E.A.S.Y. House
Abstract:
What is the single most important virtue of a house for the people of the Broadmoor neighborhood?
The house must be ‘easy’.
Each stage within the process of planning and construction of the project, moreover the process of delivery and adaptation of the tenants, shall be simple and easy to follow. The E.A.S.Y. house is easy to build and maintain. It is also easy for the tenants to live in and adjust it to their unique lifestyle. Although the house may not provide every amenity and building system possible up front on completion, it is embedded with infrastructural features that would minimize disturbance to building structure and envelope during the future improvement process. Adding on, the house has simple operating directions which would be easy for the tenants to follow. These design considerations make the house easy, which increases overall efficiency that would directly benefit everyone involved in the project, especially the owners of the house. Such easiness of the house would help the tenant to understand the key features of the house, which eventually would contribute to greater awareness of green buildings to the bigger society. The E.A.S.Y. house will be a ‘model’ house that would initiate the escalation of public interest in green building practices for the benefit of the Broadmoor neighborhood.
Summary:
The E.A.S.Y. house strives to be ‘easy’ in every way, and yet it still maintains functionality and sense of aesthetics that will ensure the quality of life to the people of Broadmoor. In this matter, the E.A.S.Y. house focuses on four major factors as a house: Efficiency, Accessibility, Safety, and You (the owner).
Efficiency is of great concern throughout the project. Prefabricated SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) wall assembly minimizes the workload and excess material. Modular configuration of building structures into 2’ increments allows the house to be easily built with standardized building materials. Such focus on efficiency during construction allows the project to be feasible under the cost limitation of $100,000. In addition, designing the house to be passively energy efficient, along with the use of ENERGY STAR rated appliances, results in lowering the total energy consumption of the house. Minimized annual energy cost not only helps the house to be sustainable in the long run, but it also greatly contributes to the project’s ability to achieve Platinum certification in USGBC’s LEED Rating System. Efficient use of space is also critical to take full advantage of 880 square feet of limited building area for ensuring the tenant’s comfort and convenience within the house.
Accessibility of occupant is considered in the design. Adequate clearance areas around working stations or entry ways are provided according to the ADA compliance requirements. Universal design guideline was also referenced in specifying building components in their orientations and dimensions. To ensure usability even to handicapped occupants, every operating elements and fixtures are specified to be within the range of reach. Special amenities such as vertical platform lift, grab bars, and lowered closet rails are installed for tenants.
Safety is another important factor as a shelter. Structural integrity against harsh climatic conditions such as hurricanes and floods is critical to ensure the safety of the tenants. Furthermore, resistance to such event prevents further property damage that would otherwise become a financial burden to the owner. Main occupying floor is raised 8’ above grade, on concrete piles. Raised structure prevents damage from floods and protects the building from termites. For added insurance for safety, rooftop is also accessible via mechanical lift and retractable ladder for emergency evacuation. Reinforced structural system using tension cable was employed to secure maximum stability of the envelope of the house as well as to enforce the integrity of each structural member. Multi-functional wood trellis module is also installed to provide added protection of building envelope and structure.
Lastly, and most importantly, the E.A.S.Y. house is designed for ‘you’. ‘You’ represents the actual tenant of the house, the local of the Broadmoor neighborhood in general, and most likely a family of an elderly citizen. Simple yet familiar appearance of the house that faces the streets allows the house to blend well within the existing neighborhood. The building components are mostly modular in dimension and construction to ensure maximum flexibility towards possible renovations by the tenants. Such flexible attribute of the house makes itself easily adjustable to each tenant’s unique lifestyle, and aesthetic preference. As a response to the prevalent porch culture and local people’s general fondness of outdoor spaces, sufficient outdoor porch areas are provided and distributed along the spatial progression of the interior. Porches not only serve merely as outdoor spaces, but also as a point of egress and a mean of expansion of main living spaces. Double hung doors and wide glass sliding doors are installed to maximize openness and accessibility of the porches. Also, to ensure the well-being of the tenants, the rooftop level is accessible to all users which serve as a personal garden with series of planting pots. The structure of the flat roof is specified to hold extra weight for additional dirt and plantings, which makes it easier to improve the rooftop into a green roof. Along with the sufficient area for plantings, design to maximize natural ventilation and specification of zero-VOC construction building materials contribute to better IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) of the house for the better health of the tenants.
