Is the greenhouse the house of the future?

The basis for the current system is a Venlo greenhouse. The model was adapted for housing in collaboration with Boal Systems and construction was started this year. Currently the glass is being placed and then inner construction can be finalized. The greenhouse home in Amsterdam will be energy neutral. “Without the greenhouse structure you would need more than 50% additional heating to get the same climate inside."

The greenhouse homes will also be built in the city of Utrecht. There the project spans fourteen homes. Van Kessel: "The greenhouse is your basis. Inside it the house is completely customizable. As a starter you can begin small and later expand." He also points to spatial layout. "A lot of fun for an architect. The house is not only horizontal but also vertical. You can work with terraces and open spaces from the top down." The concept is also very green. "There are several greenhouse homes in Scandinavia called Naturhus. Residents there can harvest from their own greenhouse year-round."

It sounds intriguing but how do you control the interior climate? Van Kessel: "That’s still tricky. We let Ecofys simulate a climate model of the greenhouse home in the computer and tried out the climates of an entire year. On hot days, the main greenhouse challenge, it resulted in a sort of attic climate: it got hot but not uncomfortably so. That was very encouraging. Moreover, the greenhouse can be opened on each floor. "With sliding doors in the outer walls. And the greenhouse roof, or greenhouse cover, as it is called in horticulture, can also open. Because of the internal height difference of 15 meters the same thermal function as a chimney applies: the heat rises and the cold comes in from below, resulting in quick cooling."