Category Archives: Week 4

Week 4 Design

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Tiny House

This week’s design came to me through my friend Christopher Thomas and his Evergreen State College Club for an internship that he is involved with. A little bit about the internship: It is located in the North West National forest that has two reservations one for the Hoh Tribe in La Push Washington and the other Quileute tribe in Forks Washington. The internship was divided between the two Reservations and Thomas was distributed to the Hoh tribe Summit group. More about the Hoh tribe: the tribe lives in western Washington on the mouth of the Hoh River with 443 acres of land. The problem with the land is that: there are many possible water hazards from the River so moving the reservation uphill was the start; another concern is between the native fish because the tribe uses the different species of fish as a sustainable flow of income. The Hoh tribe is committed to building new affordable housing and to update current housing for their tribal members containing 226 registered members and an extra 100 is estimated to be off reservation because of the lack of housing. The objective of the internship is to build a mixture of twenty new homes and rentals in the two years, and my friend he requested me to design a sustainable structure with the above limitations of the water quality.

For my proposal to him I modeled a tiny house mainly because of the sustainable aspects and elements in the structure of a tiny home, they are cheap to build, sustainable on the materials used, Eco-friendly and low on utility cost. Above: South, East, North, and West

ABOUT:

Height: 13’ 7 ½” (House) 2’ 5” (platform) sits on a concrete slab foundation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDKEh1SEYbM

Area:

Bottom: 163.3127 sq. ft. 

Top: 85.0785 sq. ft.

Total: 248.3917 sq. ft.

Walls:

Interior: Dry Wall – Wood Framing

Exterior: Wood Framing – Solid Brick Masonry Walls

Goals:

My goals for this design were to work on my wall framing as if the exterior walls were cladding. Too add on I also did research on brick masonry walls on the thermal insulation element, which will work well in the North Western region of Washington.While working on the roofing I wanted to get the detailing precise, so I incorporated shingles (Red Cedar as the shingle material). Red cedar shingles has fine, even grain and is naturally resistant to water, rot, and sunlight.

Climate Region 6–

In the coastal region of Washington state the climate is very mild, however in the winter the temperatures are cool and rain is common. Although the skies are frequently overcast, solar heating is still possible because of the small heating load created from the mild temperature fluctuations. There is a high RH level but it does not show significant problems because the it doesn’t coincide with the high summer temperatures. The climate region has large variations in micro climates because of the change in both elevation and distance from the coast, in some areas however the winter winds start to become a problem. And the summers are quite dry and sunny.

Climate Priorities

  1. Keep the heat in and the cold temperatures out during the winter (I)
  2. Let the winter sun in (mostly diffused sun because of the clouds) (III)
  3. Protect from the cold winter winds (II)
 

Decision:

I chose this layout because as I was designing it, I kept thinking modular and had simple life in mind. While I was thinking modular the idea of limiting cabinets and drawers to add space for a closet for clothes next to the sink.  Going along with modular again the back to back idea for the toilet and shower came in mind and having a big enough window to have an adequate air circulation flow. For the top floor I was mainly thinking about view and surveillance with the 3 accessible windows, this top area is also intended to be the main resting area.

 

Sustainability & Tiny Homes Week 3-4 Research

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SUSTAINABILITY (Week 3)

  • Efficiency and Sustainability
    • Sustainability- meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own need. A sustainable society restores, adapts, preserves, and enhances nature and culture for the benefit of the present and future.
      • Population and Sustainability- the sustainable population for the capacity of the Earth might have been exceed years ago, Global warming is a common indicator of this because 90% of research is certain it caused by greenhouse gases produced by the activities of humans such as burning of fossil fuels, the removal of forest, and even today’s technology.  Thus the higher standard of living we desire, the need to stop population growth will increase.
      • Sustainable Building Priorities
  •       Save Energy-design and build energy efficient buildings
  •       Recycle Buildings-Utilize existing buildings and infrastructures instead of developing open space
  •       Create Community-design communities to reduce dependence on automobiles and to foster a sense of community
  •       Reduce Material Use-Optimize design to make use of smaller spaces and utilize materials efficiently
  •       Protect and Enhance the Site-Preserve or restore local ecosystems and biodiversity
  •       Select Low-Impact Materials-choose resources based on the efficiency of the material
  •       Maximize Longevity-design for durability and sustainability
  •       Save Water-design buildings and landscapes that are water efficient
  •       Make the Buildings Healthy-provide a safe and comfortable  indoor environment
  •       Minimize construction and Demolition waste-return, reuse, and recycle job-site waste and practice environmentalism in your business
  •       Green Up your Business-Minimize the environmental impact of your own business practices, and spread the word
  • Energy Sources (Finding the Power Produced [P≈Vᶾ x D²] (P=power output. V=air speed. D= rotor diameter)

