What owners think about their ODYL House?
Introduction
Companies create products and services based on their own vision, which they try to communicate to their clients in the most effective ways.
In the case of ODYL, that vision responds to our wish to make off-grid living accessible, sustainable, as well as to strive for the best quality-price relationship through innovative design and operations.
We are proud and convinced of the high-quality and elegant design of our houses and being a young company, we probably have the same feelings that most parents have of their children. We try to be as unbiased as possible, but sometimes that’s very hard to achieve.
Because of that, we have tried to embark as early as possible on a journey towards acquiring a more objective perspective. Therefore, we have asked some current owners of an ODYL House, as well as prospective clients two questions: i) what they like the most of their ODYL House and, why did they choose ODYL House over a different off-grid element house manufacturer.
Their answers were very interesting and enlightening. Therefore, we have decided to share them with our readers in this article.
The importance of light
There are two main materials that are beautifully combined in the structure of an ODYL House – glulam cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glass panes. The latter allows light to enter abundantly from practically all sides of the house. According to our clients, this is important because of two main reasons:
The first reason is that glass panes, and the light that comes through them, bring a feeling of greater spaciousness to the 54m2 that constitute the living area of the house, plus the 13.4m2 of added surface for those who have a loft.
Many clients also mention that having glass panes in the façade and sides of the room provides with a nearly 180-degree view of the environment around the house. In the word of one of our clients: “I wake up in the morning, walk out of my bedroom and am welcomed to a new day by a stunning view of the nature, that I enjoy from my kitchen while I make breakfast”.
The second reason that was mentioned is that natural light allows people to see better. This was a surprising answer for us at the beginning. However, our clients explain that natural light is important for them as their eyes are not the same as they have grown older, and also because many of them work remotely in jobs that require them a lot of screen time, writing or reading.
Making the most of light is also very important as most of ODYL House clients are based in the north of Europe in locations where light hours slim as the winter comes.
Some clients mentioned that another thing that they really appreciate of ODYL House glass panes is that they make the house glow when lights are on during the night.
We also asked clients if they didn’t think that light could be excessive during the summertime, when days are very long and warm. They answered that they also had the same impression at the beginning. However, curtains and blinds are a very effective and simple solution to protect the house from excessive brightness and to offer privacy, when required. Another alternative can be the use of smart films that allow glass to change from a transparent to an opaque state.
The right temperature
Another feature that owners mentioned as one of the things that satisfy them most of their ODYL House is temperature: “the house maintains the right temperature throughout the year. It’s fresh in the summertime and keeps warm during the winter”.
There are two main reasons behind this. The first one is, that as mentioned in previous articles the ODYL House has been built not only on sustainable construction principles but also based on biophilic design. As a result of this, air can circulate perfectly well inside the house. High A-shaped ceilings play a great role in this process, combined with the use of wooden-framed sliding doors in the living room and tilt and turn windows in the bedroom and toilet.
This means that during the summertime the house ventilates naturally from incoming breeze or when required, through air conditioning. Similarly, the house retains the warmth during the winter, when warm also circulates perfectly. This has a positive knock-on effect on the off-grid house’s use energy for heating and cooling and its corresponding costs.
In addition, the ODYL House can be equipped with smart-house devices that clients can acquire as add-ons to manage their house’s heating, cooling and ventilation more efficiently.
Modern design that doesn’t become dated
Finally, when asked about why they decided to choose ODYL House over a different element house provider, our clients mentioned modern design as the most salient feature.
This answer might seem obvious, as the house was built with that vision in mind, and with the purpose of standing out from other off-grid element houses available in the market. However, modernity is a relative concept, as what represents the state-of-the-art today would usually not be considered as such in the future.
However, ODYL House owners strongly believe that the modern design that characterises their house will maintain its nature in the future: “If I compare my house with the other country houses around me, I can see that mine looks and feels more modern… and it will continue to do so over the next twenty years or more, while the others would look dated and old then”.
In summary
ODYL House was born with a vision of making off-grid living accessible, sustainable and to provide our clients with the best price-quality relationship. Through their feedback, our clients have talked about how this vision translates for them into very tangible things that they experience as owners of an ODYL House.
We did not specifically think about some of the things they mentioned when we started designing our houses. Nevertheless, light, temperature and a timeproof modern design seem to be some of the features that the clients of an ODYL House appreciate the most.
If you can think of any other ODYL House features that stand out for you, please send us an email at info@odylhouse.com or if you prefer, come and experience our ODYL showcase holiday house for yourself by booking a stay here.