Project A Hearth for the Contemporary Home
TYPE Onderzoek / Graduation Project
Grootte -
jaar 2023
Fire, central to the body of the home was once indispensable. As we gathered around we were able to find safety, cook, warm up and be amused. The human ability to keep fire not only meant the beginning of society but also of architecture. While the central hearth was very much alive within the indigenous dwelling, today the thought of fire as starting point of architecture has been lost. What started with the fireplace moving off-center towards the wall was followed by the many devices that took over its practical functions. With the evolution of the hearth the central place of focus has lost which has led to a more secluded and individualised social structure within the contemporary home. In order to bring back a form of collectiveness, the extant hearth could still be a necessary asset in the way we will live together. Fire in the form of combustion, in a time of climate crisis and increasing population density, is however not the answer. By following a more sustainable trend a new place of focus can be established through the means of thermal energy. My proposition, based on the passive principle of the solar chimney, uses the sun’s energy to heat and cool the residence. Besides regulating warmth (A), a new hearth is created through the comfort of enclosure (B), rethinking of physical gathering (C) and the use of natural light (D).
