How ZO_loft Brings New Thinking to Portable Shelter Design

ZO-loft, a four-person architecture and design studio base in Italy, has designed a portable shelter concept that has many surprising and innovative aspects contained within.  Called the ZO_loft WheelLY, the shelter consists of (please refer to schematic image above) 1. a cloth bag, 2. reflecting colored rubber rim, 3. folding polyester resin tent, 4. rubber tire, 5. aluminum frame, 6. pressed paper rollers to serve as bearings, and 7. an insulating rubber disc with a sponsor’s logo on the surface (smart way of potentially reducing costs).  When opened, the shelter is ready to be inhabited for hopefully short durations, or may be used to “wheel” one’s possessions around, as it is capable of storing upwards of 250 liters of items.

(Images courtesy of ZO_loft via Treehugger.com)

Given the amount of need which exists in the world for low cost, sturdy, and quick-construction shelter, the ZO_loft WheelLY represents a strikingly innovative step forward which may indeed be applicable in the future - it still needs some issues worked out however, such as how comfortable it would be to sleep while lying over the inner edge of the tire when more space is required.  Nonetheless, this concept is another indication of how important it is for industrial designers and architects to contribute to solving the big issues which lay before us - climate change, disaster relief, widening humanitarian crises, etc.  And it is worth noting that these concepts represent a far cry from the toxic trailers provided by FEMA, for victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, although it appears that that problem may be getting some attention albeit years after the fact.  Perhaps the Federal Government (and FEMA leaders in particular) should take a closer look at what ZO-loft has come up with, along with the many other promising concepts for portable shelter that are being developed around the world (e.g. Daniel Schipper’s collapsible shelter concept).

ZO_loft

The Structural Potential of Blobs

(All images courtesy of arcspace.com)

With a father who worked in the early days of plastic packaging materials for Container Corp. of America, architect Greg Lynn grew up as he says, “surrounded by plastics”, and often exclaims about how plastic-centric modern culture has become.  He is credited with coining the term ‘blob architecture‘, and is well known for his implementation of high end CAD software in the development of biomorphic architectural structures, as well as the notion that Calculus is an effective means by which to achieve complex abstraction and expression in the form of architecture.  All of these principles are evident in his Blobwall Pavilion, an organic modular structure consisting of colorful recyclable plastic blow-molded modules (or “bricks”, as Lynn calls them), on view at the SCI-Arc Gallery in Los Angeles, through July 13, 2008.  In collaboration with well-known architectural material innovator, Panelite, and CNC fabricator, Machineous, Lynn developed the modular bricks to be used in quickly constructed freestanding indoor/outdoor structures, which could be adapted depending on need.

Aside from its dramatic visual impact the Blobwall presents a new way to think about modular construction, taking a step away from the standard masonry-based brick, and offering an organic alternative to allow for practically endless structural form. By using lightweight recyclable plastic modules, Lynn has shown that the standards of geometric shape and form no longer need to be adhered to by the practitioners of modular architecture.  It wouldn’t be surprising if he is currently considering numerous variations to the current brick, as well as the myriad applications for which they could be used, such as bus stops, temporary shelter and housing, etc.  But no matter what Lynn’s Blobwall may evolve into, it will surely maintain its dual nature of playful yet practical, as he emphasizes that “It is both product, like a child’s toy, and building.”

Some helpful links:

Greg Lynn FORM Blobwall

Blobwall Pavilion Blog

Panelite

Machineous

Studio Greg Lynn on YouTube

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Why is it so Hard to Build a Small a House?

(Image courtesy of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company)

With the economy on the verge of a recession and the urgency to lessen environmental impact at an all-time high, it’s no wonder many people are turning to smaller homes. Marty Pieroni, a developer from Kuna, Idaho, has dealt with consumers that are seeking smaller spaces due to financial restrictions or just a need to simplify their lives. Although he signed a contract for 1,400 square foot houses with the City of Kuna, he recently requested to build 20 houses that were 1,250 square feet, 150 square feet less than his minimum. The City Council turned down the request, saying that they want to increase the value of housing in the area and attract buyers. Their fear is that Kuna would soon be known as a city with inexpensive starter homes that would deflate values of surrounding, established properties. However, Pieroni told them this wasn’t the case. He emphasized that with the help of sound material choices, a smaller house can appear aesthetically similar to a more traditional larger house, but with 695 square feet less space than the average house last year. And in using better quality and long-lasting materials, less maintenance would be required on the part of the owner, and ultimately environmental impact would decrease - even more so, with the integration of on-site solar, wind, and/or geothermal power.

What are the actual benefits of a smaller house, anyway? Quite simply, it is better for the environment and more economical at the same time, counter to the reflexive notion that all things green building-oriented are more expensive. Furthermore, a small house encourages simplified living, which results in less waste, less clutter, less use of electricity, and less water consumption. The less space that’s available for habitation, the less power is consumed for heating and cooling, therefore removing fewer overall resources from our ever depleting supply.

City of Kuna 

Small House Society

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

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Nicole Maccarone is an Ecolect Super Intern based in the East Coast office in Providence, RI.