Supported by 
E.A.S.Y. House
Abstract:
What is the single most important virtue of a house for the people of the Broadmoor neighborhood?
The house must be ‘easy’.
Each stage within the process of planning and construction of the project, moreover the process of delivery and adaptation of the tenants, shall be simple and easy to follow. The E.A.S.Y. house is easy to build and maintain. It is also easy for the tenants to live in and adjust it to their unique lifestyle. Although the house may not provide every amenity and building system possible up front on completion, it is embedded with infrastructural features that would minimize disturbance to building structure and envelope during the future improvement process. Adding on, the house has simple operating directions which would be easy for the tenants to follow. These design considerations make the house easy, which increases overall efficiency that would directly benefit everyone involved in the project, especially the owners of the house. Such easiness of the house would help the tenant to understand the key features of the house, which eventually would contribute to greater awareness of green buildings to the bigger society. The E.A.S.Y. house will be a ‘model’ house that would initiate the escalation of public interest in green building practices for the benefit of the Broadmoor neighborhood.
Summary:
The E.A.S.Y. house strives to be ‘easy’ in every way, and yet it still maintains functionality and sense of aesthetics that will ensure the quality of life to the people of Broadmoor. In this matter, the E.A.S.Y. house focuses on four major factors as a house: Efficiency, Accessibility, Safety, and You (the owner).
Efficiency is of great concern throughout the project. Prefabricated SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) wall assembly minimizes the workload and excess material. Modular configuration of building structures into 2’ increments allows the house to be easily built with standardized building materials. Such focus on efficiency during construction allows the project to be feasible under the cost limitation of $100,000. In addition, designing the house to be passively energy efficient, along with the use of ENERGY STAR rated appliances, results in lowering the total energy consumption of the house. Minimized annual energy cost not only helps the house to be sustainable in the long run, but it also greatly contributes to the project’s ability to achieve Platinum certification in USGBC’s LEED Rating System. Efficient use of space is also critical to take full advantage of 880 square feet of limited building area for ensuring the tenant’s comfort and convenience within the house.
Accessibility of occupant is considered in the design. Adequate clearance areas around working stations or entry ways are provided according to the ADA compliance requirements. Universal design guideline was also referenced in specifying building components in their orientations and dimensions. To ensure usability even to handicapped occupants, every operating elements and fixtures are specified to be within the range of reach. Special amenities such as vertical platform lift, grab bars, and lowered closet rails are installed for tenants.
Safety is another important factor as a shelter. Structural integrity against harsh climatic conditions such as hurricanes and floods is critical to ensure the safety of the tenants. Furthermore, resistance to such event prevents further property damage that would otherwise become a financial burden to the owner. Main occupying floor is raised 8’ above grade, on concrete piles. Raised structure prevents damage from floods and protects the building from termites. For added insurance for safety, rooftop is also accessible via mechanical lift and retractable ladder for emergency evacuation. Reinforced structural system using tension cable was employed to secure maximum stability of the envelope of the house as well as to enforce the integrity of each structural member. Multi-functional wood trellis module is also installed to provide added protection of building envelope and structure.
Lastly, and most importantly, the E.A.S.Y. house is designed for ‘you’. ‘You’ represents the actual tenant of the house, the local of the Broadmoor neighborhood in general, and most likely a family of an elderly citizen. Simple yet familiar appearance of the house that faces the streets allows the house to blend well within the existing neighborhood. The building components are mostly modular in dimension and construction to ensure maximum flexibility towards possible renovations by the tenants. Such flexible attribute of the house makes itself easily adjustable to each tenant’s unique lifestyle, and aesthetic preference. As a response to the prevalent porch culture and local people’s general fondness of outdoor spaces, sufficient outdoor porch areas are provided and distributed along the spatial progression of the interior. Porches not only serve merely as outdoor spaces, but also as a point of egress and a mean of expansion of main living spaces. Double hung doors and wide glass sliding doors are installed to maximize openness and accessibility of the porches. Also, to ensure the well-being of the tenants, the rooftop level is accessible to all users which serve as a personal garden with series of planting pots. The structure of the flat roof is specified to hold extra weight for additional dirt and plantings, which makes it easier to improve the rooftop into a green roof. Along with the sufficient area for plantings, design to maximize natural ventilation and specification of zero-VOC construction building materials contribute to better IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) of the house for the better health of the tenants.