Project Name: AMU - Alternative Masonry Unit: A System of Eco-Concrete Materials
Project Type:
industrial/product design
Project Mission/Goal:
improve the human spirit
increase awareness of the environment and/or address climate change
address humanitarian crises
Project Description:
The Alternative Masonry Unit (AMU) project is a research stream directed at eco-concrete and ag-byproduct materials systems. The AMU is a coordinated effort between team members to provide design, development, distribution channels and support services for widespread adaption of low cost, high performance, and environmentally sustainable building materials for construction. The initial stages of the project will involve enhancements to the existing status of the AMU block material and product development, certified laboratory compression-testing of the block, and construction of a local building project (Domestic Beta). Based on documentation of the Domestic Beta, an instruction and training manual will be developed and post-construction analysis will be performed to allow for further refinements of the system in future.
The City Slickers Farms project will serve as the first Domestic BETA utilizing the results of the AMU project research. City Slicker Farms provides affordable organic produce to West Oakland communities by farming right in their neighborhoods, and selling everything on a sliding-scale. The Center Street Farm is built upon a brown-field site, requiring the use of raised beds. This project seeks to re-build and expand several planting beds using AMUs. The initial stages of the project will include several rounds of testing blocks made from different on-site soils, and with varying binder percentages. Once the ideal mix is established, mass block production will occur on site using a manual block press, and the raised beds constructed.
Text from http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/amu and http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/amu_domestic
Links and Captions:
http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/amu
http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/amu_domestic
Project Details: (Per project detail form)
Location: Oakland, CA
Concept/Lead Architect(s)/Designer(s): Nathaniel Corum (DF)
Project Architect(s): Michael Jones
Year (s): May - September 2008
Client: City Slicker Farms
User Client: City Slicker Farms and West Oakland Community
Number of beneficiaries/users:
Project Phase:
Major Funding: Global Homes International
Cost/Cost per unit:
Area (if applicable): 45 sq ft (2 planters)
Structural Engineers:
Electrical/Mechanical Engineers:
Contractor/Manufacturer: Volunteer Labo (Under Consultant guidance)
Additional Consultants: Jeremy Fisher and Marisha Farnsworth
Other: AFH HQ Project
