In Romania, interest in ecological homes is beginning to grow. Driven by curiosity, but especially by a shift towards a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families, people are seeking to learn as much as possible about them.
In Romania, interest in eco-friendly homes is starting to gain momentum. Driven by curiosity, but especially by a shift towards a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families, people are looking to learn as much as possible about them.
Although building sustainable homes is simple and eliminates many of the difficult stages of a classic construction, future homeowners often overlook this option due to lack of information. This happens in a context where we still don't have a good information filter on this subject, one that would concretely reveal the benefits of living in such a home.
The opening of GaleriaParadoxal, one of the most popular eco-friendly, sustainable homes created in recent years, was designed by Romanians. And since its launch, it has continued to gain popularity among foreigners, who "adopt" it with great enthusiasm and pragmatism.
Already applauded beyond the country's borders, Soleta zero Energy aims to join, in time, the brands that put Romania on the world map.
The first Soleta house was built three years ago for research purposes and to conduct a market study on the concept. After it appeared in national and international publications, reactions came immediately. It sparked interest among people who were receptive.
From the start, we wanted to promote not just a new model of home, but a lifestyle adapted to the times we all live in. We support the protection of nature through non-polluting construction systems and components, made using sustainable technologies.
Soleta is a response to the needs of a society oriented towards an ecological, healthy and responsible lifestyle, through the legacy it leaves for society.
How would you briefly describe the Soleta concept?
Soleta zero Energy is a new concept of modern, eco-friendly, sustainable housing that retains the feel of a safe and durable family home. We recently launched a range of Soleta homes, inspired by the success of the prototype and the desire to constantly improve it.
These are much more optimized, have larger glazed surfaces and were designed for different needs of society: a permanent home, a vacation home, but they can also be a personalized office building, a kindergarten for our children, a gym.
Let's remember that we would have much lower costs compared to the volume of activity carried out, taking into account the functionality of the building. Soleta homes are affordable, versatile, with minimal energy consumption, bright interiors and healthy air, representing real alternatives to conventional constructions.
We encounter the term "eco-friendly house" more and more often. Could you explain what it means for our readers?
We believe that the idea of eco-friendly homes is currently defined too broadly. When we label a home as "eco-friendly," we start by considering the minimal impact on the environment of our actions in the construction process and the entire life cycle of the house. We take this aspect into account from the production phase onwards.
The wood used for the house components is sourced from as close to the future construction site as possible. This reduces pollution caused by transportation. We use over 90% natural materials in the construction of the house.
The Soleta design, with its large glazed surfaces, allows natural light to penetrate the house for a much longer period during the day, minimizing the use of artificial lighting. The materials used for the finishes of the house, paints, varnishes, are water-based and do not contain harmful chemical components. The air breathed in the house is much healthier.
We thought about reducing energy consumption by minimizing losses and applying energy saving measures. In this sense, we use natural energy sources that are so readily available: water, sun, wind.
Let's use conventional energy sources as efficiently as possible and preferably when ecological ones are not available. The dwelling should be a long-term choice that can be developed modularly, as the needs of the family living in it evolve.
Practically, you can add a room, a sauna, a pool, a solar greenhouse for plants to the house without this subsequent construction affecting the integrity of the already built house.
How long does it take to build such a house?
The time allocated for construction varies between 3 and 5 months, taking into account the dimensions of each house model and the number of works scheduled during that period.
What are the approximate costs?
We consider that Soleta zero Energy is a premium product, built in post&beam system and which, compared to similar products abroad, is more than accessible. The price per square meter of the Soleta house is approximately 700 euros.
In comparison, Western houses built according to standardized systems are sold - the cheapest ones - at 850 euro/sq m (houses in framing system). In Romania, the same houses are sold for 300-400 euro/sq m. This is because there is a huge difference in quality and standardized system standards are not respected. Of course, there are exceptions that we applaud.
Soleta falls into the category of premium constructions (post&beam system) which in the West reach up to 4000-5000 euro/sq m. Thus, handed over turnkey, ready to live in, Soleta houses have correct prices for the quality delivered. These start from 39,000 euros, excluding VAT and go up to 109,000 euros, excluding VAT, depending on the model of house chosen in the standard version.
How interested are Romanians in these types of homes?
The decision to buy a house or move into a new one is one that requires time for reflection and analysis. We want a long-term investment and the best possible quality-price ratio. Romanians are receptive to the concept, they like it, they constantly express their interest by asking us for as many details as possible, but they often stop short of taking the step towards buying.
This happens because of the lack of information on the Romanian market about ecological houses or different from those we normally see everywhere. In this sense, we will try to remove people's indecision by building confidence in the product with the benefits of a nature-friendly house.
We will start raising people's responsibility towards nature through simple actions such as planting a small forest for each house purchased.
Why this way and not traditionally? What are the advantages?
Both Soleta One, the prototype, and the range of Soleta Plus houses incorporate elements of traditional Romanian architecture (handmade shingles made by local craftsmen, for example) in their design. They take further the durability and stability of the old wooden houses.
At the same time, we wanted to adapt the house to the current needs of the new generation: a modern dwelling, different design, low maintenance costs, technological and most importantly - a healthy indoor environment (natural light, clean air).
Control through a smartphone is easy to achieve even by someone less tech-savvy and greatly simplifies the functions of the house (such as controlling the indoor temperature during winter). The advantages over a classic concrete and brick house are evident.
The speed at which the construction is raised, the lack of a construction site, the intelligent insulation of the house that allows for optimal uptake of systems using renewable energy. The structural elements made from natural materials and the products it is built from are of the highest quality and the set price is a fair one, considering the ingenious solutions used.
