February 21st: Progress-To-Date Review

Initial concept:

Key concept was using similar sized modules fit together into a framework to create flexible spaces “plug-in” spaces for multi-family living.

 

 

 

Floorplans were laid out in 10’W x 24’L or 36’L units as an initial test of the viability of the compact size of the units as an individual module.  The dimensions were based on rules of thumb from existing pre-fabricated homes.

 



 

Then I looked at some live/work precedents to evaluate layout, organization, and size.

For example,

Artspace:
Artspace creates artist communities in cities across the country. Most seem to use the model where the artist's unit is a large studio space in which the artist both lives and creates their artwork. Ground floor levels of most of the communities have retail spaces and community gallery type spaces. (Example below: Floor 2 of Waukegan Artspace in IL).

 



 



Slip House by Carl Turner Architects:
Example of a live/work home using the concept of "living over working".

 

 



In stacked units, overall space tends to be more generous and, while the living space and working space are connected, usually by internal and external staircases, the private spaces for living are very separate from the ground level working spaces. These types of spaces are convenient for businesses that have employees that also use the space as well as the owner and for business that have a need for, and can benefit from, street traffic and customers being able to access the units easily.

I believe that this type of stacked unit would work well for our proposed live/work scenario when the work is agriculture related.

A comparison of the variety of units revealed that unit sizes in live-work properties range from approximately 650 SF studio spaces to 2,000+ SF in stacked units.

Materiality:

Shipping containers/ wood /glass

The base of the living unit is proposed to be a shipping container, so the dimensions of the housing unit are all based off standard shipping container dimensions from the World Shipping Council. Utilization of two "40 High" units side by side for the garage level is proposed, resulting in a 16" wide unit, 40' long, and 9'6" high lower level.

Containers can be stacked up to 6 high.

 

 

 

 

A number of precedents were looked at as inspiration including the following:

 

 

Holyoke Cabin by Intermodal Design

 

MDU Mobile Dwelling Unit byby LOT-EK, Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignand

 

 



Initial prototype sketch:

A simple three level shipping container stacked was initially proposed.

 

 

 



 

A linear alignment on the site to fit with linear rows of tree plantings for ease of access of farm machinery from garage spaces was proposed.

 

 

 

Examples of floorplans for shipping container spaces were looked at to gain an understanding of how necessary living spaces could fit into the size parameters.

 

 





 



Re-imagined prototype:

Once a standard working prototype was conceptualized, a look into how these container dimensions could be made to expand and create other spaces was examined.

 

Double House by MDRDV

Double House by MDRDV
 

Fukawa House by Suppose Design Office

EarthScience Container

House TTN by Miyahara Architect Office

 

 



Initial rough sketches were made on possible stacking configurations:

 

 

 

Floorplans were sketched to conform to the 16’W x 40’L container dimensions to test workability of the spaces.

 

 

 

 

Proposed gross SF for 2 and 3 bedroom homes- 1280 SF

Proposed gross SF for 1 bedroom home- 640 SF

Both of these SF totals do not include the 640 SF garage on the lower level.

 

Future Concept Exploration:

Could one of the upper units be shipped in the shipping container and then unloaded at the site and stacked on top?  Then the shipping container stays on the ground level and becomes the garage work space.

Considerations regarding the integrity of the container’s structural system to allow for stacking once openings are punched into the unit must be made.

How does the glass that encloses the “in-between” spaces get pre-fabricated and shipped?

Undertake further exploration of circulation and stacking spaces.

  

Reason for this project to work in Detroit:

Detroit is a major international shipping market and the Greater Detroit Foreign Trade Zone (the largest zone in the country), processes $2 billion in goods each year.  The Port of Detroit with its location adjacent to the Great Lakes, the St Lawrence Seaway System, and Ontario, Canada as well as central to the US makes it a major shipping center for not only goods carried by barge and boat but also by truck and train.  Four rail lines maintain facilities in Detroit.

While manufacturing of automobiles and automobile products is the leading force in the Detroit economy there is also a growing industry related to green technologies, specifically related to hydrogen fuel cells and other non-petroleum power technologies for automobiles.

