House Dokka
Teaming up with nature for a very positive result

Dokkahus is named after the owner Tor Helge Dokka. As a long-standing engineer in the construction industry, and with a particular interest in sustainable construction, his goal was to show that family housing could also be energy positive.

The house consists of two floors, placed on top of each other but only slightly overlapping. Good daylight conditions and spatial experiences form the basis for the logistics inside. The upper floor has a simple, traditional shape with a pitched roof, a large glass surface at the end wall, and crows out over the steep plot. The lower floor settles down on a natural surface in the terrain, and the roof of the lower floor forms the terrace of the main floor.

The two volumes each have their own identity, though they speak the same language. The lower volume is drawn in from the upper on all sides to emphasize its subordinate position, avoid excessive continuous surfaces, and contribute to the floating expression of the top volume. The top seems light and airy, while the lower relates to the terrain.

While the horizontal spruce panels unite the two floors, they are separated by the color scheme: The black-painted upper part provides a precise contour to the sky, while the parts close to the ground and the terrace – and people – have been treated with a reddish-brown stain, providing a softer, warmer feeling.

The PV panels covering the roof are integrated, providing significant material and cost savings and a more aesthetically pleasing expression.

The underfloor heating system is connected to a ground source heat pump, and the floors are topped with a coating of screed that conducts the heat. Power consumption is thus minimal. In summer, the system is reversed – it cools down the dwelling. The generous ceiling height in the living room and kitchen provides good daylight conditions and less need for mechanical ventilation.

Overall, the home has a surplus of approximately 15 kWh/m2 a year, and thus also covers 75 percent of the family's consumption for electric car charging. The entire house's energy accounts, including construction and materials, will break even in ten years. Built with on-site fabricated elements that are screwed to the constructive elements, the house can also be disassembled, and the materials regained.