ABSTRACT

Introduction The Villa Vision was designed as an experiment at the Danish Institute of Technology (DTI) with the intention of inspiring the Danish public to become more energy-conscious. The project involved a number of departments from the DTI, the National Energy Agency and a long list of Danish companies, institutions and foundations. Full-scale mock-ups were first erected at Building Fairs in Denmark, and a final version was built at the Institute in 1993. The Villa was opened to the public for a year in April 1994. As part of an experiment, three different families each occupied the house for periods of three months at a time.

The main intelligent feature of this house are the six triangular oil cloth sails that protect the central sunspace from solar overheating. The sails are programmed to close automatically like flower petals when the indoor temperature exceeds 23°C. The control system also enables the windows to open and close automatically, enabling excess heat to escape. Solar panels heat the water, and photovoltaics provide electricity.