Renewable

  1.       Solar-not contributing to global warming
  2.       Wind-windmills were primarily used tto pump water on farms and ranches. Wind turbines also produced electricity for remote areas before rural electrification. Today wind turbines are having a revival because they can produce clean and renewable energy at the cost of conventional energy and can supply 20% of the US needs.
  3.       Biomass-photosynthesis stores solar energy gathered from the sun for later uses. This stored energy can be turned into heat or electricity; because biomass is renewable and carbon neutral, its pollution free and an efficient source of energy. Two main sources of biomass are from plants grown specifically for its energy and from organic waste from agriculture, industry, or consumers (our garbage)
  4.       Geothermal-The extraction of heat deep from the earth and the use of the ground just below the surface as a source of heat in the winter and a heat sink in the summer. Geo Exchange (second way of extraction) the low grade thermal energy at normal temperatures of shallow ground can be extracted by a heat pump to heat buildings or domestic hot water (home used hot water). The use of geo-exchange can significantly reduce our consumption of energy and the corresponding emissions of pollution and greenhouse gases, reduction of 40%.

Nonrenewable

  •       Fossil Fuels-Green plants trapped solar energy by the process of photosynthesis. The accumulation and transformations of these plants into solid, liquid, and gaseous states produced oil, coal, and gas (fossil fuels). This age started around 1850 and will persist a few centuries ahead from now. Continuing to burn these fuels causes even more global warming.
  • Oil-The most used and important energy source today. This sources demand became greater than the supply when half of it was extracted. The consistent usage of this source will lean us to using tar sand, or drilling deeper into the earth.
  • Natural Gas-composed primarily of methane a very convenient source of energy that’s scares n supply because of its easy obtaining.
  • Coal-Not the most reliant source because of it problematic extraction process and because coal is not the most convenient on transporting, handling, or for usage. Coal is a primary cause of acid rain, even if cleaned before burning it will continue to produce carbon dioxide and global warming. A plentiful source and risky source of energy but not our answer to our energy problems.

Nuclear

  • Fission-When certain heavy atoms are split into two middle-size atoms, the process creates incredible amounts of energy because of the neutrons produced. Going nuclear power as our source will come with many toxic hazards to the public, the cost of a nuclear power plant is too high, the operating efficiency is too low as well, and the disposal of the waste has not been solved yet.
  • Fusion-When two light atoms fuse to create heavier atoms, energy is then produced. In fusion hydrogen is used the most resourceful material, it produces much less radioactivity waste than fission. It is also much safer to extinguish if something goes wrong

TINY HOME SOCIETY (SMALL HOME MOVEMENT)* (Week 4)

The Small House Movement is a counter cultural rebellion against the idea of bigger is better. As Americans we learned from an early age that we should get good grades in school, attend college, get the best-paying career and get a big house to live in. But the problem with this is that the downturn that this country is experiencing, many owners of large homes are struggling to pay for their homes while others have foreclosed on their homes. For the young person who is starting their new career, it will be difficult to afford a new home because if their starting salary isn’t very high, they may have to move back in with his parents or seek out a cheap apartment in the city. A small home can look just as attractive as a big house. It depends on how resourceful you are in decorating the home. The Small House Movement is fueled by people who want more affordable housing, who want to live simply or who want to be environmentally-friendly in their lifestyles. According to recent articles from the New York Times, CNN.com, and the American Institute of Architects, the economic downturn is one of the top reasons why some people are purchasing or building smaller homes.

