MicroHouse Collaboration 2014

Welcome to the MH Collaboration 2014

Message from Architectural Lead and Construction Manager

Thank you for visiting the repository of ideas for MicroHouse development in 2014. We are casting the net wide and gathering as many ideas as possible for the next iterations of the MicroHouse. Feel free to post items directly in the appropriate categories on this page. If one does not exist, go ahead and create it. I will manage the page to ensure consistent formatting and filing of information. Also, you can post your ideas to our facebook page if you are not comfortable editing a wiki.

Background: MicroHouse 1 Development

Overview

The MicroHouse 1 was constructed at Factor e Farm in the fall of 2013. There were several ambitious goals for the project:

• use open source equipment
• DIY construction
• fully functional space for two people with 12'x12' interior dimensions with a partial loft
• parallel process prefabrication with site-building: swarming construction
• rapid assembly - with the ultimate target of a one-day build
• sustainable design, including passive heating and cooling
• design for tolerancing - i.e. make construction methods suitable for those without experience
• modular components for easy expansion and remodeling

Links

The MicroHouse 1 Development Board: http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Microhouse_1_Development_Board

Architectural Lead and Construction Manager Personal Work Log: http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Chris_Reinhart_Log

General Comments, Observations, Requests, Critiques, etc

• Spencer Christopherson says, "I would love to see an earth sheltered version of micro house."
• Rose Mills-Arabia says, "I would love to see a small fireplace built into the MicroHouse. Maybe with the top sticking out and an opening directly above where you can cook food."

Small Spaces Design Ideas

This is the category for general ideas on small houses, including those designed by collaborators or other precedents that have been collected.

Nomad Micro Homes

Added by Chris on Nov 25, 2013

Rob Beddingfield posted a link to Nomad Micro Homes with this comment, "This microhouse makes there whole bathroom into a shower stall, it looks like that allows them to put a sink in there."

He was referencing this picture:

You can check out Nomad Micro Homes here: http://www.nomadmicrohomes.com/

I think this fits right in to the modular component design. We could make the whole unit and move it into place with stub-outs, utility module style. Pop on the fixtures once it's in place, unless we can effectively deal with the weight issue. What's the lifting power on the LifeTrac? We could easily calculate the weight of a given design. What I like about the idea, especially if we include the utility module as part of it, is that we have just a single component for the downstairs. Would be tough with human power, though. It took three of us to move the Utility Module around. If it was a single module, it would have to go in first and be built around. That's not necessarily a problem. Anyway, this is a very compelling suggestion. -Chris

Tom Mallard's Small Home Idea

Added by Chris on Nov 25, 2013

Thanks, Tom, for posting these ideas to the OSE facebook page in response to the MicroHouse infographic. Your design is very cool!

Here's what Tom had to say about it:

"This is a 10ft x14ft tiny home with a loft that's active solar-thermal using the roof as the heat-cold source and water thermal-mass in pipes below the floor & in the high wall, toilet & gray water on separate piping and drinking water collection from rain to a cistern.

A patio roof folds down in winter on the north side, floor plan has built-ins a lot of shelving the table drop to a dbl bed, room for another in the loft that has a lot of drawer storage, ladder to it not shown."

Earth Block Construction

Auroville Earth Institute: Arches, Vaults, and Domes

This link was posted to the page by Micah Chiri, with the following comment: "I've suggested this before and will again. With this implementation, the whole MicroHouse could be constructed with earth material."

Auroville website: http://www.earth-auroville.com/compressed_stabilised_earth_block_en.php

DIY Construction

This category includes ideas of DIY processes.

Open Source Equipment

This category is for ideas about creative ways to use open source equipment in the construction process.

Parallel Processing

This category is a repository for ideas about workflows that parallel process components that later come together in assembly.

Prefabrication and Rapid Construction

Here is place for ideas and precedents on prefabricated projects and other rapidly built projects.

Modular Library Studio by 3rd Space

Thanks, Catarina, for sharing this prefabricated project by 3rdSpace.

Image from http://design-milk.com/modular-library-studio-3rdspace/modular-library-studio-3rdspace-3a-empty/ Image from http://design-milk.com/modular-library-studio-3rdspace/modular-library-studio-3rdspace-1/

Article on the project on Design Milk: http://design-milk.com/modular-library-studio-3rdspace/

3rdSpace architects website: http://www.3rdspace.co.uk/

Sustainable Design

Ideas on sustainable design for the MicroHouse are found in this category.

Low-Skill Techniques

Ideas on how to creative an inclusive process for those that have little or no construction experience.

MicroHouse + WikiHouse

Marcin and I had talked about this, and Alan Hynek made the suggestion on the facebook page. What are the possibilities with a mash-up of the MH + WH?

WikiHouse webpage: http://www.wikihouse.cc/

Simpler WikiHouse - basic frame structure impression (by Alan Hynek):

- 12' x 12' interior size

- easy DIY, no CNC milling just cutting to length and angle

- Barn Rising style of constructing, but way much easier measuring and cutting (no complicated joints) and light to raise

- 2x10 timber would be strong, but also quite heavy to lift. 1x10 could possibly do quite well and one frame section would weight about 90 kg (dry pine construction wood)

- possible fastening methods: nails and hammers (cheap, fast and accessible), wood screws and impact driver (more expensive, easier, probably stronger)

- roofed area for small porch

- usable loft (bedroom)

- suitable for light roofing (boarding + shingles, corrugated steel)

- walls could be insulated between boards with different materials

- possibility of scaling by adding frames in the middle and separating rooms (making house longer)