Meerzicht

MEERZICHT
De Realiteit 17
Bart Jan van den Brink

www.bartjanvandenbrink.nl

Meerzicht is bedoeld om de mensen bewust te maken van de kracht van zonne-energie.
Belangrijke componenten zijn:
Een thermische zonnecollector
Een in het oog springende zonneboiler
Glazen gevels die passieve zonne-energie genereren
Zonwerende elementen als luiken en een boom

De woning is een energiecentrale. Tussen de componenten wordt gewoond.
De plek voor de verschillende woonfuncties wordt mede bepaald door de warmtebehoefte.
Meerzicht is ook een laboratorium, dat gebruikt wordt voor onderzoek naar energiebesparing, zowel in de technische sfeer (Photo-Voltaische zonne-energie, installaties als warmtepomp; isolatie, glassoorten) als in de opzet van het ontwerp (oriëntatie, plek verschillende woonfuncties).

 
ENGLISH eXPLANATION
 
Assignment
‘Meerzicht’ is one of the winning designs of the competition The Fantasie II. The assignment was to design a temporary house that did not have to meet the regulations and in which the emphasis was on i.e. advanced energy applications.
 
Location
At the time of the competition it was only known that winners in Almere would acquire a plot of 20 m x 20 m. Ultimately, it appeared that this plot was situated at the Noorderplassen, near the western approach to Almere-Stad. Upon consultation with the other winners and the Rijksdienst IJsselmeerpolders, a Government Institute, the house has been situated such that the solar incidence on the collector roof is optimal.
 
Design
The space between the solar boiler filled with water (40.000 litres) and the collector roof (gradient 45º) is surrounded by glazed walls; and thus forms the dwelling. The living functions are all situated on the ground floor. On the first floor there is an additional living room, which allows the inhabitant to profit from the view and the temperature. The only space walled-in is the room with the prefab sanitary facilities in the centre of the house.
 
Material selection
Wherever possible, steel and glass were applied. The facades, for instance, have been constructed in insulated ‘Jansen Viss’ profiles, provided with rubber glazing. Rockwool was used as insulating material for the foundations, solar collectors and solar boiler. For brickwork and paving MBI-concrete block was applied. The frame of the solar collectors could best be made of wood. For the roofing and pond lining plastics foil ‘Braas Rhenofol’ was used.
 
Structure
Because of the requirement of .temporariness ‘Meerzicht’ has been constructed as much as possible out of removable elements. The pitched roof consists of sloping truss girders, at their upper side being supported by a principal girder resting on columns and at their lower side being cramped in the foundations. In between these girders the large collectors are mounted.
The floor of the first storey is also supported by girders (sprayed with pink paint) resting on columns. So as to keep this floor as thin as possible a steel sheet has been applied, in combination wit a chipboard upper floor.
Because of the temporariness, a pile foundation was not allowed, in spite of the poor condition of the soil. Therefore, a large sheet of reinforced foam concrete was chosen instead. To compensate the eccentric load of the 45- tonnes weighing storage vessel, a pond has been projected on the other side.
 
Installations
The starting point is that during the whole year Meerzicht can be heated by means of solar energy, whereas nevertheless all walls are made of glass. By calculation means of a dynamic computer model it has been shown that it is really possible.
The dwelling is managed as a closed room that is ventilated entirely mechanically. A ventilating system, in which the indoor air is extracted by suction between the insulating exterior pane and the hard glass interior pane and via the jambs, prevents cold radiation from the facade.
In the meantime insulated folding shutters have been mounted on the outside so as to prevent solar irradiation in summer and to keep the warmth indoors in winter.
 
Energy consumption
In this way the energy consumption for heating and hot water supply is restricted to electricity for the pumps and fans.
 
Construction
We have done much on our own (i.e. not with the help of skilled workmen), i.e. manufacturing and mounting of the facade.
So as to get the project going we needed sponsors. At the start of the construction, we had not yet much support from sponsors. Therefore, during the construction we had to take many decisions as to the design. Sometimes the fact whether or not we got support from sponsors at the right time, was decisive for the choice of certain structures and materials.