 Jamaica Cottage Shop

 Living in a small home is Eco-friendly because you’re using fewer resources to build and maintain the home unlike the larger homes, and you won’t have the stress of worrying about how you’re going to clean and repair the home. In addition, smaller homes are more affordable and your energy bill will be lower. And living in a smaller home means you’ll be more conscious of what you’ll bring and keep in your home because you’ll want less clutter around. Some Americans put wheels on their smaller homes and place them in their backyards to be used as home offices, studios or extra bedrooms for guests. Other people who have been foreclosed upon choose to buy or build small houses and place them in the backyards of their parents or other relatives, which gives space to those who aren’t used to living together.

Traditional Living Cost v. Tiny house cost:

Pros and Cons that That I came up with for Tiny Home Living and Traditional Home Living:

Tiny Homes/ Tiny Home Trailer:

Pros:

  1. You save money on utility bills.
  2. If you don’t like where you’re living, you can hook up to your home and leave.
  3. Not as much (if any) yard to take care of.
  4. Since you don’t have a lot of utility bills you can save money for things you always wanted to do in life.
  5. You can have a new front yard anytime you like.
  6. You don’t have a lot in property tax to pay.
  7. You can clean your home in no time flat.
  8. You have a lot less house to maintain. (again, saving you lots of money)
  9. You don’t have a lot of useless stuff tying you down.
  10. You can build it yourself and pay cash, you you own it, not the bank.

Cons

  1. You don’t have a lot of room to get away from one another if you’re married.
  2. If you’re a guy who likes to putt around fixing and making stuff, you don’t really have enough room in a Tiny home.
  3. Not much storage space or closet space. (Have to think small and carry only important necessaries)
  4. It’s very hard to find a place to park your tiny home and live in it. (that’s a big one!)

 

Traditional Home Style: 

 

Pros

  1. You have plenty of room for all the useless junk you collected over the years.
  2. You never have trouble finding a place to put your regular home, it’s on its own property.
  3. You always have all your utilities right at your fingertips. (Water, Electric, sewer etc.)
  4. You have a yard and don’t have to ask permission from anyone if you want to park your camper there or other things you might own.
  5. You have equity in your home as the years go by.
  6. You have enough space to entertain your guest comfortably.
  7. You’re always close to your doctors office in case anything were to happen
  8. You can grow a big garden.
  9. Having a definitive place to go makes you feel safe and secure.

Cons

  1. Payments even on a small home like mine are high and if you loose your job, you loose your home to. (that’s a big one)
  2. Taxes are high as are water and sewer rates.
  3. Utilities bills cost a lot more in a regular home.
  4. Your always working to support your house (pay the mortgage, insurance, utilities, up keep, it never stops) and it eats up all or most of your fun money.
  5. You have a lot bigger house to upkeep and repair!
  6. If your neighbor sells his house who knows what your next neighbor will be like, but who ever it is your stuck with them.

Aesthetics of a Structure Week 4 Research

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ABOUT:

For this week I planned to look up interior color settings and materials used with in a structure. While I was researching colors I knew I had to have an intention on including this with architecture so I decided to look up how colors generates different moods for people in certain settings of a home, individuals color preferences, and specific color meanings. Seeing color and how it can affect an individual in numerous amounts of ways and shades I felt that it was a good idea to research colors. Affecting an individual means that having the right colors for flooring, structural based materials, wall color, and most important having the right selling colors. Another part of this week I looked up material related research.

 

Room Color summary:

Colors are strong with their emissions that they give off and moods they generate for people, and the reason is because they have an active, passive, and neutral mood feeling state. Color preference can also be related to temperature, people who are cold prefer warm colors like red and yellow while people who are hot prefer cool colors like blue and green. The color red is strongly related to strong energy, and raising of the blood pressure and intimacy between individuals. Yellow stimulates the feeling of joy because it being related to sunshine, therefore I believe yellow and a few lighter or darker shades of yellow can be ideal or the base color for color decision for a kitchen or living area. Having Yellow stimulate joy, it’s a good advantage to have for company. Having the color Blue included in the interior of a building has calm and relaxing sensations but at the same time if natural lighting penetrates to the inside with a pastel blue, it can make you feel colder than you really are. Green being associated with the color of nature, I have already known that green symbolized wealth and natural healing. Green has great healing power that it’s recommended to have green in a room for fertility. Purple was an obvious one, representing royalty/power and sometimes indications of romantic and nostalgic feelings. Neutrals: White, purity and wants to be livened up with other colors. Black, in enclosed spaces it’s bad to have a lot of dark colors because it will make the user feel surrounded by darkness and cause uncomfortable feelings for them and can represent death. For Structural properties colors each color has a different albedo level. Albedo is the reflection rate of the suns rays, for example black is the most absorbent towards the sun.