Detroit lost 52% of its manufacturing jobs between 200 and 2012 (versus 33% national average); however, between January 2010 and January 2012 Detroit added more manufacturing jobs than anywhere in the country except for Charlestown, SC with a 12% increase.  Typically manufacturing has been more productive when they cluster around specializations, although the search for low wages had decentralized the industry.  The return to Detroit is related to the union workers’ concessions with the Big Three where wages have been lowered to where manufacturing would return.  A key to growth in Detroit is to support research and development and assist supply chain improvement.

By embracing the shipping and steel manufacturing history and power of Detroit and playing on its foray into green technologies, Detroit may be the ideal place in which to focus on shipping container-based, affordable, off-grid housing aimed at revitalizing parts of the city.

Community and Live/Work Concept Marketing:

While a tree farm for long-term maturing trees is proposed for the site, residents may be better served by farms that grow fruits and vegetables as fresh produce is often hard to come by because grocery stores are not as accessible for people in the more sparsely populated sections of the city.

Reasons to choose this type of community:

a. Live/work spaces help reduce fuel consumption, traffic congestion and commute time as there is little need to leave the community.

b. Numerous community amenities- snow removal, trash pick-up/composting, and community garden

c. Off-grid technology will allow for independence from city utilities costs

 

Reasons to choose prefabricated housing:

a. It beneficial for the home to be pre-fabricated and modular- so that the home could be moved to another site in the future depending on the future of the tree farm

b. Traditionally lower cost that site-built housing

c. Manufactured in a controlled environment so high quality of construction and a "healthy" home

d. Availability of energy saving and green technologies for implementation in the home

 

 



"Detroit Focuses on What Can Be Saved"

http://news.msn.com/us/detroit-focuses-on-what-can-be-saved

In the news today- discussion of Detroit and the push to have neighborhoods become more dense and to use vacant lots for urban farming.  Although Hantz Farms is pursuing planting hardwood trees with a long maturity period, residents may be better served by farms that grow fruits and vegetables as fresh produce is often hard to come by because grocery stores are not as accessible for people in the more sparsely populated sections of the city.

Prototype Development

Building on the idea that the unit will be a stacked unit with living space over work/garage space to service the tree farm, it is proposed that the work/garage space would be created from a shipping container and would be rented with the site by the occupant.  The occupant would own the living levels to be stacked on top of the garage/work space.  This would take advantage of the modular component of the living space.  If the owner chose to go to live and work somewhere else, the living spaces could easily be transported and relocated to a new site.

Because the base of the living unit is proposed to be a shipping container, the dimensions of the housing unit are all based off standard shipping container dimensions from the World Shipping Council.  Utilization of two "40 High" units side by side for the garage level is proposed, resulting in a 16" wide unit, 40' long, and 9'6" high lower level.

A proposed unit was developed to site on top of the garage level of similar proportions.  Each level would be a "double side" dimension of a shipping container so that a two level home would consist of 4 pre-fabricated sections that would be brought to the site.

An initial proposal for the site alignment of the units would be in line with the rows of trees for ease of access to the farm from the garage level.

Prototype and Community Plan Development

This week, I am working on developing a set of criteria and rules for the proposed housing development on a tree farm in Detroit, as well as a comprehensive business and marketing strategy for the development.

Unit sizes/type:
Based on precedent research from last week, units will be multi-story living over the work space ranging from 500 to 2000 SF of living space.  

Slip House by Carl Turner

The upper level or levels, as chosen by the homeowner, will contain the living space on either one level or two, depending on the size of the family occupying the house and could be converted to be larger as time goes on.  All unit levels will be of similar size for transport and will contain either a kitchen, living area, bathroom, and bedroom on one floor, or a kitchen, living area and bathroom on one floor, and bedrooms and bathrooms on another floor.  The order in which the units are "stacked" will be the choice of the homeowner.

