Kindergie Huis (Kids Energy House) is a prototype for a doll’s house that can educate children and parents about green architecture and sustainable living. The House includes toy-like features indicating solar panels and solar hot water heating, cross-ventilation, green walls and planter boxes and, of course, an iconic wind mill, in addition to other elements. These features are not meant to be purely representative, but are aspects for play and for promoting dialogue between child and parent.
The components for the the house can be flat packed, and are laser cut from a space filling template, reducing the amount of wood required. It can be constructed by child or parent easily via a notching system and without the use of glue. The packaging includes environmentally friendly paint, so the basic initial appearance of the house can individualised and given a unique identity. The design is modular and staircases and ladders, green walls, roofing and even entire floors are re-arrangeable, becoming movable elements with which to play. This is conceived as a metaphor for sustainability and flexible living.
This prototype was designed by Guy Keulemans, Rachel Baker, Winnie Kwok and William Hunter in response to a brief by Duurzaam Eindhoven, aimed at improving energy usage in the Netherlands from an outsiders perspective.