Resource:

Room Color and How it Affects Your Mood:

http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/

Color Wheel:

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

 

Materials Summary:

Walls:

Concrete Masonry Bearing Walls: 

  • both materials are qualified as noncombustible constructions and rely on their mass for their load-carrying capability. When in wall design and construction height-to-width ratio, lateral stability, and proper placements of expansion joints are critical factors. Concrete walls walls mor e than 10″ thick requires reinforcement in two ayers placed parallel with the faces of the wall. reinforce door and window openings with a minimum of 2 No. 5 bars extending at least 24″ beyond the corners of the opening. Minuimum wall thicknesses 6″ minimum for bearing walls, 4″ minimum for non bearing walls, 6″ minimum for interior walls (un-reinforced), and 8″walls for basement, foundation, fire or party walls. (5.03)

 Metal and Wood Stud Walls

  • When using these materials for studs in the wall the space between each stud is 16″ or 24″. Studs carry vertical loads while sheathing or diagonal bracing stiffens the plane of the wall. Cavities in the wall can be used as insulation fillers and water retarders. A cavity is a hallow spacing (2″- 4 1/2″)between two wall skins that serves as a way to drain this water back out through weep holes at the base of the wall system or above windows. (5.03)

Adobe and Rammed Earth Construction

  • Adobe and rammed-earth both are UN-fired earth materials that are low cost alternatives for other building systems. Many areas of the world using earth materials is an economic necessity. Adobe is nothing more than simple bricks made of sun-dried mud. As a green-building bonus, adobe’s mass helps keep buildings naturally cool in summer and warm in winter, reducing the need for air conditioning and heat. A note that learned a while ago about adobe is that its affected by the weather. Wet climates are more susceptible to have the adobe turn  back to mud or freezing the mud resulting in it thawing of the mud and causing it to crumble,  that is why adobe is considered mainly in warm climates like Latin America. Rammed Earth is mainly a mixture of clay, silt, sand and water that is compressed, shaped and dried in a wall structure. (5.31-5.32)

Wood and properties:

  • CHERRY: Cherry is grown in the Eastern half of the U.S.. It is sometimes called fruit wood. The term fruit wood is also used to describe a light brown finish on other woods.

    Properties: A moderately hard, strong, closed grain, light to red-brown wood, cherry resists warping and checking. It is easy to carve and polish.

    Uses: Cherry veneers and solids are used in a variety of styles. Cherry has been called New England mahogany and is often used to craft 18th century, Colonial and French Provincial designs.

    Resource:

    http://www.hoovedesigns.com/woods.html

Door Operation Summary:

  • After learning about the different types of doors my options opened up on my SketchUp designs. The different types were based off of door operation style: Swinging the most convenient operation for entry and passage and most effective  door for thermal and acoustic insulation and for weather resistance, Bypass Sliding usually used for visual screening but it also offers 50% of doorway width (closet sliding doors), Surface sliding Similar to bypass sliding door but provides access through full width if doorway, Pocket Sliding doors have pockets that they can be slid into to open and slid back out to close the door, Folding doors fold flat when opened primarily used for closet or storage spaces with a style used to subdivide interior space called the accordion doors. (8.04)

Window Operation Summary:

  • There is a total of 6 window operation styles, and each has its own amount of ventilation that it provides either 0%, 50% or 100% ventilation. The first window operation that doesn’t really have any operation is called Fixed. The next window operation is Casement which provides 100% ventilation by having operating sashes that are side hinged and swing outward and being able to direct ventilation. Awning & Hopper windows are windows with sashes on the top or bottom of the frame inward our outward, they provide 100% ventilation and give LEED Credit: 2 for increased ventilation and 8 for daylight and views in the Indoor Environmental Quality category. Sliding windows give 50% ventilation, Double Hung windows give 50% ventilation, the last two Jalousie and Pivoting give 100%. (8.23)

Resource:

“Building Construction Illustrated 4th edition” Francis D.K. Ching