Posted on 11/21/2005 8:20:50 AM PST by WestTexasWend
Texas Tech architecture students have designed and are constructing a modular unit that can be transported to disaster-torn cities to provide temporary housing.
They intend the units to help alleviate housing shortages that occur when cities are struck by disasters.
It is a class project for the 12 graduate-level students, who are at the work site three days a week driving nails, building floors, putting up the sides of the unit and pitching in with various other construction tasks.
The units have been designed to be mass-produced and configured with other units. When the prototype unit under construction is completed, it will be sent to Beaumont for temporary housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.
Architecture instructor Mark G. Anderson, who has a firm called ADC - Architects, Developers, Contractors - assigned the project for a new design-build studio class that Tech is offering.
In traditional construction, architects design structures and contractors enter bids and do the actual building of them. Design-build is done under one contract that combines the two stages, and it is a growing profession, Anderson said.
The American Institute of Architects predicts that in the next few years, 50 percent of all construction projects will be design-build, he said.
Student Jessica Vasquez said the class project began with each student submitting a design. "Everyone developed our own ideas and brought them together and collaborated to find the best design," she said.
Fellow student Ashlee Finke, said the design that eventually emerged had limitations in length, height and width and had to be able to fit on a trailer without a wide-load permit.
"We did a lot of research before we started the design - about the overpasses in Texas and the route that the unit would have to take," Finke said.
Local framer Brian Ritter showed the students how to lay out floor joists, square up the structure, frame the sides and other framing skills. Jim Green with Stock Lumber discussed with the students the building materials they would be using in the construction, Finke and Anderson said.
It was a great hands-on opportunity for students who might be able to produce creative designs but not necessarily have the knowledge required to build a project or understand how complex simple construction can be, Anderson said. Other architecture classes have visited the work site to study the project.
"I think this is important for any architecture major and especially for a student who has interests in design-build," Anderson said.
The finished product will somewhat resemble a mobile home. The instructor said they designed one- and two-bedroom units but are building the one-bedroom unit.
Anderson broke down the tasks of construction and assigned them to students, and the class members also shared the task of asking for donations.
With the support of businesses and firms, the students have gathered materials and proceeded with construction without spending any money on the project.
"Lubbock and Amarillo have helped us greatly. We couldn't have done it without the generous people in town," Finke said.
Anderson said he is pleased with what the students have accomplished.
"It's been a great learning experience. They've made some mistakes, but they've learned from the mistakes. Overall, I think they've done a very good job," he said. "They have worked very hard to build a quality project."
Within a matter of weeks, the prototype unit should be in Beaumont and occupied by people who are in need of temporary housing.
"It has been great to see the students all pitching in together as a team," he said.
Ping for TTU/West Texas, please?
I had an idea about temporary hotels that could be transported to where high attendance events (NASCAR, etc.) were held to hold overflow visitors. They were basically shipping containers that could be put on railroads, and then stacked at the venue 3 or 4 stories high. But the numbers wouldn't work for it though.
Thanks for the post...great idea
TTU ping!
This was done in Montreal for either the Olympics in 1976 or Expo 67.
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