28 Jan Innovations In Sustainable Housing
Innovations In Sustainable Housing
Innovations in sustainable housing are very exciting. New technologies are enabling a new breed of housing. Innovative approaches to construction, are creating homes that are more resistant to climate change along with many sustainable features. Modular or prefab homes are becoming a popular alternative to traditional new construction methods. Some of the benefits modular/prefab homes can offer are energy efficiency, very little to no construction waste, less use of precious resources, quick delivery times and more affordable price points. Check out the videos of this new unfolding, totally transportable home created by TENFOLD.
Ten Fold Engineering
TEN FOLD develops ready-to-use, movable buildings and structures that unfold to provide any combination of space and facilities.
The trend in tiny modular homes that have modern features and large windows such as the one below, created by Vipp Shelter, looks stunning….however, and that’s a big however, before you decide to go this route, make sure that the product you’re purchasing is created with thought about the natural environment it will be placed in. If for example the climate, sun orientation or existing infrastructures are not considered, then this beauty could turn out to be a lot less desirable. Here’s a great article from Treehugger on what one needs to consider….https://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/vipp-introduces-problematic-prefab.html
Vipp Shelter tiny prefab as precise industrial-era appliance
The Danish company VIPP (famous for its iconic 1939 wastebasket, now in the MOMA) has created a prefab tiny home designed down to the last detail (flashlight included). Their 592-square-foot “plug and play getaway” wasn’t designed to blend into nature, but to float above it; fifty thousand pounds of glass and steel serve as a frame for the surrounding landscape.
Another company that’s making a splash in modular steel home construction is Canadian company, Green Terra Homes. The company makes the case for steel construction over wood construction as follows:
“Wood frames are outdated. It takes forty trees to build a wood frame, and the lumber has to be processed and chemically treated. By comparison, steel is one of the most recyclable products in the world. You can also add solar panels and green roofs to your modular home. Steel is a lighter, stronger, and straighter material than wood, thereby making is easier to lift and move around without the use of a crane to construct the frame. You can erect the frame yourself or hire an experienced general contractor or framer to provide this service.
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Green Terra homes recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity, donating a portion of sales to the non profit.
Another company re-inventing how sustainable homes are built, embracing steel over wood construction, is the Quebec company, Bone Structure. Inspired by the aerospace industry, structures are designed to fit into place without the need for screws, nails or the like. The company is focused on being a net zero energy construction. Although they are more costly than Green Terra or other such companies, their designs are quite stunning!
Project 15-580: Stanford, California
Uploaded by BONE Structure on 2016-07-06.
BONE Structure – Bigwin Island Bare BONE Event
Host Erin McCoy takes a trip to cottage country to visit the BONE Structure Bare BONE Open House event on Bigwin Island on Lake of Bays in Muskoka. Learn firsthand about the innovative new steel home assembly system from BONE Structure.
Marc A Bovet, the founder of Bone Structure gave a TEDX Talk on why houses are ripe for innovation. Our cell phones, computers, cars and most everything today is being what I call “uberized”. Marc is passionate about creating homes that will “stand the test of time”. Learn more about Marc and listen to his TEDX talk:
Innovation – It’s Time to Take it Home | Marc A Bovet | TEDxLaval
Everything that surrounds you has evolved through innovation. Your cell phone is now a smart phone, your car is now a computer on wheels, your news comes from social media and your newspaper is a tablet. The housing industry can’t afford to ignore innovation or stay in denial mode based on the saying – we’ve always done it that way!
For other cool, innovative, sustainable, urban, architectural inspiration, check out this site and videos by Kirsten Dirksen on Faircompanies.com
Sunbathed small wooden studio in calm forest near Barcelona
Tasked with building a tiny studio in the hills outside Barcelona, architect Pablo Serrano Elorduy created an all-wooden shelter stunning in its simplicity, efficient thanks to smart design. The orientation takes advantage of Spanish sun for heating: large windows open the South side to winter sun; protective shading blocks direct summer sun.
According to Linkedin, Sunday January 28th 2018;
“Housing costs keep climbing in the U.S. and the trend is sending ripples through real estate. The spike — coupled with the trend of workers seeking employment in the city or looking to switch to remote work — has inspired a few novel projects to make better use of America’s space. Join the conversation – #UrbanInnovations
- The rise of the “granny flat.” Despite regulatory hurdles, residents in high-rent cities like LA and Portland are constructing and moving into accessory dwelling units, small living spaces that sit on an existing lot.
- Bringing a bit of city life to the ‘burbs. One New Jersey developer has set out to give the iconic, vacant Bell Labs office park in Holmdel, NJ new life, turning the 2 million-square-foot space into an enclosed mixed use development with offices, food courts, a library, a hotel, and nearby housing.
- Building a blight algorithm. Johns Hopkins astrophysicist Tamas Budavari has teamed up with the city of Baltimore to develop a big data-driven heat map of the city’s abandoned structures. The faster the city can predict and identify blight, the faster it can help redevelop the land.
Follow this topic @ #UrbanInnovations
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