UNROOTED fifth year architecture thesis project megan campbell, clarissa branham, kaitlin vining
making space from agricultural waste the cycle of a product. you give to the earth; the earth gives back to you. a gift. one continual round.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Oryzatech company, Jay Rusky and Ben Korman. Cal Poly Organic Farm Cindy Douglas. Architecture professors Sandy Stannard and Tom Di Santo. Construction Management Professor Mike Montoya. Agriculture Professor Bill Kellogg. Facilities Department Mike Montoya. To those who provided materials, Lil Turner, Quaglino’s Flooring, Carly with university graphic systems, Home Depot, San Luis Roasting Company. To the studio peers who provided tools. Riley Liles for opening his home providing music, tools, and space. Kevin Ng for getting the project started. Dave Anderson and Andy Kachadoorian for their strong muscles and handy help, Jennifer Martinec, Mindy Anderson, Mike Mallett, Jamie Bell and to all the friends and family that listened and helped along the way. T H A N K S
CONTENTS
PROJECT
PRECEDENTS
PLACE
PROCESS
PRODUCT
PHYSICAL
project
ISSUE
Over three million acres of straw is grown annually in the United States. Straw left over from rice crops needs to be removed from fields in order to make use for the next crop. Field burning and soil merging are the major practices for removing existing rice straw. The burning of a field is quick, economical and removes disease, but it also leads to significant air pollution, releasing approximately 750 million tons of CO2 into the air. The burning of straw has become undesirable in many places, including the Sacramento Valley located in California, where a significant amount of rice straw is grown. Limits to removal techniques leads to alternative disposal methods. An alternative to burning straw is to use it as animal feed or a building material. Rice straw is valuable to the building community, especially with the benefits of using straw bale construction methods.
STAK BLOCK
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The Stakblock is a proprietary composite construction block. It provides an insulated load bearing, adaptable construction system. Orysatech is a company developed by two Cal Poly State University graduates, Ben Korman and Jay Ruskey. Together they developed the Stakblock product. The Stakblock provides similar construction techniques used for centuries. Removing the straw from the fields reduces the loss of soil nutrients, and decreases fertilizer demand. The Stakblock provides homeowners with a well built, highly insulated home made from local materials.
Weight 25lbs Size: 12”x12”x24” Interlocking features 4” holes for concrete or grout Load bearing routable surfaces for the installation of utilities Shear performance better than a standanrd stud shear wall Finish wall surfaces with plaster mud or sheeting 10lbs of sequested carbon per block Fire, insect, and moisture resistant Great acoustical properties R47 (R 4/inch)
DESIGN BUILD
This is a design build case study and an interdisciplinary project in which architecture students work together with engineering, and construction management students in order to design and build a structure. The team includes an industry partner, Oryzatech, who is developing a new rice straw building material known as the Stakblock. As a coordinated team we began to design and build a structure that will test the limits of the material as well as demonstrate the beauty and function of the product. The final architectural product is to serve a useful purpose for the Cal Poly Organic Farm. The students worked in uniform with the university building codes, structural engineers, and inspectors. This comprehensive design experience challenged each of us confronting the issues we will face when professionals, filling the gap between the studio experience and the challenges of practice.
CLARISA BRANHAM
KAITLIN VINING
TEAM PLAYERS Architecture students who developed an appropriate design for a one-story structure that will be simple to construct, using the stak block and other local materials.
MEGAN CAMPBELL
LOREN GALARZA An Architectural Engineering student who assisted in developing a supportive structural system for a onestory structure.
RILEY LILES A Construction Management student who assisted knowledge of constructing a one-story structure.
precedents
WATCHHOUSE Architect Rianne Makkink and Designer Jurgen Bey
The Watchhoues is made of wheat straw stored in crates. The crates were piled together to create this space. The idea was to accomplish the use of raw materials from the wheat fields and construct a place to stay in. The building created a comparable timber framing effect, yet built up out of transportable modules.
JEAN PROVUE
1957 wall-mounted bookshelves made of bent steel, wood and polychrome lacqured aluminum.
LIVING WALL
First started out by developing a modular green roofing system and later developed a vertical wall system. It is designed to bring nature into urban living environments to create healthier spaces.
The Vertical Garden System (Le Mur Vegetal) by Patrick Blanc displays a harmony between a building and vegetation. His vertical wall systems work outside and inside of buildings and can be implemented in any climate. The system has 3 parts to it which include PVC, felt and a metal frame. It is a soil free self supporting system that hangs on a wall or is suspended. It weighs approximately 65 lbs per 10 square feet. The benefits to the vertical garden include thermal mass that lowers energy consumption and also better air quality.
KIT HAUS
KitHAUS is a modular studio, with a small footprint. It displays wooden louvers and is made from recycled aluminum, Green Wall structural insulated panels (R-14 insulation) and low-e windows. This little jewel uses FSC certified woods and can hold a 1 kilowatt photovoltaic system to catch the sun’s energy.
RURAL STUDIO
Architect Samuel Mockbee brought together Auburn University architecture students creating the Rural Studio. Working together the students are involved in hands on design and help improve living conditions for the poor.
place
LOCATION san luis obispo, california
san luis obispo
cal poly campus
california polytechnic state university
organic farm
core campus
the farm
site
cal poly organic farm
brochure shown on the following page by the CPOF
The Cal Poly Organic Farm is a part of the Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA) that promotes local agriculture and supports a direct farmer to consumer relationship. Their goal is to increase local organic produce consumed on campus and make others aware of local agricultural communities. Their produce is sold on campus and at the local farmer’s market. The farm also hosts University classes that educate both students and the community about organic and sustainable farming procedures. These courses include entomology, precision farming, nutrition, weed science, and holistic management. The farm is expanding and currently has several needs. To support their growth this new structure will aid in providing an excellent resource for further research. It will serve as a utility and miscellaneous (group U) area for the various uses at the farm. This increases the potential of the farm and enhances future possibilities. It will also support the student body at the University as well as the San Luis Obispo community. The facility will build on the knowledge and experience students gain at the Cal Poly campus. The organic farm, together with the architecture department will unite in providing education on sustainability at the Cal Poly campus.
FLORA
& FAUNA
THE VIEWS
entrance to the farm
entry plaza
SUBSECTIONS
southeast northwest
CLIMATE DATA & ANALYSIS
San Luis Obispo, California is a relatively mild, temperate climate. Of the 16 California climate zones, it is in zone 5, which stretches along the coast between Santa Barbara and San Simeon. Being lucky enough to be located in such an ideal climate, it is easy to implement simple strategies in order to design thermally comfortable passive solar building.
winter
spring
summer
fall
psychrometric chart
north
wind roses
15% 12% 9% 6% 3% west
east
north 40% 32% 24% 16% south
8% west
east
winter wind speeds
>11.05 8.9-11.05 5.0-8.9 3.3-5.0
south
summer
1.8-3.3 .51-1.8 http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/climate/windrose.html
two hour temperature chart
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This chart displays the times when closed cooling is needed (above 75 degrees), closed heating (below 65 degrees), and comfortable ‘sailing temperatures’ between. An interesting item to note is that throughout the year there is always the opportunity of passively controlling the indoor temperatures. heating degree days Base 65 60 57 55 50
HDD 2736 1527 1027 778 417
cooling degree days Base 55 57 60 65 70
HDD 1983 1501 906 289 78
By overlaying the two-hour temperature data with the sun path diagram, it is easy to understand the times of year that need shading versus the ideal times to capture heat gain through allowing direct solar access.
sun path diagram - 35 degrees north latitude www.luxal.eu/resources/daylighting/sunpath.shtml
annual precipitation
The roof of the building would most likely be an ideal place to harvest rainwater. Rainwater is best for cultivating seedlings, and with a greenhouse adjacent, it is common sense to collect as much as possible. This is the analysis of how much water would be able to be captured and stored based on the annual rainfall and the approximate size of the roof. There is no plumbing to use the greywater for, and the usage amounts are rough and would !uctuate depending on the needs of the greenhouse.
Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual
Catchment Usage Rainfall (in.) Yield (gal) (gal) 5.28 1,241 620 4.82 1,133 560 3.69 867 620 1.75 411 600 0.42 99 620 0.07 16 600 0.03 7 620 0.05 12 620 0.35 82 600 0.85 200 620 2.36 555 600 3.68 865 620 23.35
Net (gal) 621 573 247 -189 -521 -584 -613 -608 -518 -420 -45 245
5,488 7,300
rainwater collection analysis
Cumulative Capacity (gal) 621 1,194 1,441 1,252 731 147 -466 -1,074 -1,592 -2,012 -2,057 -1,812
climate responsive design strategies
1 Use thermal mass to capture and store solar heat gain in winter, and ‘coolth’ at night in summer.
2 Heat gain from occupants and equipment in the space will help warm the space - use insulation to keep the heat in in winter, and ventilation to exhaust it in summer.
3 Sunny outdoor patios protected from harsh winds can be pleasant to extend the room areas in cold weather.
4 Be sure to use high performance windows on the north, east, and west, but clear glass on the south facade to allow for maximum solar gain.
5 To passively heat, keep most of the glazing on the south side and design overhangs to allow the warm winter sun to penetrate into the space, but block out hot summer sun.
design strategies based on those suggested by ‘climate consultant 4’ program
process
http://www.arch.calpoly.edu/news-events/news-0809-pages/vellum-08.html
VELLUM COMPETITION Each of the team members began their thesis by individually competing in an annual furniture design competition, ‘Vellum’. The competition challenges the entrant to focus on material exploration, detail development, and the ergonomics of human experience and comfort. “Our motivation for this competition is to inspire creative thought and practice and to challenge students and faculty to the boundaries of material and design,” said Paul Abbott, principal of Vellum Design Build and construction management alum. “What better medium to explore the human interface with design than a chair, lamp or table?” “The work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mario Botta, Michael Graves and Frank Gehry among many others, con!rm the rule that architects need to seek legitimacy in their work through the design of smaller scale objects,” says Henri de Hahn, head of the Architecture Department. The Vellum/AD Furniture Design Competition is a way for students to realize their conceptions in full-scale and test their ideas, before getting back to the task of creating large-scale environments, according to Tom Di Santo, professor of architecture at Cal Poly. “Furniture is a way to see the universe of design in a grain of sand, an elegant fusion of form, technology, material and comfort.” The three entries from the ‘Class Roots’ team members consisted of the _________ by Kaitlin Vining, __________ by Clarisa Branham, and the SK8er Chez by Megan Campbell.
quotes provided by cal poly news article; ‘Architecture Students, Faculty Compete in Furniture Design’
sink seats by kaitlin
The kitchen sink chair was an exploration in the recycling of old materials for new functions. By reusing materials and optimizing prefabricated parts the ecological footprint of the two chairs was greatly reduced. Adapting a sink into another use extends its life and functionality while the nominal pipe sizes and !ttings replace the need for customized units that can be costly and environmentally taxing.
plastic weave lounge by clarisa PLASTIC BAG CONSUMPTION FACTS • Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions of bags end up as litter each year. • According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. • Four out of every !ve bags handed out at grocery stores are plastic. • They are rarely recycled and don’t degrade in the natural environment, much less in a land!ll. Primary source & for more information, Trellis Earth One way to deal with plastic bag consumption is to utilize its possibilities. By rethinking of the way we use things, a potential unfolds. For the Vellum Furniture design competition plastic bags were woven together to create strength and a canvas for seating. A hardwood frame, designed to fold together as simple storage, holds up the canvas. As a result, a plastic bag chair.
sk8er chez by megan
The SK8er Chez is an exploration in bending thin sheets of wood to sculpt a chair that is simple and elegant. The name comes from the fact that most of the material used to design and build the chair came from scraps of the ASI Craft Center skateboard making class, which is also where Megan learned the techniques of bending wood. The skateboards in the class are typically cut from !ve foot square 1/8” sheets of ply. Generally, the !rst cut is to trim off the bottom foot of the sheet before cutting out !ve 1’x4’ strips to make the board from. This scrap piece at the end has grain running horizontally which renders it useless to make strong skateboards, but it is ideal for bending into a chair! The chair was made by !rst measuring the human body in a lounging position and tracing an attempt at a comfortable spline to support the shape. Three inch strips were coated with a thin layer of wood glue, then clamped into the shape. This was then used as a jig and layer by layer, the chair started to come together. Arms were created in the same way, and the pieces were joined by carefully drilling holes through arms and into the chair, then using threaded rod to attach. There is a slight washer reveal and it is capped with an acorn nut.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES Along the way, the group has been compiling lists of goals to accomplish. Here are a few of them:
Design Objectives: -Create a large enough space for about 20 people to gather -Design for code compliancy and required structural engineering -Give the Organic Farm a ‘jewel’ that they will love for many years -Respond to the existing elements on the site Green Goals: -Never forget the elements of heat, light, water, wind, sound and respond appropriately -Highlight the Stak Block as a new, outstanding green product -Show other green building methods throughout the building -Collect rainwater to help nourish the seedlings in the adjacent greenhouse
ENGINEERING
One of the major design considerations is that of highlighting the ability of the Stak Block product, including the fact that it can be used structurally. These are the compression test results that have been found.
!n,prop
!g,prop
Eg
"
specimen
psi
psi
psf
psi
pcf
14
27.4
25.0
3601.5
841.1
--
14c 15 15c full01 half02A half03A half02B half03B half04D half04C
21.5 22.4 24.2 22.9 19.2 21.0 19.5 19.6 19.8 --
19.6 20.5 22.1 20.9 17.6 19.2 17.8 17.9 18.0 --
2827.5 2946.1 3183.0 3003.7 2529.9 2763.0 2559.7 2578.0 2598.6 --
876.9 1048.9 967.2 909.4 672.5 804.7 668.9 741.9 1079.0 1021.0
---15.3 16.0 16.3 17.0 16.2 16.8
avg
22
20
2859
876
Bou-Ali King
84 70
12096 10080
78-211 200
78-211 200
SPROUTING ROOTS beginning the design
After the team was assembled, the design process was kick-started with a series of design charrettes. The three each brought their own ideas of the ideal building, and together they chose the best parts of each design. With many factors to consider, and many people to please, the design seemed to be almost constantly changing.
model explorations
sketch charrettes
getting closer
never forgetting the sun
design ‘nuggets’
In an attempt to zoom in and look at the tectonics of a particular area, the three divided up the building into ‘nuggets’ to focus on separately. It was a good way to clear their mind about all of the factors they were dealing with, and have some fun focusing on the details.
REVIEWS & SHOWS
Throughout the entire process, there have been design reviews. This will be a building that will be enjoyed by many types of people, and guidance from faculty and peers has been crucial to shaping the design.
product
Stakblock
Structural Insulated Panels MATERIALS
Created by Oryzatech, the Stakblock is a sustainable building material that is created by compresing the rice straw removed after the agricultural process.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are typically made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB).
HardiPanel HardiPanel is a fiber-cement exterior siding that is an alternative to traditional wood composite, vinyl, brick, or stucco. It can be applied to achieve a number of exterior aesthetic finishes. For our purposes we will keep the traditional board and batten look.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
A.101 Site/Roof Plan
A.102 Floor Plan
A.201 Elevations
A.202 Elevations
A.301 Building Sections
A.302 Interior Elevations
A.401 Wall Sections
A.402 Wall Sections
S.001 General Notes
S.101Structural Plan
S.401 Structural Details
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
physical application
CONTENTS
We came together as three girls who wanted to build with a new green building material to inspire us- a compressed rice straw block- the stakblock. Our first direction was towards building a much needed classroom for the Cal Poly Organic Farm which we titled class roots. When we learned how long it would actually take to get a permit to build, we decided to divide and conquer. Kaitlin continue to develop and build the classroom project while Megan and Clarisa construct a design-build material exploration titled unrooted.
PROCESS
MATERIALS Above: the stackblock is displayed with a window and electrical outlet. Above right: the skeleton wood frame is put together with through bolt connections, canvas is used as the overhead cover. Plexiglas is screwed to the panels and allows light into the space.
Clockwise right: Unused printers tin is cut an woven together creating a mosaic pattern on the panels. Windows display glass art made by Megan Campbell. An image of the interior corner panel connection.
The stakblock is linked together to a height of 7 feet. All-thred is threaded through the blocks and tightend down with bolts creating structural strength for the wall. Plywood covered with printing tin is screwed directly into the stakblock. Playful panels are interchangeable , while suspended they mask the interior space.
TITLE
bibliography
IMAGES
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/3762/watchhouse-brinta-by-studio-makkink-bey.html, http://www. eltlivingwalls.com/benefits.php, http://www.inetours.com/CA-Coast/images/SLO/Cal_Poly_Pano.jpg, http://www.inetours. com/CA-Coast/images/SLO/Cal_Poly_Pano.jpg, , http://www.buttecounty.net/bifsnrice/photos/strawburn.jpg, http://www. goodcleantech.com/images/rice_straw.jpg http://www.carolinagoldricefoundation.org/page7/newsletter/files/page1_blog_entry50_1.jpg http://greencotton.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/plastic_bags.jpg http://www.eartharchitecture.org/uploads/UtahDesignBuild.jpg
INTERNET
http://www.kithaus.com/ http://blog.articlestudio.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/kithaus.jpg, http://www. inhabitat.com/2008/11/07/kithaus-williamsburg-prefab-friday/ http://www.calpolyorgfarm.com/, www.calricestraw.org
BOOK The Green Studio Handbook, Environmental Strategies for Schematic Design. A. G. Kwok, W. T. Grondzi`` Sun, WInd, & Light: Architectural Design Strategies. 2nd edition. G.Z. Brown and M. Dekay
OTHER
Oryzatech powerpoint