The PassivPalau project began without a defined architectural design. Starting from a clear client brief, PAPIK Group took on design direction and modelled the home until it matched their priorities.
Not every commission arrives with a finished architectural project. In the case of PassivPalau, the home did not start from a defined design, so at PAPIK Group we took on the architectural design direction and worked through several proposals that were presented to the client progressively.
The client had a precise idea of the result they were after. It came down to three conditions: a house with very low energy consumption, on a single storey, integrated with the existing building. These premises set the framework within which the entire design phase had to operate.
From there, the remaining decisions took shape one by one. Nothing was assumed to be settled at the outset: each proposal was reviewed and adjusted until it reached the solution that best matched the client's expectations.
To support this way of working, each architectural proposal was presented as a floor plan and as a 3D model. The aim was for the client to form a precise idea of what the house would be like at every stage, and not only on paper. This continuous visualisation makes it possible to decide with judgement and to narrow the gap between what is imagined and what is finally built.
The process included several options that were ultimately discarded. Far from being wasted time, these iterations are part of the method: comparing alternatives is what leads to a well-resolved floor plan before construction begins.
This early approach connects directly with the way our Eskimohaus homes are built and with the principles of Passivhaus construction, where low energy consumption is not an add-on but a design condition from the start.
A well-defined brief does not limit the design: it orders its decisions. When the client's priorities are explicit from day one, every iteration brings the house closer to the expected result.