Lafayette Park:
http://www.miesdetroit.org/
"Constructed between 1956 and 1959, Lafayette Park contains the world’s largest collection of buildings by Mies van der Rohe. It is a rare and remarkable example of the Bauhaus vision of residential living and a unique collaboration among Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig Hilberseimer, and Alfred Caldwell. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Mies van der Rohe Historic District. The district is comprised of four components: The Plaisance, The Pavillion, The East and West Towers, and the privately owned Town and Court Houses.
The Pavillion
Beginning in 1956, The Pavillion was the first building constructed in Lafayette Park. The 22 story high-rise houses 1, 2, and 3 bedroom rental apartments overlooking the Town Houses and The Plaisance.
The East and West Lafayette Towers
The twin East and West Towers align on the eastern edge of the Plaisance. The buildings are separated by a low garage with a rooftop pool. The 22 story buildings offer expansive views of the park and city beyond.
The Town Houses and Court Houses
At the western edge of The Plaisance are 162 three-level Town Houses and 24 two-level Court Houses. The homes are owned and operated as a cooperative. Intertwined among the homes are children’s play-scapes, open space meadows, and pedestrian pathways."
"The Plaisance, tree canopy, and ground cover were designed by landscape architect Alfred Caldwell."
Audio on Lafayette Park:
http://wdet.org/shows/craig-fahle-show/episode/what-we-can-learn-from-lafayette-park/
"A major theme is diversity: Mies’s white-box apartments enable a culture of individualization that bred enthusiastic and loyal residents. 'So often interiors are designed to match a home’s exterior,' Aubert writes. 'But in the case of Lafayette Park there is a vibrant, diverse community of people who live, for instance, with all kinds of furniture or none at all. Some homes are clean, some are messy. Some are full of kids, or pets or cardboard boxes.'”
- from Thanks for the View, Mr. Mies
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671554/an-unlikely-success-story-for-modern-architecture-mies-and-detroit#1
Essay adapted from a chapter in Thanks for the View, Mr. Mies:
http://places.designobserver.com/feature/mies-van-der-rohe-lafayette-park/36048/
Focuses on the visual connection between neighbors, safety in shading of residents, but visitors on view, limited entrances into complex, and the play of night and day with privacy and lack of privacy.
Typical building size is 40' deep and 180' long.
Urban Agriculture
"A recent study from the Michigan State University found that the creation of urban farms and gardens within the Detroit's boundaries could supply local residents with more than 75 percent of their vegetables needs and more than 40 percent of their fruits needs."
http://www.dac.dk/en/dac-cities/sustainable-cities-2/all-cases/economy/detroit-from-motorcity-to-an-unexpected-urban-laboratory/?bbredirect=true
http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2010/urban-farms-could-provide-a-majority-of-produce-for-detroiters/
http://www.hoophouse.msu.edu/index.php?q=resources
Hoophouses are greenhouses used to extend the growing season and have been used successfully at the University of Michigan to grown a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables year round.
http://www.hantzfarmsdetroit.com/
"Plans to plants 15,000 hardwood trees over three years on a land parcel of 140 acres and then maintain the land at an estimated investment of $5 million"
Note that this is equivalent to approximately 100 trees per acre or 435 SF per tree.
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/02/example-urban-farming-done-right/4746/
This farm, Peaceful Belly Farm in Boise, ID, is a good example of a 60-acre (good target size for proposed Detroit lot) organic, sustainable farm that grows over 90 crops year round at a similar latitude as Detroit. The farm is worked on by about "a dozen farm-hands".
Shipping containers as self-contained urban greenhouses with hydroponics systems:
http://inhabitat.com/damien-chivialles-urban-farming-units-transform-old-shipping-containers-into-greenhouses-for-organic-produce/ufu_bruxellesdamien_chivialle6-jpg/?extend=1
Soil types in Detroit:
http://www.detroitriver.org/theriver-atlas.htm
The proposed site is in the Erie-Huron Lake Plain which means the soil type is primarily Lacustrine clay and silt which is clay and deposits from the lake and river. These soil types tend to shed water instead of absorbing the water quickly.
Materiality in Shipping Container Homes:
Could this type of materials be used to fit-out interior spaces of "white-box" homes?
