Syracuse School of Architecture
New York, NY, USA
SOFTWARES:
Rhino 7
Grasshopper
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Indesign
FABRICATION:
Hand Cutting
Laser Cutter
CNC Mill
Rockite Casting
Woodshop Equip:
Vacuum Former
Sanding Belt
Table Saw
Band Saw
FLEX + ADAPT
THE ADAPTABLE HOUSE
ARC307 Design Studio led by Brian Lonsway
Adapting to the needs of the site and its users, this simple structure advances Schneider + Till’s “support and infill” concept regarding flexibility. With easily constructed and assembled pieces that consistently accommodate a 12 foot radius, this design strategy reinforces what Avi Friedman calls “processes of adaptability”, which connects the often physical idea of flexibility to the social understanding of adaptability. A building meant to be flexible might be capable of different arrangements, but a building designed to be adaptable as well would also be capable of accommodating different social uses over various periods of time. This iteration tests a 12x12 activity grid supported by a 36x36 structural grid. The activity grid is found by taking Neufert’s Data and inserting proportionally his defined amount of spaces per the hypothetical living requirements of each unit scenario. Within the 3 unit prototypes, there are 3 scales of occupancy, a 1 person unit, 3 person unit, and 6 person unit.
ACTIVITY GRID
researching the optimal adaptive module
Utilizing Neufert’s Data as a starting point of scalar understanding, an in-depth realization of the dimensional needs required for a functional residence was found through a 8-phase cycle exercise that tested weekly iterations of a modular home. Scaling the data for the needs of a room, to a home, to an apartment block, these drawings explore the relation between the space an activity requires and the optimal modular dimension that can accomodate it at all 3 scales. Each week, a new criteria of real-life construction was introduced and had to be addressed into our project: Living Building Challenge, Code Regulation, ADA Compliance, Syracuse MX-4 and MX-2 Zoning to demonstrate adaptabilty to multiple sites.