The Broadmoor neighborhood has made an amazing recovery since the devastation of Hurrican Katrina. However, there are still many lots that remain vacant or in disrepair. A system is needed to infill those lots with an efficient, affordable method of construction that also allows for flexibility in options for the future residents. reModular Home takes a new approach to modular construction. The home is constructed as a series of several module ‘bands’ that the owner can select from. Based on the owner’s selection the reModular Home could be anything from a modest one-bedroom home to a spacious three-bedroom home. The modules would be constructed and assembled in a factory and then brought to the site allowing for a savings in construction costs.
Broadmoor is a neighborhood with a deep sense of community and each home is connected to the community by its relationship with the street. At the same time, the long narrow lots of the neighborhood place the homes very close to each other with the longest facade uncomfortably close to the neighboring residence. Therefore it is necessary to incorporate a method of bringing in adequate daylight into the home without too much exposure to the surrounding houses while also creating a connection to the street without sacrificing a sense of privacy.
reModular Home is made up of bands that are both solid and translucent. The solid bands provide a sense of enclosure and privacy at the ‘served’ spaces of the house while the translucent bands allow for daylight while still maintaining a sense of privacy. The house is connected to the street by a large front porch, a typical feature of the houses of the neighborhood. There is also a private porch at the back of the house and a outdoor dining space at the center of the house. These outdoor living spaces allow for a connection to the outdoors without losing the sense of privacy.
reModular Home is raised significantly off the ground in case of future flooding in the low lying neighborhood. All construction below the Hurricane Katrina flood line is concrete so that the integrity of the structure would be maintained in the case of a flood.
reModular Home strives to be green in many ways. Except for a solid core running through the center of the house, the house can be opened along the north-south axis allowing for significant cross-ventilation and passive cooling of the home. The south window is also significantly shaded by the porch overhang in the summer to prevent solar heat gain. All of systems, fixtures and appliances meet the LEED requirements for energy efficiency and the SIP construction allows for a tightly constructed home. Only native plants are used in the landscaping and there is a rain catchment system in place to capture all of the run-off from the roof to use for irrigation. All hard surfaces on the site are made of permeable paving materials.
The mechanical system is a ductless mini-split system which is very efficient for the small house and allows for separate temperature controls in each of the bedrooms and the main living space. The mini-split system is supplemented with an energy recovery ventilator to provide mechanical ventilation in the home and aid the cross-ventilation when wind speeds are low.
reModular Home can provide each resident with a home suited to there needs with a system of modular construction designed for the Broadmoor neighborhood.
