50K Micro Cabin
In collaboration with Ara Hovsepyan
Little Wood, ID
Residential
Concept Design
+/- 500 SQ.FT.
2x8 Exhibit - AIA / Los Angeles 2011
Location
Type:
Status
Size
Awards
A source of inhabitation
How do we create simple, ecologically sound, culturally and aesthetically appropriate homesteads on rural properties? A $ 50,000 budget immensely confines our use of materials and forces us to be patient and flexible. Looking for building materials that we can attain for a relatively low cost, we came across the sturdy and readily available wooden pallet - typically used to support goods as they are transported. The pallets are used as modules to construct flooring with integrated beams, and walls with reinforcing structure. They are simple to assemble, and each pallet contains an inner cavity to be filled with various elements imperative to architecture. With just enough to meet the habitation needs for future ranch owners in Little Wood, Idaho, the cabin celebrates its context. For the outdoor enthusiast, there is no need to build extensive improvements that are wasteful and high impact.
A $ 50,000 budget immensely confines our use of materials, and forces us to be patient and flexible. Looking for building materials that we can attain for a relatively low cost, we came across pallets. Pallets are flat structures that are used to support goods as they are transported; they are extremely sturdy and readily available. The pallets that we are interested in are wooden; they are to be used as modules to construct the floors and walls of our dwelling. They are simple to assemble, and each pallet has an inner cavity that can be filled with various elements imperative to architecture.
Our site in Idaho gets very cold during the night, but can also get very hot during summer days. There is a micro-climate that directs the wind to the north, which we utilize by containing operable glass on the south that the dweller can open during the summer to guide wind through the building, as a passive cooling device. A stove that the dweller can use to cook will also be able to heat the space. Insulation is used to keep the heat inside. A book shelf on the north wall serves as a secondary insulator, along with firewood stacked on the outside.
The pallets are porous and must be covered to protect themselves and the interior space. The Homasote company produces a cellulose based fiber wall board that’s made from recycled paper. It’s durable enough to walk on, which makes it a suitable material for to clad the flooring and cover the walls when transparency is not desired. Polycarbonate panels clad the pallets when transparency is necessary, and bubble wrap is used to insulate the wall. On the lower pallets on the south facade the cavities are filled with rocks to provide a thermal mass. Glass exposes the desired views and the north star to the inhabitant at night.
