In the heart of the neighborhood Confluence In Lyon, a few steps from the Saona, a building was inaugurated that promises to change the way we think of the house and energy. Is called 22-26 And its peculiarity is immediately clear:, but it still guarantees constant thermal comfort in every season. It is not science fiction, nor an isolated experiment in northern Europe: it’s all true, and it happened in France. The project bears the signature of the Austrian study Baumschlager Eberlecreated for the real estate group Nexity. And the question arises: can a house really work like this?
The secret of 22-26
The idea at the base is simple, but precision is needed to make it. The building is built with Very thick cables brickswhich work like a sort of “natural thermos”: in winter they retain heat, in the summer they keep freshness. Thanks to this thermal inertiathe internal temperature stabilizes between 22 ° C in the cold months and 26 ° C in the hot oneswithout the need to turn on anything. No key to press, no system to be adjusted.
And then there is the automatic natural ventilation. Yes, the building breathes alone. A system of smart sensors It automatically opens and closes windows and shutters based on external climatic conditions. Thus the air is renewed without interventions by the inhabitants, guaranteeing an always healthy environment. It is a new habit, of course, but not difficult to adopt. And above all: it works.
Consumes less energy than any other house and produces electricity alone
One of the most surprising aspects of 22-26 is what little consumes: Between 2 and 9 kWh per square meter every yearthat is, up to five times less than current standards. To make a comparison, it is as if I could heat a small apartment with a single candle. It is not literal, but it makes the idea well.
The project also focuses on self -production: On the roof there are solar panels which provide part of the necessary energy. In addition, every detail of the building was designed to make the most of the natural lightreducing the need for artificial lighting. The goal is clear: live well, consuming the bare minimum.
But 22-26 is not just a model of efficiency: it is also an example of social accessibility. Some apartments are available through the system of Bail Réel Solidaire (BRS)which allows you to buy a house at lower prices, separating the ownership of the land from that of the home. This allows many families to become proprietary even with modest incomes.
In this way, the project shows that the ecological transition can be inclusivenot reserved for those with high economic possibilities. It is a concrete and replicable choice, which looks to the future without excluding anyone.
