Copyright 2007-2023
Built with Indexhibit
Architecture 50k
Team: Arthur Badalian | Ara Hovsepyan
Our site in Idaho gets very cold during the night and very hot on summer days. There is a micro-climate that directs the wind to the north, which we utilize by containing operable glass on the south that the dweller can open during the summer to guide wind through the building, as a passive cooling device. A stove that the dweller can use to cook may also be able to heat the space. Insulation is used to keep the heat inside. A book shelf on the north wall serves as a secondary insulator, along with firewood stacked on the outside.
The pallets are porous and must be covered to protect themselves and the interior space. The Homasote company produces a cellulose based fiber wall board that’s made from recycled paper. It’s durable enough to walk on, which makes it a suitable material to clad the flooring and cover the walls when transparency is not desired. Polycarbonate panels clad the pallets when transparency is necessary, and bubble wrap is used to insulate the wall. On the lower pallets on the south facade the cavities are filled with rocks to provide a thermal mass. Glass exposes the desired views and the north star to the inhabitant at night.
On the west and north facades, where the pallets are arranged with the slits vertically, the module can be used structurally; enough members run vertically to transfer the carried load. The pallets are doubled on these facades to thicken the structural walls. 2x4 lumber members cross brace the pallets. Simpson Strong-Tie connectors attach the cross bracing to the pallets and the pallets to each other. On the south and east, the pallet is a plug in (when the slits are arranged horizontally there aren’t enough vertical members to carry the load ). The primary structure of these walls is constructed of 2x4s used as a combination of studs and beams to support them as panels.
