. We want to be of small yet positive help in construction of such buildings over the world, so that the environment can be kept desirable for the future generations.

Our project design is highly affected by the project site’s surrounding environment. Considering that Iceland, and the project site in specific, are located near the North-pole natural glaciers, that are unfortunately keep melting down in an increasing rate, they have attracted an increasing attention from all over the world. As a result, we offer a design that look into the environment itself for a solution. With extensive software analysis, we have concluded that Iceland and the project site benefit from a significantly high geo-thermal energy, with great potential in its hot water springs. Due to the fact that the site location is a tourist attraction, utilizing the hot water extracted from the earth in the project site can create an attraction in which visitors can have a memorable experience, while helping with the sustainability, lowering the costs, and decreasing fossil fuel consumption.

It should be noted that exploiting such natural resources in a small area can lead to other issues itself; however, with a professional management, our idea can lead to a solution which is both efficient for the present and sustainable for the future. We seek to efficiently benefit from the natural
resources at the site location to offer a small-scale solution to a worldwide issue. Our recommendation is inspired by the Iceland’s native architectural elements and the local materials and culture. Our objective is to offer a proper design for the 21st century, which avoids any harm to the environment.

INSPIRATION
Centuries of isolation have helped Iceland in keeping its culture intact, a culture full of classic pieces of art and literature. Architecture in Iceland have always been in-line with and inspired by the environment and have been in the forefront of responding to many international challenges such as global
warming. Recently, an Italian artist sent a green peace message to all human beings, raising awareness for the global warming. The use of materials such as plastic and concrete is one of the main contributing factors to global warming.
In order to be in-line with the mainstream Icelandic design and spark the sense of familiarity, our design is inspired by the current residence and its neighboring buildings.

This design has a maximum height of seven meters, surrounded by a circle. Our dynamic design, obtained by analyzing the index points, is one rigid form with multiple integrated usages that can be an exciting attraction for those seeking a location which can offer a leisure time with a taste of nature. The central part of our design is elevated in order to provide a landmark for those inside or outside the space. We want the new design to be in conformity with its local surrounding and traditional form. The shape, structure, and materials conform with the natural landscape and rural farmlands in the surrounding areas.

The design plan is inspired by the natural cycle diagram, considering sample design cases of Traditional houses built inside farms and The Arctic Henge in Iceland. The organization of architectural spaces in our design is in-line with the natural life cycle and its innate potentials. The rotation of a familiar traditional form in a circular rail with a 360-degree view, makes it possible to have a view over the entire site during different times of day. The new residence will tempt many to come and stay, especially those who are interested in discovering the mysterious spaces, those who love photographing natural landscapes, and those who love the colorful nature and the beautiful traditional architecture design of Iceland.

Technical information

Materials and Construct ability: The overall design is developed with special consideration to buildability. Our first priority was to use biodegradable materials Such as wood, stone, aluminum, transparent wood (transparent volumes) in our design. Our proposal for project design as a prefabricated structure, which can be installed on several stands, fixed in the ground. This would be beneficial, as the structure can be easily aligned by adjusting the stands. As a result, the structure can keep its integrity and structural analyses can be kept intact.

The structure is in the form of a truss, with cross spans made from Stainless aluminum, leading to a structure which is not only lightweight but also weather resistant. Because the aluminum production capacity of Iceland, this material has been used in the structure to exploit industry potential.
We have also used thermal and acoustic insulations in the middle layer. Our design has two prefabricated parts. The structural form is not only in-line with the architectural form, it is also low-cost in terms of materials and construction. The parts are designed in a way that they can be quickly constructed on site by local people with guidance from the construction plan. Utilizing local materials and traditional approaches will lead to the ease of maintenance and an increase in the lifespan.
Our design can be in harmony with its surrounding environment and minimizes its environmental effects. We recommend utilizing used wooden materials collected from the old local buildings after proper treatment against fire and water.

SUSTAINABILITY
By an extensive study of the native design in the area, we have deployed a sustainable, environment-friendly structural Form that considers the land use. A circular design, with designated spots for small farms and gardens, in addition to the Thermal spring in the center, with architectural and residential spaces and movement circulation surrounding it, have created an efficient sustainable design plan. We have tested the structural form against natural factors such as wind and sunlight to ensure the sustainability and durability of the outer environment for the visitors. We have taken the following strategies to protect the environment:
•Circulation of the underground hot-water for heating, showers, and pools
•Adding vegetation in the gaps between wooden roof beams in order to prevent energy loss
•Utilizing volcanic stones around the base of the structure as a thermal mass in order to decrease heat loss and stabilize the inside temperature