Documenting a personal quest for non-toxic housing.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003Project Update
Thought I'd share some info on a pavilion home design I've been working on, a quick computer rendered design sketch being available here. This design follows on the example of Phillip Johnson's Glass House in Connecticut, adapted to suit simpler and lower cost construction and a warmer weather climate. It consists primarily of a simple clear-span pavilion enclosed in glass panels to form a single open area organized for function by its placement of furnishings, with the exception of an enclosed structure for the bathroom which in my variation of this concept doubles as a utility core and large storage cabinet. Johnson never consciously chose this approach to design for its practicality but nevertheless hit upon a concept very well suited to the needs and logistics of low cost non-toxic housing.
This design is one I am considering for a final project presentation, detailing a specific building project and itemizing all its construction steps and components. I had originally hoped that by offering my readers a look at a broad spectrum of different non-toxic housing concepts they would ultimately pick which specific type to use according to which saw a critical mass of reader interest and support. But so far that has not happened. No one type of housing has generated a greater amount of interest than the others or any specific offers of help. So I've decided to develop a very specific design and building project based on what seems the best choice from these housing types from a logistics standpoint. This way there would be a very specific itemized list of what is needed, in goods and labor, to make this happen.
Of all the different types of housing I have studied, the two most practical for my situation seem to be the pavilion and the adapted shipping container. The others seem more unlikely, either because they require very large amounts of volunteer labor or very special situations with exclusive sources of support. The shipping container is a ubiquitous and relatively inexpensive building component and its easy transportability and fast on-site installation very well suits the logistics of my situation. But it does have its drawbacks. Though not as complicated to deal with as more high-tech or experimental modular building components, it still requires considerable modification to be usable, that work requiring people with special skills, equipment, and fairly large facilities. I need a very particular form of help from people within the container shipping and industrial construction industries to make this kind of structure practical. The pavilion home, based on prefabricated pavilion framing or -as with the design in the above illustration- one of several variations of ferro-cement construction, offers the lowest possible labor overhead and fastest on-site construction short of a fully prefab building. There is a broader spectrum of possible sources of help for this kind of construction -more and different ways in which people can help and more people in more places with the means to help. And, as my quick rendering suggests, the end result can be compelling in appearance. Thus I have been leaning in favor of the pavilion as the ultimate form for a final project.
I would appreciate any and all readers comments on this idea.
