An upshot of collaboration between TJAW, Fulguro, Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) and architectural studio JJZ, the reHOUSE project aims to offer a contemporary viewpoint on sustainability. The reHOUSE was realized in 2002 when Bosch asked some schools and studios to participate in a contest themed on the “future way of living”. The primary focus of the research platform was the water and energy consumption in the house. To minimize water and energy usage, a series of self-contained objects were created in order to develop a sustainable network. While some objects use water to function, others reuse and filter it.
The reHOUSE project offers a new, sustainable approach to the idea of living with simple way of fabrication (terra cotta). The reHOUSE system comprises six main objects, which include Aquasol hanging garden, Hiberlith cooling module, Hydrocolar water module, Floratrop plant tree, Balnatherm bathing island and Lutumat compost toilet. The Aquasol functions as a rainwater collector and reservoir and is connected with the water circulating system in the house. The Hiberlith cooling system combines four different sized modules and is connected with the fresh water circulation. The Hydrocolar in the kitchen works as a water supply system, sink, filter and tank.
The gray water from kitchen and bathroom is filtered and can be used for cleaning and watering the plants. The organic waste from bath and kitchen is used as plant fertilizer. The biogas from composting is used for the heating purposes. The reHOUSE project took third position in the competition.
