INTD 51 human environments alternative housing types

tree houses buildings constructed among the branches around or next to the trunk of one or more mature trees and are raised above the ground

alternative housing types tree houses are built and used for recreation as temporary retreats even for permanent habitation

alternative housing types treehouses are an option for building eco-friendly facilities in remote forest areas, because they do not require a clearing of a certain area of forest

alternative housing types in some parts of the tropics, ordinary houses are built in trees or elevated on stilts to: keep the living quarters above hazards at ground level to keep the occupants & any stored food out of reach of scavenging animals

alternative housing types earth sheltered housing the architectural practice of using earth against building walls for: external thermal mass to reduce heat loss to easily maintain a steady indoor air temperature

alternative housing types earth sheltering is popular in modern times among advocates of passive solar and sustainable architecture but has been around for nearly as long as humans have been constructing their own shelter

alternative housing types living within earth shelters has been a large part of human history the connection to earth shelter dwellings began with the utilization of caves over time evolving technologies led to the construction of customized earth dwellings

alternative housing types progress has been slow earth shelter construction is often viewed by architects, engineers, and the public alike as an unconventional method of building

alternative housing types natural solar architecture passive solar technologies are means of using sunlight for useful energy without use of active mechanical systems (as contrasted to active solar)

alternative housing types passive solar technologies: convert sunlight into usable heat (water, air, thermal mass), cause air-movement for ventilating store heat for future use with little use of other energy sources

alternative housing types passive solar systems have: little to no operating costs often low maintenance costs emit no greenhouse gases in operation they do, however need to be optimized to yield the best performance and economics

alternative housing types passive solar technologies often yield high solar savings, especially for space heating when combined with active solar technologies or photovoltaics even higher conventional energy savings can be achieved

alternative housing types straw-bale construction building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both commonly used in natural building has advantages over some conventional building systems because of: cost easy availability high insulation value

alternative housing types straw bale building typically consists of stacking rows of bales (often in running-bond) on a raised footing or foundation, with a moisture barrier between the bales and their supporting platform

alternative housing types bale walls can be tied together with pins of bamboo, rebar, or wood (internal to the bales or on their faces) or with surface wire meshes, and then stuccoed or plastered, either with a cement-based mix or an earth/clay render

alternative housing types bale buildings can have structural frame of other materials, with bales simply serving as insulation and stucco substrate, ("infill" technique), most often required in northern regions where the potential snow-loading can exceed the strength of the bale

alternative housing types alternatively, the bales may actually provide the structural support for the building in a "load-bearing” technique

alternative housing types a combination of framing and load-bearing techniques may also be employed, referred to as "hybrid" straw bale construction

alternative housing types typically "field-bales", bales created on farms with baling machines have been used recently higher-density "precompressed" bales (or "straw-blocks") are increasing the loads that may be supported where field bales might support around 600 pounds per linear foot of wall, the high density bales bear up to 4,000 lb./lin.ft.

alternative housing types this has just been a brief overview of four alternative types of housing other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types floating homes

alternative housing types floating homes

alternative housing types other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types log homes

alternative housing types other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types manufactured homes

alternative housing types other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types modular homes

alternative housing types other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types

this has just been a brief overview of four alternative types of housing other alternatives include: floating homes log homes manufactured homes modular homes pre-fab houses rvs & trailers

alternative housing types rvs & trailers

alternative housing types rvs & trailers

alternative housing types What other alternatives can you think of?

binder activity: Section 5—Alternative Housing Types Research 3-5 alternative housing types and print appropriate information for your file/binder. For each of the types that you research, include images and answer the following questions: How does this style work in this climate? If it is not appropriate for this climate, where does it function best? Could modifications to the design be made that would make it appropriate for this climate? How does this housing type meet the needs of your client? What are the basics that a designer needs to know before choosing this housing type?

binder activity: Section 6—Selected Housing Style Decide upon the alternative housing type that you will be using— write 500 words (2 pages) describing the housing type & the pros and cons of the type according to your client & location. Include any diagrams and images that help illustrate the building style.