A Green Home Comes to Unst

No one said building a carbon-neutral house would be easy, so to build one in the often harsh conditions of Unst (100 mph winter winds!), the northern most island in the Shetlands, is a remarkable achievement indeed. Having retired from their former lives in Wiltshire, in Southwestern England, Michael and Dorothy Rea set out to design and build a house on the island that would be completely self sufficient or “off the grid”, incorporating renewable energy principles not uncommon to many of the innovative people inhabiting some of the remote islands off the Scottish coast. These include solar panels and wind turbines for power generation, a natural underfloor ventilation and heating system, a hydroponic greenhouse for vegetables, extensive reuse of rainwater throughout the house, and an effort to run the lights on no more than 100 Watts, through the aid of LED bulbs. The University of Delaware is even refitting an electric engine into a Toyota Yaris, which will be re-charged from power provided by the house itself.

It is no surprise that the house is fast becoming famous within the green building world, even garnering the attention of the Chinese Government for their planned eco-community in Guangzhou. With their Zero Carbon House Project, the Rea’s are demonstrating that homes can be built to have no negative emissions, and their website offers a number of ways to follow their progress, as well as many resources to learn about green building, alternative energy principles and technologies, and the many notable sponsors who have assisted in the process. You can even contact the Rea’s directly, so they seem to be making every effort to maintain a high level of transparency throughout the project. As Dorothy Rea exclaimed to the Guardian, “If we can do this here, anyone can do it anywhere”, so let’s hope that more homeowners take the sentiment to heart, and aspire to build their own zero-emission homes in communities throughout the world.

Please watch Living off the grid: Zero-carbon house from The Guardian for more information

The Suburb Eating Robot

Among all of the intense, ultra serious eco talk happening these days, it’s a bit refreshing to see someone thinking about playful ways to address sustainability through design in an unconventional way. This is the world’s first “Suburb Eating Robot.” The project was done by Australian architect Andrew Maynard for Critical Visions 2008 (CV08). His studio, Andrew Maynard Architects presented it as rant or criticism at the CV08 conference this year put on by the Royal Australian Institute of Architect’s in Sydney. Inspiration for the project grew out the increasing problems that suburbs are creating in Australia and Maynard was determined to shed some light on the issue.

Playfully responding to a question in a recent interview, he asks, “where will suburbanites live when there is no other means of circulation to their homes? What will we do with our abandoned and decaying suburbs? And most importantly, what will we do with the 50% of Australians that are over-weight due to car dependence and a sedentary lifestyle?” He also commented, “we’re thinking about getting a few more students here in the office to build a prototype in the store room. Then we will accidentally (or on purpose) spill various liquids on it until it comes to life and starts killing people indiscriminately and tries to take over the world, we can only hope…”

Watch the project video

Download the PDF

An interview with Maynard on Architecture MNP

Making Greenburg Greener While Improving Their Community

Images from the National Geographic Society. Video from KTKA 49 ABC News.

Students at Kansas State University are taking the initiative to make Greenburg more sustainable while rebuilding their community. Their effort is being called Project Cubed and it aims to bring “pavilion cubes of sustainable living to Greenburg”. Every cube they are creating is eco-friendly. One might recycle rain water while another provides a place for gathering bottles and cans for recycling. Perhaps the best aspect of the project is that the students are focused on carefully designing and constructing each cube with the equally important purpose of being able to withstand severe tornado weather. The project was created in response to the massive F5 category tornado that ripped through Greensburg in 2007. It flattened the town and caused 8 deaths. With winds of 205 miles an hour (330 kilometers) the tornado was the first first recorded F5 storm since 1999 in the US.

Kansas State University Architecture student, Melody Meek mentioned that ”it’s one way to connect the world of architecture with people in our community. Design can really help improve lives. This could start to lay the groundwork of how we can respond to natural disasters such as tornadoes.” Their green initiative has been in the planning and development stages for 2 semesters. The students of Project Cubed are scheduled to deliver the finished product to the Greenburg community on the 4th of May 2008, the anniversary date of last year’s devastating tornado which destroyed so much of their local architecture and infrastructure.

All You Need is a Little Paint and Some Imagination

In the United States especially on the east cost, demolition of historic structures has become a very controversial topic, with many developers and communities clashing with very different perspectives and agendas. There’s a lot to be learned from experiments that other cities around the world are going through. The borough of Delfshaven located in Rotterdam is the second largest municipality (population wise) in the Netherlands. The buildings pictured above were (and still are) slated for demolition. The borough asked the well known Dutch artist, Florentijn Hofman to come up with a plan for the derelict block of buildings. His solution? Paint them bright blue! The catch is that the buildings will stay blue and intact until there’s a new plan for the area. Since this particular section of houses built in the early 20th century have been painted blue, the most unseen block in the city has become Rotterdam’s most photographed one. It provokes viewers to see the surrounding buildings and engage with the architecture but furthermore it moves them to decide what role the buildings have in the community. This project certainly puts the repercussions of demolition in perspective while attracting visitors who bring life back to the neighborhood while the future of the area is being planned. Who knows, maybe the buildings will be preserved as-is to continually liven the community, attracting painters, photographers and tourists to the unique spectacle.

Metal Shutter Houses by Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban is an internationally acclaimed architect who was born in Tokyo and is noted for his work with paper products. He is especially known for working with recycled cardboard paper tubes, using them to make efficient and cost effective housing structures for disaster victims. Ban has been working on an 11-story building in New York City. Metal Shutter Houses are being built at 524 West 19th Street in Chelsea and are slated for completion this Fall. The building will have 9 duplex residential condo apartments and a penthouse with three terraces. The units have walls that lift out of the way completely. The metal shutters on the facade are motorized and built with perforated metal to modulate the light and function as a privacy screen. They are located at the edge of each terrace, adjoining the living room of each unit.

For more info visit metalshutterhouses.com