Hamish Tennent - Zero Emissions House Project
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Transcript of Hamish Tennent - Zero Emissions House Project
ZEM HouseZero Emissions Housing Project
August 2010 - May 2011
Group Project Completed By: jeff greger | tad osada | carrianne seger | erik swanson | hamish tennent | tony ton
electrical engineering
mechanical engineering
industrial design
business
public policy
Setup as a multidisciplinary project, the ZEM
house project aimed to study the ways in
which 5 different disciplined combined to
create a common goal.
Design a 100 square foot house
Design a sustainable home from manufacturing to end life
Create a tiny footprint structure that is commercially viable
Net zero emissions
Consider the full life span of the home
Offer it at a price that people can afford
Project Goals
Average Items 1 Desk With
1 Drawers
1 Desk Chair
1 Relaxed Seating Area
1 Bed - Full
12 Eating Utensils
1 Computer/Laptop
5 Pots and Pans
6 Plates
1.25 24” TV
1.25 TV Stands
1 Full Size Fridge
1 Small scale printer
4 Bowls
1 Desktop lighting
15 Glassware
1 Kettle
1 Toaster
1 Microwave
1 Set of computer speakers
10 DVD’s and CD’s
1 Alarm clock/radio
1 Laundry basket
5 Pairs of shoes
1 Oven
1 Stove
4 Dining room chairs
1 Dining room table to suit 4
8 Cooking Knives
6 Bowls
1 Coffee Maker
20 Books
16 Sq ft of counter space
1 Blender
1 Rice Cooker
5 Cooking Utensils
1 Bedset
2 Pillows
1 Comforter
1 Nightstand
1 Shelf Area
1 Dresser
1 TV Entertainment device
1 Toothbrush
1 Tube of toothpaste
1 Floss
1 Mouthwash
1 Set of toiletries
4 Sq ft of bathroom counter
4 Towels
1 Sofa
0.75 Coffee Table
12.5 Sq ft of shelving space
3.3 Trash cans
We started by evaluating our own living
situations, taking inventories of the objects
we have in our living spaces around us,
documenting these spaces, and distilling
them down to things we thought were
necessary.
2 Clocks
0.25 Corded Phones
2 Water Containers
1 Throw Pillow
1.66 Cameras
2 Duffel Bags
1 Laptop Bag
2 Backpacks
1 External Harddrive
18 Tools and Powertools
0.5 Bike
0.75 Cars
3 Multipoint
3 Houseplants
1 Cellphone
1.25 iPods
0.5 Musical Instruments
Living Space Study
Bedroom 1 Single bed and bedset, pillows and comforter
1 Alarm clock radio and mirror
1 Nightstand
1 Laundry basket and trash can
1 Dresser
Bathroom 1 Toothbrush and toothpaste combo
1 Sink with integrated storage
1 Towels
1 Set of toiletries
Kitchen 3 Eating utensils
2 Bowl
1 Plate
1 Glass
1 Pots
1 Skillet
1 Bench height fridge
1 Oven with single stove element
3 Square feet of bench space
2 Cooking knives
1 Trash can
2 Cooking utensils
1 Kettle
1 Toaster
We applied the SHE method to help us distil
down the items in our living spaces as fitting
a full home inside a 100sq/ft structure was
going to require a reduction in personal items.
This had a reduction by approximately 80%.
Misc. Things 1 High powered phone with music storage with camera
1 Backpack
2 Pairs of shoes
1 Bicycle
Living Room/Dining 1 Laptop with integrated speakers and electronic books
1 Printer/Scanner/Copier
1 Single table with storage underneath
1 Desk with drawers and integrated light
1 Multi purpose chair for dining and desk
Research PhaseExtensive research was then undertaken into four main
categories:
Products and Concepts For Withing The Home
Living Around The World
Construction Methods
Famous Architects Work
This research culminated in a massive 220 page PDF resource
to be sourced and referred to throughout the project.
Multi-task design quickly showed as a key area in which space
saving methods could be applied.
Transforming furniture was an interesting aspect that I particularly felt
was key to the success of the ZEM house.
Green walls and planted areas offered far too many benefits to be
ignored and also gave the desired impression we were going for with
the ZEM house of sustainability.
I next undertook a series of initial
concept exercises in a small group of
four people, this exercise was meant to
flush out used quick for anything to do
with the home, interior, exterior, or even
product for use within the home.
This group consisted of:
Tony Ton
Steve Lan
David Bogdal
Hamish Tennent
These 50 initial concepts were then sorted
in pertinent group to allow us to better
understand the groupings and themes we
were seeing with the house.
The concepts were then sketched out in
greater detail within our group.
We then went and did a series of individual concepts
for the ZEM house, concentrating on the structure more
than products for within the home.
Heavy ideation was undertaken here to
explore different ways to rethink the dynamic
of the standard home.
After these concepts, we were then again divided into groups
where we were given the tasks of creating 3 initial house
concepts. The group I was a part of consisted of; Carrianne
Seger, Danny Yu, Kenny Kim and myself.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
From these three house concepts, we stayed
in our groups and began to combine and
develop a single concept from the three we
had already created.
