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