Case Studies

ASHO (Summer of 2009)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Alternative Sustainable Housing Options, Summer Studio 2009 is a project created by the Community Design Center of Atlanta.  CDCA has provided student engagement for over 30 years. This Summer Studio is a launch for the ASHO initiative series. For this Summer Studio, we decided to explore a much discussed, hot new phenomenon – container housing. This year’s studio is a collaborative of local professionals and architectural students from MIT, Tuskegee University, Southern California Institute of Architecture to name a few. Our hope is to creatively design and build 4 affordable homes in Atlanta using ISBU’s. We plan on sharing knowledge learned through this collective design and building process with other areas of the country as well.

SUMMARY

Our team has been awarded lot #3. Given the lots size we were allocated 4 ISBUs and had to design a 3 bedroom, 2 bath sustainable home and keep the construction price below $85 per sq. ft. Greg Mullins with Nodus LLC and Jeff Dinkle with Eco Custom Homes are the professionals guiding group #3 students. This project is slated to be developed in the East Lake Community overlooking the East Lake Golf Club. East Lake is a transitional neighborhood consisting of homes built from the 1890s to 1930s. One of the greatest challenges is to create a design using a modern design for, a box, but introducing “period” details so the home will fit in with the community. The design phase of this project will be complete in August, with construction slated to begin soon afterward.

For more Information on ASHO Click Below

 

The “Eco Playhouse” (Summer of 2008)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Meaningful relationships with natural surroundings are critical to a child’s development fostering a sense of well being and belonging while nurturing respect for our environment. Designed to provide an environment for children to explore natural wonders through direct experience and play, the Eco Playhouse was built collaboratively for Project Playhouse 2008 by Jeffrey Dinkle, Karen Raymer, Michael Fletcher, and Paul Morgan.

SUMMARY

Made from reclaimed, recycled and sustainably manufactured materials the playhouse is weatherproof and insulated for year-around fun. Furnishings and finishes are non-toxic and odor-free. Whimsical features like a windowed cupola, and operable shutters encourage imaginative play. Easily opened windows bring inside the fresh sounds and smells of the outside world.

The playhouse includes tools for hands-on learning, such as a microscope, age-appropriate books and specimen jars for leaves, bugs and other treasures. To teach appreciation for natural resources, wooden barrels capture rain from the roof and an electronic weather vane provides fun meteorological information powered, along with indoor and outdoor lights, by a solar panel.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

• Poplar bark siding
• 100-year-old Reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring, finished with OSMO oil
• 65-watt solar panel with battery, providing uninterrupted power for lights and fans.
• Full rain harvest system to provide water for a children’s garden
• Large widow awnings for passive solar cooling
• Wicker furnishing with organic cotton pillows and cushions.
• Icynene spray foam insulation for year round usability.
• Low VOC paint supplied by AFM Safecoat

After display in Lenox Square in September 2008 the Eco Playhouse was auctioned off with all proceeds going to Home Aid Atlanta. It is currently used in Piedmont Park as a sustainable educational and recreational resource for the children of Atlanta