The exterior structure of the house became
an area that I was increasingly interested in
and began to focus lot of my time on.
Mock ups showing development of the ZEM
house concept.
From this finalised concept point, the six
industrial design ‘ZEM Team’ members broke
off and began to develop the overall ZEM
concept. This ZEM team consisted of:
Carrianne Seger
Tony Ton
Jeff Greger
Erik Swanson
Tad Osada
Hamish Tennent
Group concepting was a key component of
pushing the concept forward at this point,
as it allowed us to make informed decisions
and easily bounce ideas off one another and
move towards a house shell that performed
everything we wanted from the ZEM house.
A hybrid ZEM concept emerged from the
group work and mockups and tests were
done to being to understand the structure.
Working with engineers and business
students allowed us to get real time feedback
from many different perspectives
Our midterm design reflected the way in which we wanted people to view the house, and began to detail the interactions that
we wanted the user to undertake with the
ZEM home. My focus became the exterior
structure of the house and all the proponents
connected to that.
Our ZEM team midterm design was the
beginning of a long process of detailing out
our concept, whilst trying to maintain the pure
integrity of the themes we set for the design,
which were: Explore, Discovery, retreat,
Enjoy, Relax, Transition.
We began to design our individual sections of
the house and I concentrated on the overall
shape and feel of the exterior structure,
the green planters and roof and the social
interaction with the structure.
Working heavily with the engineers, a bit part
of my task was allowing them the storage and
providing adequate areas for the solar panels
and all the equipment attached to them. The
rear housings also became areas to store the
heating and cooling systems
Providing access to all the planted areas allowed s to empower
the end user with spaces to grow food to sustain themselves on,
these plants also worked with out passive solar design.
More in depth mock-ups and models were
used to better understand the space we were
designing in 3D.
These latter stages of the design process
required some further research by the entire
group so we could begin to understand
construction methods better.
In order to minimise power usage and utilise
the sun, we designed the ZEM house to
have a slanted front wall, creating a natural
awning so the sun entered the house during
the winter when the suer wants warmth and
is blocked during the summer, when keeping
the house coo is a priority.
Using vegetation on the north side of the
house meant that through the transpiration
of plants, this side was kept cooler. This
cool side of the house means when the user
opens opposing windows, cool air is ‘drawn’
though the interior of the structure.
As we began to design the construction of
the ZEM house, we decided to use SIPs,
or Structurally Insulated Panels, which are
factory made and custom cut panels that
provide huge gains in insulation, structural
integrity and construction time.
Using the Okala method, our SIPs frame
design was shown to only have 30% of the
environmental impact when compared to a
traditional stick frame construction.
The final stages of our first semester design
were about bringing the sections of the house
back together and reforming our concept that
we presented at mid term.
Each group member had individually done
research and developed their section of
the house around the basic shell we had
designed earlier. This phase was eased by
the fact that we had all had 14 weeks
to learn how to communicate effectively
and efficiently.
Our final design was
truly a reflection of
the six designers
who worked on it,
with every detail
thoroughly thought
through, down to
the finer points of
construction.
The living area
allowed a flexibility of
space, transitioning
between storage, bed
and seating while
not compromising
on either of the three
tasks.
The kitchen was
at the core of our
concept, with the
moving counter from
inside to outside to
allow cooking from
either side of the
wall. This transition
allowed the flexibility
of interaction and
broadened the
spectrum for possible
socialisation with and
around the home.
Our first semester model
represented our final design
to 1/6th scale, complete with
correct wall thicknesses built
into the model. We then had to
work heavily with the engineers
around how we were going
to build, test and present the
structure over the coming 4
months.
BOM and pricing
SIPs construction total = $18,985.23
From our first semester concept, we began to
work out pricing and market viability in order
ton convince the engineers and business
students that SIPs construction was the way
to go forward with the test structure.
Advice SoughtWe sought advice from people who build a
large amount of SIPs homes per year, this
allowed us to learn about the best way to
minimise waste and design for construction
and deconstruction in order to improve
sustainability.
We also formally defined our target user as:
- A recent grad/young professional
- Environmentally conscious
- Average spent on rent a year is
$12,000
- The ZEM house is a bridge between
single living and starting a family
Target market
We started the new year with the drive of
making our ZEM concept real and presenting
a viable, cost effective, zero emissions and
sustainable home for the future.
Interaction became a key element in out design. The ZEM
team decided to design the house from the user’s point of
view from the inside out to improve the flow of the interior
space.
House as product not as sculpture
Understanding and using the factory cut
SIPs meant we could simplify construction of
the house, making it easy, quick and clean
to build. The usage of these SIPs panels
drastically cuts down construction site waste
and working with professionals from the bay
area, California, allowed us to learn valuable
lessons for our design.
Working with a 12 person engineering team
consisting of mechanical and electrical
engineers required building a test structure
to allow for the design to be tested.
