Yin & Yang Sustainable Living (Home)

Ever thought about living off-grid? Nah, us neither, but this German residence Yin & Yang home concept has been designed by Penda and seeks to explore the opportunity of total sustainable living. Featuring a roof that is home to a vegetable, herb, and fruit garden to provide independence towards food, the home's square footage of removed land-usage is metaphorically and literally replaced by its exact area located some 10m higher above ground.

Conceptualising a garden system to provide planters for the warmer months and a greenhouse for winter, this home has more plants than many garden centres. Beyond the roof's garden, the home's layout is intertwined like a Yin and Yang symbol with one half of the symbol designated for living and the other for working. With a cascading roofscape, rainwater is channelled for the plant's irrigation system whilst the internal spaces receive an abundance of light at many height levels.

Proving natural smells and that wholesome garden-living satisfaction, the connection between plant areas and the internal spaces is fluid and neat. As Penda architects explain, "...growing your own herbs, vegetables and fruits, changes our relationship to food. In [this] garden, we try to grow as much of our daily nutrition as somehow possible. The vegetables might not look as perfect as the ones from the supermarkets, but they sure taste better and are more nutritious and most importantly, you know what you eat and taste the work and love that comes from your own garden. Real food becomes part of your identity the same way that architecture does."

Beyond this project there is, of course, a widening appeal towards sustainable living and greater food-sourcing awareness, and the general awareness towards better health and community-living is having an impact on the way architects design. Who knows, with so much momentum, such a house will probably one day be a reality. Discover more about the project and architects online at: Home-of-Penda.com