FROM GREEN TO BLUE

COURSE

Novel Urban Ecologies, 2016

PROFESSOR

Laura Briggs

Enrique Martinez

SCOPE

Prefabrication / Modular / Sustainability / Typologies / Affordability / Water / Filter / Diversity /

INFO

In Providence, there is a significant need for affordable housing and yet there exists vacant lots spread across the entire city. The lack of alternative urban typologies that address the challenges of sustainable urban growth is a large problem. I was able to propose new ways of urban living to accommodate families in the 21st century and explore new ways to challenge energy efficiency and material in such a small scale.

There are a few trends currently taking place in Providence today. First, there is a trend regarding rent prices. As rent keeps going up, more and more families are choosing to live in multi-family homes with apartments that have 2-3 bedrooms. Second, is that the new younger crowd are not getting marry and moving to bigger homes.

In order for the modular home to be able to fit into the urban fabric, it had to be able to size up and down accordingly. On my site, which was located in Olneyville, the buildings consisted of 3 story multi-family homes. The buildings mostly obtained similar characteristics and styles, everything from pitched roofs to Victorian era ornamentation. The modular home was created from two main concepts. First, the pitched roof would gather, filter and store the rainwater and second, the home would become a shelter that would house a diversity of water, plants, light, and people.

Privacy is important when it comes to low-income neighborhoods. Rather than standing out, these homes would have a very subtle style on the street facing facades and the inner courtyards spaces are filled with life and color to express the diversity of cultures and backgrounds of the people that live there. The only access to the courtyard was inspired by the alleys in between the houses from the neighborhood.

Elements

Apart from water, light, wind, and sound are the other elements found on the site. The use of these elements also promotes the consumption of cleaner energy. I looked into each element individually both by its potential performance as well as by its potential aesthetics.

Reviewing the results I was able to determine size, placement, quality of material, and orientation of openings and equipment. I used tools such as Diva and Wufi to get the results I needed to know.

Water

Besides from being able to store water, the integrated water system in the modular homes is able to reuse water in thoughtful ways. This system as well as the landscape design is designed to retain water during and after the storm in order to filter, store, and release water in a timely fashion – reducing polluted runoff and promoting cleaner water to enter our waterways.

By recycling water and using greywater wisely, we can diminish the water demand in households. The rain gardens located on the roof, in the courtyard, and around the proximity of each lot allow for water, runoff or rain, to go through a series of natural filters. This is also visible to every passerby creating a moment of teaching. Native plants are often used in these landscapes in order to use less water on irrigation and are able to withstand the climate and annual rainfall/seasonal drought.