Lilac Window

I cant tell you how excited I am to bring you this post. 

One of the reasons we decided to do this trip is so that I can do research in sustainable building practices out here. I want to bring you information about little projects that have yet to be documented and shared with the world. This will be the first. I want to do proper write- ups and research on these buildings, perhaps leading to some sort of publication…but for now you get my field notes, and my thoughts. 

The cabin is a small building currently used for guests, or for growing teenagers who arent quite ready to leave home. The purpose behind the building was to allow extra space, without requiring a building permit, or permanent foundations. It is a simple structure, with no connections, but with a designated place for a wood stove in the future. 

This is an example of sustainable building, prefabrication, modular building and recycled building. It is also a simple form that is inviting, and functional. It smells amazing, due to the use of cedar.

This is the innovation of a local builder (Phil Carson from Coombs) who has found a way to use the off cuts from the the mills. He takes the 3′ boards and builds double sided panels which he fills with insulation. These panels are then repeated, as walls, floor or as roof pieces. The entire exterior and interior of the building is then wood, and doesnt require finishing. The insulation is a loose fill, that is made from recycled materials, and that “breaths”, eliminating the need for a vapor barrier. The modular system allows for doors and windows to fit into the panels. The gabled ends are fenestrated for views. The finished exterior roof is covered with standing seam aluminum for water seal. The panels themselves are supported by square posts that have been cut with slots, so that there is no need for any more structure.

The little cabin is meant to be portable, and the floor has minimal insulation. The biggest complaint is that is can be cold in winter and there is a draft coming from the floor.

This modular, prefabricated, recycled building concept is totally fascinating to me. I love the use of natural materials and how simple the building components are, with infinite variations. This inspires me to look into the waste material of any industry and to see how they can be used for building components. I love how the use of one 3′ board becomes the basis of the entire building. The whole concept of this structure is a source of inspiration to me, never mind the fact that it is so simple and beautiful to experience.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 10:23 pm and is filed under ARCHITECTURE, TRAVEL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.