Solar Cabin is a Modular Refugee Housing with Rooftop Solar PVs

As groups of refugees seek safety in the Netherlands, the government is jostling to provide affordable and humane temporary housing as reported by Inhabitat.

The central agency responsible for receiving refugees and the State Architect launched “Home Away From Home”, an open design competition that invited innovative proposals. One of the six winners Designed Office Sunday dNArchitectuer is Solar Cabin who combines modular, prefabricated design and clean renewable energy to provide temporary to

The central agency responsible for receiving refugees and the State Architect launched “Home Away From Home”, an open design competition that invited innovative proposals. One of the six winners Designed Office Sunday dNArchitectuer is Solar Cabin who combines modular, prefabricated design and clean renewable energy to provide temporary to permanent housing while contributing to Netherlands’ 2020 clean energy targets.

With the prefabricated gypsum walls and the western cedar façade, the solar cabin is aesthetically-pleasing and offers intelligent design and environmental benefits. The cabin is comprised of a modular kit of parts that allows for different configurations. The cabins can be stacked together or they can stand alone. The roof is made up of rooftop solar array that provides electricity to the home and the neighbouring buildings. Through this, the building serves two functions – sheltering the displaced people and increasing the overall clean energy share in any given city.

The design also uses rainwater harvesting and a constructed wetland that helps in filtering blackwater. The architect points out that because of its different green components, possible investors will qualify for different government subsidies, including the Energy Investment Allowance. This project is also suitable for students, graduates and other low-income residents. The project also offers housing for up to ten years.

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