Example one-level floor plans:

Given the "work" space for the proposed development will by agriculture related, it is proposed that the lower level of all of the housing units contain an open "garage" space, which can be fitted out as they choose, with the common feature that this lower level space will have overhead rolling doors on each end for access to both the community driveway and the farmland to which the homes will be adjacent. 

Proposed Floor Plans:

Site Strategy:

The units will be aligned to play into the regularity of the rows of tree plantings, which will not only afford each unit privacy but also easy access to the community workspace.

It is proposed that the units are placed on individual lots at the tree farm that are rented lots from the community that would own the farm as a type of condo association.  Each unit that is placed on the lot would be owned by the occupants and be able to be transported to a different site at some point in the future with relative ease if desired.

Materiality of Units:
A combination of wood, glass, steel, and shipping containers are proposed for the units, with the shipping containers used as the basis for the lower level work space and a combination of a steel frame unit with wood and glass finishes for the upper level living spaces.

These material choices are a product of being able to re-use materials, use materials from the site and the farm, and use low cost materials that could be manufactured locally.  The role of Detroit as not only a manufacturing city but also a shipping hub plays into these material decisions.

http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/Detroit-Economy.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/detroit-manufacturing-jobs-growth-brookings-institution_n_1503151.html



Precedents:

Holyoke Cabin by Intermodal Design

 Cawaja Weehouse by Alchemy Architects

MDU-Mobile Dwelling Unit by LOT-EK, Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignand 

House_N by Planhaus

Marketing of the Community and Live/Work Concept:

Reasons to choose this type of community:

a. Live/work spaces help reduce fuel consumption, traffic congestion and commute time as there is little need to leave the community.  

b. Numerous community amenities- snow removal, trash pick-up/composting, community garden

c. Off-grid technology allows for independence from city utilities costs

Reasons to choose prefabricated housing:

a. It beneficial for the home to be pre-fabricated and modular- so that the home could be moved to another site in the future depending on the future of the tree farm

b. Traditionally lower cost that site-built housing

c. Manufactured in a controlled environment so high quality of construction and a "healthy" home

d. Availability of energy saving and green technologies for implementation in the home

Resources:

http://realestate.msn.com/on-a-budget-take-a-look-at-manufactured-homes

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/econ/manufactured-housing-not-what-you-think.aspx

http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/default.asp

Live-Work Spaces- Precedents and Comparisons

Research into the live-work property type revealed several consistent characteristics.  Most live-work spaces seem to fall into one of two categories; either the space is a flexible space in which the occupant performs both work tasks and lives in the space, or the spaces are stacked with work spaces on the ground level allowing access to both the owner and the public from street level and living spaces are above this work space.

This is Slip House by Carl Turner and it stacks private living spaces on the second, third, and fourth levels, over a ground level work space.

The above picture is a rendering of KUBIK Miami with that has bi-level units called LOTS (living over the studio).

http://www.kubikspace.com/modular/modular.html

Spaces at KUBIK are standardized and able to be combined in various configurations to fit the user's needs.

The above picture is of artist loft apartments in Washington DC called the Brookland Lofts; these units are flexible space studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units in a typical apartment layout with common gallery space and retail space on the ground level.

A comparison of the variety of units revealed that unit sizes in live-work properties range from approximately 650 SF studio spaces to 2,000+ SF in stacked units.  

Typical apartment layout live-work spaces have bathroom, kitchens, and a large flexible space that can be fitted with specific work equipment as needed and as allowed by local zoning codes.  Particularly in artist communities, common gallery space as well as shared advertising efforts are relatively standard amenities in the communities.

In stacked units, overall space tends to be more generous and, while the living space and working space are connected, usually by internal and external staircases, the private spaces for living are very separate from the ground level working spaces.  These types of spaces are convenient for businesses that have employees that also use the space as well as the owner and for business that have a need for, and can benefit from, street traffic and customers being able to access the units easily.

Summary pages of precedents are below:

Unit sizes at the precedent properties range from studios to three-bedroom units on either one level or multi-level for the stacked type units.

Below are comparison of artist lofts at several properties per unit type: