Sketchup model

Because I am not familiar with the topography tool on Sketchup, I only did a digital model for the Plains house which has flat terrain.

The walls would be made of brick or earth with styrofoam insulation. If the walls are of earth, extra support around the windows is needed so I showed masonry around the doors and windows as well as on the corners of the house for reinforcement. The roof tiles would be the local clay tiling that is native to Nepal.

Axonometric drawings

The axonometric drawings originally blocked out a lot of the important features of the designs so I used a kind of modified version. The pieces that would have been hidden from view are drawn in a very light line weight while the features that would be visible are drawn in a darker line weight.

Final plans and sections

Nepal Plains house

Nepal Hill house

Hill house semi-final section

Hill house floor plans

For the house meant for the more hilly region, I based the dimensions off the plains region house. The layout is very similar with the difference being the two floors. Upstairs would be a residential area as well as the left side of the house. The right side of the house is a public area and the kitchen.

Plains house semi-final section

The next step after this is a final section in ink! 

Plains house plan

Using the square footage of the Congo house I established the ground-level dimensions of the Nepal plains house. The main section of the house is about 50x34ft and the kitchen is about 13x13ft.
After looking at it more closely, I might widen the hallway by about a foot, but overall this is pretty final.

Plains house sections

Section and structure

Drawing the section for the Hill house brought to light an interesting problem. If the hill overhangs the house after cutting into it, I need some sort of structural reinforcement. For this I decided on a simple technique that has been used for thousands of years. Corbelling is a technique using flat stones to create a dome or arch. An ancient example of corbelling is found in the houses of Alberobello, Italy. The technique is believed to have been first used in the beehive tombs of ancient Greece. Just like any dome or arch, the corbelled dome (in this case only a partial dome) the weight above is transferred down the curve of stones and the structure is intrinsically stable. 

Thinking about materials

Although I wasn't able to use many actual recycled materials for the DRC house, I'm already incorporating them into the Nepal houses. I've known for a long time that styrofoam is one of the worst products that we use in terms of environmental persistence. Styrofoam does not break down and cannot be made into something new. It's just styrofoam forever. And ever. If you use styrofoam bowls and plates for parties, I've probably shot you a few nasty looks and told you exactly what will happen with that styrofoam when you throw it "away". It doesn't go away. So as the organisms that invented this disgusting product, we have a responsibility to stop making more and start reusing what we have in new ways. 

If styrofoam can insulate your thermos, why not reuse it to insulate your house? Provided that it is thoroughly cleaned of any food residue, I don't see any possible complications. Styrofoam consists of millions of tiny little air pockets and as I learned in Physics 1, stationary air is a fantastic insulator. Why would we waste it on packaging and plates when it could be in our walls keeping us warm all winter? I think styrofoam can be packed between the walls of the Nepal houses to create an effective insulator.

plains house elevation

Since I changed the roof system and placed windows and rooms, I drew a new semi-final facade elevation of the plains house.

prelim plans

For the plains house I chose to show the roof pattern in dashed lines. I thought it was important to show that the kitchen unit has its own roof structure independent from that of the rest of the house.

design fix

I finally created a floor plan that fits the shape of the one-storey and has the same number of rooms as my two-storey!

There are four rooms that can be used as bedrooms, one bathroom, two public-type rooms, and a kitchen. Everything but the bathroom and kitchen would be flexible in terms of function and can be divided in different ways. The house as a whole can be made smaller by taking length off the left side.

design troubles

I'm having trouble finding layouts for the interiors of my two house concepts for Nepal. The two-story one is a bit easier to create spaces, but the single-story structure requires a bit more thinking. I might completely change my designs, but for now this is what I have. 

Nepal first designs

I started thinking of designs for Nepal, but the variation in topography gave me some trouble. The same house that works well in a hilly region may not be appropriate for the plains. Instead of creating just one design, I drew vignettes of two very similar designs that work in the two main topographies.

Just as the design for the Congo was very simple, geometric, and based off of the traditional Congolese home, my ideas for Nepal are simplified forms of Nepali architecture.

construction materials

Nepali durja temples consisted of a platform, a single room, and a tall roof made of several tiers. They are built of wood and stone.

Clay, brick, and tile are traditional building materials. The Kathmandu Valley is famous for its skillful brickmakers and the quality of brick construction. Clay is found in many different colors and is taken from riverbeds or terraced hills.

Brickmaking with a Hoffman oven, the most common type of kiln, requires coal to produce the heat necessary to set the bricks. Coal, as we know, can be a very inefficiently burning fuel that releases greenhouse gasses and particulate pollutants. I will probably limit the use of brick in my design.

Wood is used for the basic framework of temples and houses alike. The structural elements of a temple are all timber post-and-lintel construction. Different types of wood are used in different parts of the structure according to properties such as strength and weight. Wooden elements are pieced together to avoid using non-wood elements like nails to fix them together. The wooden roofs are very steeply pitched and hang far past the walls of the buildings to protect from monsoon rains.

Unfortunately, deforestation is a big problem in Nepal. Deforestation causes landslides and erosion in the hills and mountains without roots to keep the soil intact. With the increasing population more homes and buildings are needed and more trees are cut down to accommodate. 

Stone was once used heavily in temples and monuments, but in residential homes only serves as a foundation on which to build with brick. In some rural houses the stone may extend all the way up the first floor and in urban areas it may extend around the main doorway. 

The use of stone is limited by transportation. Stones are found in riverbeds and some fields.

Adobe is extremely common in rural regions of Nepal. Sundried bricks are laid as two parallel walls and the space between them is filled with the same earth used to make the bricks. The outer brick may be finished with a plaster made with clay which protects the house from monsoon rains. Clay/adobe is also used on the interior to create permanent furniture and flooring.

Clay for adobe construction can be found on and off site.

Gallery and Congo finished product photos

Nat Geo

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/nepal-facts/

The country ended its long-standing constitutional monarchy in June 2008 when King Gyanendra, who'd come to power in 2001 after the tragic murder of the previous king, abdicated the throne. Nepal's first president was chosen by parliament the following month. This precipitous government transformation came after nearly 20 years of political turmoil, including an often violent Maoist insurgency from 1996 until 2005.

Nepal possesses the greatest altitude variation on the Earth, from the lowlands near sea level to Mount Everest at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). 

Nepal Research

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html#top

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

varying terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively

natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydropower*, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

*homes could have their own versions of hydropower

environmental problems: deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions

Population: 30,430,267 (2013) number 41 in the world


Drinking water:
improved:

urban: 93% of population

rural: 88% of population

total: 89% of population

unimproved: 

urban: 7% of population

rural: 12% of population

total: 11% of population (2010 est.)

Sanitation:

improved:

urban: 48% of population

rural: 27% of population

total: 31% of population

unimproved: 

urban: 52% of population

rural: 73% of population

total: 69% of population (2010 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,300 (2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

Agricultural Products: pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

Industries: tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production

One down, One to go!

On Sunday night I finally finished my Sketchup 3D model of the DRC house and put together my process book for the gallery!

All of my final drawings are also done and are up in the Meril Gallery right now so I don't have pictures yet. Now it's time to turn my attention to Nepal, which I have already been thinking about and I did a little research to finish my proposal.

My biggest concern for Nepal is the lack of resources that will hold up in the harsh weather and varying topography. They have everything from mountains to plains and winters are cold and snowy. I might be relying on some more recycled materials for this one!

Final designs

prelim plan and section

new community living idea

Through my research I've learned that many families live in groups of houses together in the same area. They often live in separate houses based on gender or generation. At first I thought my houses could be grouped in a similar way, but now I'm thinking one house can be used for multiple groups using separation of living spaces.

experimenting with program

Grouped housing

Preliminary sketches

Traditional housing

In rural areas, several round or rectangular mud huts enclosed in an area comprise a family's homestead. The frame is built by tying vines around sticks and palm frond stems. A mixture of sand, water, and often cement is then used to fill in the structure and a grass roof completes the home. Families often move their homestead to be near their new fields, or if termites have destroyed their roof. At times, new homes are built on top of the old field, so that after several years, the newly fertilized land can be used again. Each hut serves a different purpose: some are for cooking, others are for storage, and there are guest huts and separate rooms for the male and female children, who usually sleep on handwoven raffia mats placed upon the ground. Traditional homesteads are as diverse as their owners. They may be large or small, extremely clean or left in neglect.
In the areas surrounding cities, large shantytowns have emerged. Usually the small homes are made of corrugated iron in these areas. Given the extreme heat during most of the year, these homes are often swelteringly hot. In general, the quality of life in the urban shanties is lower than that of the rural areas. In some urban areas, however, better homes or apartments are available for the rich who drive Western automobiles and wear suits. Large government buildings made of modern materials symbolize the wealth of the politically powerful.

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo.html#ixzz2MFoVKHGQ

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Congo-Democratic-Republic-of-the-DROC-HOUSING.html

http://www.endingextremepoverty.org/housing/

Most rural Congolese live within a family compound.  The compound is a plot of land where family members build adjoining houses.  - See more at: http://www.endingextremepoverty.org/housing/#sthash.dzH7OyaD.dpuf

Most rural Congolese live within a family compound.  The compound is a plot of land where family members build adjoining houses.  - See more at: http://www.endingextremepoverty.org/housing/#sthash.dzH7OyaD.dpuf

Most rural Congolese live within a family compound.  The compound is a plot of land where family members build adjoining houses.  - See more at: http://www.endingextremepoverty.org/housing/#sthash.dzH7OyaD.dpuf

Most rural Congolese live within a family compound.  The compound is a plot of land where family members build adjoining houses.  - 

More about the atrium house

http://www.worldbook.com/content-spotlight/item/1127-world-book-explores-ancient-rome/1127-world-book-explores-ancient-rome?start=3

http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/schoenauer/arch528/lect05/n05alec5.htm


We often use ancient ideas to create new designs. In this case, I needed a water collection system that wouldn't require extra expenses outside building the house itself. The Roman atrium house began as a single story structure with a small opening in the roof. This hole is how the house gets its name. Originally the hole was just a small opening to let smoke out of a hearth below. Over time it developed into a water collection system. Rain would flow down the roof, which was tilted into the center, and into a pool inside the center of the house. That pool would drain into a cistern from which the residents would take their drinking and bathing water.

The design of the water collection system of the atrium house is a good starting point for my design for the DRC house.

The Roman atrium house plans

http://ancientandold.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

http://www.indiana.edu/~class2/c102/

http://english8.fsu.edu/jcg07h/capstoneprojecthtml.html