The house can be easily extended. Starting from a smaller model, we can add space through modular addition of a room without spoiling the aesthetics of the house. And last but not least, we work responsibly towards nature, even from the production phase.
How do you see the future in Romania in terms of urban planning?
The current trend is to make convenient and at-hand choices: we are oriented towards an apartment in a residential complex that hands us a home seemingly aligned with decent living standards. We consider that we have too little time available for a more detailed search.
Here, we want to ease the decision-making process and propose a real alternative - a house model that can be built in a few weeks, already has a unique personality that makes it different and is far from what we need in the times we live in.
A Soleta house is a home built considering the comfort and stability of the classic homes we grew up in, adapted to a healthy lifestyle we are striving for, whose maintenance costs you much less and does not deviate from our technological needs that make our lives simpler.
If we were to build a house now, what would be the first piece of advice you would give us?
Choosing a house is like a long-term commitment. You want to make the best decision that will bring you as many benefits as possible. You want it to be healthy and stable, practical, beautiful and different from what you see in the neighborhood. To cost little to maintain, but without compromising on quality and modern trends.
A house that will stand the test of time and will be a home for your children and grandchildren in the future.
In Romania, interest in eco-friendly houses is starting to take shape. Driven by curiosity, but especially by a reorientation towards a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families, people are looking to find out as much as possible about them.
Paradoxically, one of the most popular eco-friendly, sustainable houses created in recent years was designed by Romanians. And since its launch, it has continued to gain popularity among foreigners, who "adopt" it with great enthusiasm and pragmatism. Already applauded beyond the borders of the country, Soleta zero Energy wants to join, over time, the brands that put Romania on the world map.
When did you start this project, the Soleta house? The first Soleta house was built 3 years ago for research purposes and to conduct a market study on the concept. After it appeared in national and international publications, reactions came immediately. It aroused people's interest, who were receptive.
From the beginning, we wanted to promote not just a new model of house, but a lifestyle adapted to the times we all live in. We support the protection of nature through non-polluting construction systems and components, made using sustainable technologies.
Soleta is an answer to the needs of a society reoriented towards an ecological, healthy and responsible lifestyle, by leaving a legacy for society.
Soleta zero Energy is a new concept of modern, ecological and sustainable housing while maintaining the feel of a safe and durable family home. We recently launched a range of Soleta houses, inspired by the success of the prototype and the desire to constantly improve it.
These are much more optimized, have larger glazed surfaces and were designed for different needs of society: a permanent home, a relaxing vacation home but can also be a personalized office building, a kindergarten for our children, a gym.
Remember that we would have much lower costs compared to the volume of activity carried out considering the functionality of the building. Soleta houses are affordable, versatile
We encounter the term "ecological house" more and more often. Could you explain it to our readers? We believe that the idea of ecological houses is currently too broadly defined. When we label a house as "ecological," we start from the minimal impact on the environment of our actions in building it and the entire life cycle of the house.
We take this aspect into account even during the production phase. The wood used for the house components is procured from as close as possible to the location of the future construction. This reduces pollution caused by its transportation. We use over 90% natural materials in the construction of the house.
How interested are Romanians in these types of homes? The decision to buy a house or move into a new one requires time for thought and analysis. We want a long-term investment and the best possible quality-price ratio.
Romanians are receptive to the concept, they like it, they constantly express their interest by asking us for as many details as possible, but they often stop before taking the step towards buying. This happens due to the lack of information on the Romanian market about ecological houses or different from those we normally see everywhere.
In this sense, we will try to remove people's indecision by building confidence in the product with the benefits of a nature-friendly house. We will start training people's responsibility towards
How long does it take to build such a house? The construction time varies between 3 and 5 months, taking into account the dimensions of each house model and the number of works scheduled during that period.
How do you see the future of urbanism in Romania? The current trend is to make comfortable and convenient choices: we are oriented towards an apartment in a residential complex which delivers us a home seemingly aligned with decent living standards. We consider that we have too little time available for a more detailed search.
Here, we want to ease the decision-making process and propose a real alternative model of a house that can be built in a few weeks, already has a unique personality that makes it different and is far from what we need in the times we live in.
A Soleta house is a home built considering the comfort and stability of the classic homes we grew up in, adapted to a healthy lifestyle we are striving for, whose maintenance
If we wanted to build a house now, what would be your first piece of advice? Choosing a house is like a long-term commitment. You want to make the best decision that will bring you as many benefits as possible. You want it to be healthy and stable, practical, beautiful and different from what you see in the neighborhood.
To cost little to maintain, but without compromising on quality and modern trends. A house that will stand the test of time and will be the home of your children and grandchildren in the future.
Although building sustainable homes is simple and eliminates many of the difficult stages of a traditional construction, future homeowners often overlook this option due to lack of information. This happens in a context where we still don't have a good information filter regarding this subject, one that would concretely show us the benefits of living in such a home.
Why choose this over a traditional home? What are the advantages? Both Soleta One, the prototype, and the range of Soleta Plus homes incorporate elements of traditional Romanian architecture (handmade shingle roofing by local craftsmen, for example) into their design. They carry forward the durability and stability of old wooden houses.
At the same time, we wanted to adapt the house to the current needs of the new generation: a modern dwelling, different design, low maintenance costs, technologically advanced, and most importantly - a healthy indoor environment (natural light, clean air).
Smartphone control is easy to achieve even for someone less tech-savvy and greatly simplifies the functions of the house (such as controlling the temperature during winter). The advantages compared to a classic dwelling are...