Reclaim Detroit is a company that deconstructs abandoned homes and collects quality, historic wood that has been painstakingly cleaned and de-nailed, as well as other material like bricks, doors, and windows, all available for contractors to purchase.
http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/greencity-812.aspx
Material and Structural Considerations for Residential Use of Shipping Containers:
"weathering steel is used extensively for ISO Shipping Containers.
Cor-Ten is the primary brand name for corrosion resistant products that were developed by United States Steel Corp. Cor-Ten has subsequently been licensed to be produced by other steel producers. There are basically two types of Cor-Ten that are most prevalent, Cor-Ten A (generally up to 12mm thick) and Cor-Ten B (generally 15mm thick and above).
Cor-Ten exhibits superior corrosion resistance over regular carbon steel as a result of the development of a protective oxide film on the metals surface that slows down further corrosion. Their yield strength allows cost reduction through the ability to design lighter sections into structures. These steels were designed, primarily to be used in unpainted applications where a reduction in maintenance costs, such as painting, were desired. Weathering steels are now being used in a variety of applications, including bridges, rail cars, transmission towers, chimneys and shipbuilding. It is also becoming increasingly popular with sculptors and as an architectural feature."
"Supertherm insulative coating, is sprayed on both sides of the remaining container walls. Supertherm is a high-performance, four-part ceramic coating that carries an R value of R-19 and adheres to the steel surface of the shipping containers. A ½- inch plywood floor over the existing ¾- inch plywood sub-floor is installed. Metal hat channels for wiring are run along the walls and vertical support beams are secured. Metal studs and drywall are used for interior partition walls. Once insulated, the existing container walls are faced in drywall for finishing."
http://www.eaglecoatings.net/content/supertherm.htm
Size of shipping containers:
"40 High" units are 8' wide, 40' long, and 9'6" high.
CONCLUSIONS
Lafayette Park:
Key design guidelines to be used as a reference for the proposed urban farm development:
1. First level raised at least 4 feet above associated parking to preserve exterior views.
2. Minimum spacing between buildings of 35' (given 40' x 180' buildings)
3. Maximum spacing between buildings of 145' (given 40' x 180' buildings)
4. Front of buildings is public space, rear of buildings is community/private space
5. Average townhouse SF is 1300 SF
6. Townhouse units are only 2-stories high and fit under the tree canopy
7. Townhouse units fit together lit a puzzle- alternating 2 beds on front or back on second floor every other unit.
8. Play on public and private- nighttime versus daytime; change of seasons effecting foliage
Urban Farming:
What kind of farm will it be?
-A combination of several greenhouse/ hoophouses for year-round organic fruits and vegetables as well as tree farming (combining short-term and long-term farming goals)
What type of land/ soil is present?
-Lake deposit clay and silt soil.
How much land is need for proposed farming?
-In the proposed site there is a total of 104 acres with 14 set aside for residential development and 11 for commercial buildings/activities resulting in 79 acres for farming. Proposed to farm this remaining land between tree farm and fruit/vegetable farm with 3-4 acres for hoophouses and plantings and the remainder for the tree farm..
How will it be sold?
-Produce will be used by the residents of the development and the remainder will be transported and sold at Eastern Market.
What timeframe is required for farm to be productive?
- Hoophouses could be productive after 1-year. The tree-farm is a longer term maturing farm that will need 10-15 years for mature trees.
How many people are needed?
-In a precedent 60-acre organic farm, 12 farmhands were needed.
Therefore, at least 12 units will be needed for the development. To achieve a mix of tenants a minimum number of 20 units is proposed.
Is a mix of workers and non-workers as residents preferred and encouraged?
-Yes
Given the needed number of workers, what is the proposed size of each lot's residential development?
-20 units results in approximately 0.7 acres per unit given a total of 14 acres for housing.
Shipping Container Construction:
Container Material: "corrugation panels (roof, sides, and back) made of weathering steel, floor, purlins,front doors, frame, and rails form an integrated structural skin"
Foundation: Concrete slab on grade
Frame: Additional steel framing needed for any cut opening
Size: "40 High" units are 8' wide, 40' long, and 9'6" high
Mechanicals/ Off-grid technology:
Insulation: Supertherm
Windows/Doors: Steel-framed
