[Kennedy & Violich Architecture - IBA Soft House - COVER IMG] IBA Soft House view from southeast gardens Photographer: Michael Moser

IBA Soft House

PrizeWinner in Architectural Design / Green architecture
Firm LocationBoston , United States
Project locationHamburg, Germany
CompanyKennedy & Violich Architecture
Lead ArchitectSheila Kennedy, FAIA and Frano Violich, FAIA
Design TeamSheila Kennedy FAIA, Principal; Frano Violich FAIA, Principal; Veit Kugel, Dipl Ing, Senior Associate; Kyle Altman; Jeremy Burke; Stephen Clipp; Iman Fayyad; Patricia Gruits; Katherine Heinrich; Heather Micka-Smith; Chris Popa; Shevy Rockcastle; Phillip Seaton; Alex Shelly; Nyima Smith; Sean Tang; Diana Tomova; Sasa Zivkovic
ClientIBA Hamburg GmbH (City of Hamburg)

The SOFT HOUSE, a work/live project for IBA offers a new model for collective carbon negative living. The locally-made solid wood construction is enduring. With no glue or hardware, it sequesters carbon and can be fully recycled. The domestic infrastructure is designed to be soft, upgradable and mobile to respond to environmental conditions. A textile façade turns to track the sun, generate energy, provide views and create a changing public identity for residents. Mobile curtains provide LED lighting and configure interior space, giving homeowners the flexibility to adapt to their changing needs.