Proof of concept -test structure
With the designers passive solar design,
the mechanical engineers’ heating/cooling
system and the electrical engineers’ solar
panel and electrical feedback devices the
test structure gave us a way of testing all of
these in a real setting.
Proof of concept -test structure
Built from stick frame construction for ease
and cost reasons, the test structure gave
us a feel of how our final design looks
and feels. The angled walls also gave the
advantage of making the user feel like they
are in a much bigger space than they are in
and the high ceilings reinforce this fact.
Proof of concept -test structure
With donation from local companies such
as Akeena solar, and Schnieder electrical,
we were able to get fully functioning solar
panels, batteries, inverters and all the other
components to make our test structure as
real as possible.
Proof of concept -test structure
The process of planning and building a
design that can be built not only the once,
but in mass production levels made us
realise and ground our design a lot more
that were used to as design students.
Proof of concept -test structure
The ZEM house went through one final
stage of developments to touch up the final
details around window sizes, battery sizes
and planning for the specific plants to be
used in the house.
Final Developments
With the windows and wall dimensions
finalised, scale drawings and cad
information was sent to the SIPs
manufacturers to recieve accurate quotes
and advice on how to minimise waste
during the manufacturing process.
Final Developments
Our final design was showcased in a 1/6th
scale architectural model that was built
using similar materials and with the same
panel shape as our full scale design.
Architectural Model
Shown in the sustainability exhibit alongside
projects from leading companies such as
Frog design and IDEO, our model showed
our vision on a zero emissions 100 square
foot house.
Architectural Model
developers
hippies berkeley people santa cruzers
relief funds japanoff the grid situations
unibomber
remote locations transitional homes
anyone looking to live a simpler life
bigfoot impersonatorpoor hipsters
recent college gradssingle young professionals
smurfs
wider market application
Floorplan
Breakdown of final ZEM concept
Optimise roof angle
for solar efficiency
and slanted front wall
to create a natural
overhang.
37.5° Roof angle
20° Front wall
Transpiring plants and key window
placement means that opening a window
on the south side (front) and a window on
the north side (rear) will quickly and easily
cool the interior down.
The exterior planes were designed in the
houses philosophy of being multipurpose.
The sheds offer places for the solar and
heating equipment, they also are planted for
their transpiring effect and placed at heights
to create a social interaction point.
Surrounding the north side of the house gives
high thermal insulation to the home on the
coldest side, as well as providing transpiration
and a roof garden for growing vegetables and
foods to eat.
Using a soilless medium allowed us to
cut down the weight of the vegetation and
improve the nutritional sustenance for
the plants. It also means less watering needs
to be done as the medium holds water
for longer.
Creating an interior space that was 100
square feet but provided all the benefits of
a regular home was the biggest challenge
in this project. Using an open floor plan and
multipurpose areas, we created a home that
allowed the user to relax, entertain, cook,
socialise, clean and work. Using a philosophy
that NASA pioneered in space shuttles,
we made sure every area of the home was
necessary and gave the user 3 points of
interest.
Bathroom area and storage• Shower disappears when not needed
through the use of double folding doors
• Utilizes angled wall for extra storage
• Storage area follows architectural lines to
accentuate feel of space
• Composting toilet reduces water waste
• Glass shower door eliminates the need for
a window
+
Toilet system
Using a self powering composting toilet, no
water or electricity is consumed during usage,
greatly reducing the affect the bathroom area
has on the rest of the home.
Over-bed storage allows for long term storing
of items that aren’t commonly used in the
users day to day life. Kitchen-like drop down
cup boards provide easy and ergonomic
access to these items.
Bed area• Bed area provides a place for sleep,
storage, and socialization
• Moving surfaces allow expansion and
more uses
• Easy access short term and long term
storage
• Designed around the user’s routine
Indoor/OutdoorKitchen• Enforce the idea of utilizing space - both
indoor and outdoor
• Adapt to the user’s needs
• Multi-purpose sink for both kitchen and
bathroom
• Window creates cross breezes to utilize
passive solar
1. cook top slides on rails
2. cook top passes through wall to the
outside
3. locks in place outdoor allowing outdoor
cooking
Indoor/OutdoorKitchen
Front door• Creates a natural awning
• Creates familiarity
• Distinct, it stands out to make the entry
intuitive
• Feels welcoming
Using recycled wood siding and sustainable wood stains, we created an attractive final proposal that reflects our design intentions.
Using our passive solar design, we selected a heavy coloured tile that captures heat and looks attractive.
Light colours for the walls made the user feel like the shape of the home was overbearing and transformed it into an expansive space.
The characteristics of small homes in conjunction with the easy nature of the ZEM concept means that the model for our home can be expanded into larger communities and ‘pockets’ of ZEM houses..
With shrinking plots of land becoming the standard in urban areas, a small 100 sq/ft home could easily be introduced into existing neighbourhoods and communities.
More information can be found at: http://zemhouse.sjsu.edu
Contact:[email protected]