( CNN ) Would you build a house with water ? Hungarian architect Matyas Gutai believes that water is the perfect material for keeping a house at a comfortable temperature . And while that does n't mean that he can do away with traditional materials like bricks , cement , and plaster , his system promotes a whole new idea of engineering . Gutai built a prototype house in his hometown of Kecskemet , south of Budapest , with his high school friend Milan Berenyi , after years of research and development . The house was built with a grant from the EU , and showcases the `` liquid engineering '' concepts Gutai has written about extensively . Panels , some of steel , and some of glass , make up the structure of the house and a sheet of water is trapped between the inner layers , which equalizes the temperature across the building . The house is actually able to reheat itself , when its hot excess heat is stored either in the foundations of the building or in external storage , to be brought back to the walls when the temperature drops . The indoor temperature can also be modified using a monitoring system similar to central heating . This is a very efficient and sustainable system : the house can produce its own energy and be more independent of energy suppliers , which could reduce carbon emissions . `` Our panel can heat and cool the building itself -- the water inside the panel does the very same job as heating , '' says Gutai . `` It saves energy , when you compare it to a similar building with large glass surfaces -- it 's a very clean and sustainable solution . '' While studying sustainable architecture at the University of Tokyo , in 2003 , Gutai got the idea for his water house from a visit to the open air hot baths . Despite the snowfall outside the pool , Gutai remained comfortably warm inside it -- it was then he realized the importance of water 's surface temperature and its potential use in architecture . `` As an architect I think it 's really important that this building tries to redefine permanence , which has been a key concept in architecture for thousands of years . Our approach to permanence has n't changed much at all , but now instead of making something very strong that tries to resist everything , we are making something that adapts to its environment . `` Architecture is really changing in our time . We 've reached our limits when it comes to solid architecture , now it 's reasonable to look for a new system . '' `` This research dates back seven or eight years , '' explains Gutai . `` I started it at the University of Tokyo and it took us almost six years to get the building done . There are plenty of structural problems involved -- a lot of important questions were raised such as what happens if it 's so cold outside that the water freezes or what happens when one panel breaks . '' `` We now mix the water with natural solvents , that do not cause pollution but lower the freezing temperature to an acceptable level . This practically means , that even if the reheating technology fails , the water can not freeze . '' `` In case of cold climates , like in Hungary , we also add some external insulation to the structure , to protect it from freezing . '' And if a panel were to break ? `` We designed special joint units . The joint elements allow slow flow , but block faster flows , '' he explains . This means that if one panel breaks , it will be sealed from the remaining ones instantly . This effect is based on fluid dynamics , and not computers or monitoring system -- which minimizes the chance of failure . Gutai has worked in cooperation with universities and manufacturers to make sure the building is viable , and while the prototype house is only a small space ( eight square meters in total ) it demonstrates the power of this new technology . `` Our goal should be to use less energy and materials , and take cities off-grid as much as possible . The water house is one way to do that , '' said Gutai , who currently works as a researcher at Feng Chia University in Taiwan . Constructing houses in this way is moderately more expensive than traditional designs , but this prototype aims to slash our energy needs and Gutai is working with factories and companies across Europe on projects using this technology . To make water the building material of a greener future .
Gutai is pioneering the use of water as an insulator for sustainable architecture . Reacting to its surroundings , the water keeps the house at a comfortable temperature .