LIVING POD Project
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Virtual Project Living Pod Blog
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Brief Living pods are one solution to help tackle space issues inside modern cities. With land value high in these areas, it is often too expensive for many people to live in cities, despite being where the majority of us study, work or relax.
Compact, light-weight and versatile, a carefully thought out living pod can help remedy this problem. Many existing flat roof buildings have space for these pods that would not be accessible to other constructions. This blog will explore the design of such a pod, and show how a fully liveable environment can be created in a 3m/3m/2.5 spaces, and help reclaim some of the cities forgotten areas.
“You are part of a design team tasked by your entrepreneurial client to design a flexible system that could be used to construct live work units within the city, with a focus on utilising the forgotten and un-used flats roofs that exist within this context. Your client has given you a specific area, located near the University as an initial proposal, with a view to creating live work units that could be taken up by students completing their degrees and wishing to pursue the opportunity that such accommodation to offer.�
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Case Study In order to get some perspective, existing living pods were investigated to see what was already available. Several of these pods are currently on the market, and come in many forms and for different purposes.
Nau Living Roof Pod. This pod is self-sustaining, with a PV skin and rainwater harvesting. It features a streamlined lightweight design and can be moved as a single unit. However, this pod will be expensive to craft. Its style is bold, but my personal thoughts are that it won’t “fit” most settings. Unless set in an ultramodern backdrop, I feel it would look out of place.
Reclaimed Shipping Pod A pod has been created in the inside of a re appropriated shipping container. Here the body would not have to be designed or constructed and only altered. This pod will be movable by crane and truck, to deliver it to its destination. I feel like this is a good solution, but there are several of these pods on the market already to warrant designing another.
Bubble pod To me, this style of pod looks like a gimmick. For the sake of looking like your living in a bubble, your privacy must be sacrificed. While one of these pods would be nice in an isolated area, I do not think long term living would be a pleasant experience for the occupier.
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Initial Thoughts Impact As the pod will be sited on the roof of an existing building, consideration of the impact is essential. The pod should be able to be erected without tearing up the existing space. Thought needs to be put into how to actually get the materials onto the roof. While a crane may be an option if multiple pods are to be constructed, it wouldn’t be worth the effort for a single unit. Suitable sizing must be chosen for each component. Access to services will also need to be considered.
Form I have decided that a square pod will be my chosen solution to meet the needs of the brief. This is because it will perfectly house the spatial constraints the given dimensions require. Also, crafting curved or complex shapes can be costly. A simple square pod allows for straight line components, which should result in an easier build. It will also provide ease for future servicing. Damaged complex custom parts could be much harder to replace, if the company making these pods were to go out of business. Simple straight parts made from common building materials will allow the pod to be better serviced by other professionals or DIY labour.
Prefabrication Prefabricated parts would be an ideal solution for creating a living pod. Offsite construction will help reduce labour costs, material wastage, and reduce construction time on site. Where possible I intend for the pod to be as pre-fabricated offsite as possible.
Furnishings Due to building such a small space, traditional furnishings will be harder to incorporate. Instead, space saving furniture would be better employed to fully utilise the given area. While the space dictates smaller furniture be used in general, care must be taken that it is still adequately usable. Simply putting in smaller furniture might be suitable for a child or small person and help free up space, but thought will be given to make sure that the pieces can still be used by the average man or woman and are not merely shrunken versions of standard models. 14036120
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Design Base The footing on the underside of the pod has been designed to be multipurpose to allow the pod to be versatile in where it’s located. These feet can be partially buried in concrete, pinned in earth, left free standing or bolted to a hard flat surface, such as a roof. Only the four corner feet need bolting with the rest providing movement resistance through friction. While collectively each foot is heavy enough to serve as anchors, singularly they can be easily transported manually to the site from the delivery vehicle. Once delivered, they will be lined up correctly, fixed down accordingly and provide the starting point for the base construction.
From here, a timber frame base can be constructed onto the feet and their support beams. This frame will be braced together with bolts and galvanised steel plating and will be pre-cut off site. Depending on the site access points, this frame can arrive partially constructed or fully deconstructed.
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Design Flooring
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With the base in place the floor can be installed. This consists of four panels constructed off site. These will be placed down and pinned into place. The panel contains four materials. A water resistant/insect treated board, rigid insulation, an MDF board and a surface finish which can be chosen by the client beforehand. Sections where there need not be a surface finish have already been cut out, along with service gaps.
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Design Bathroom Pod and Kitchen Prefabricated bathroom pods can already be found on the market. One of these pods has been incorporated into the design to act as a pod within a pod. This can arrive fully constructed or in 4 component parts to be assembled quickly on site. A sliding pocket door has been incorporated to save space instead of having a standard door swing. Once the bathroom has been installed, the kitchen surface, containing the fridge, sink and storage can be added. This will sit on the MDF floor board and will only require plugging in and connecting the plumbing.
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Design Wall Panels The wall panels have been designed to be versatile, cost effective and simple. The concept relies on a basic panel construction that can then be adapted to meet the needs of the client. There are two sizes of panel. One designed for the corners and the second design for the middle sections of the pod, though both are the same in principle and only differ in length. The first being 1200 x 200 x 2300 and the second being 1000 x 200 x 2300. This has been designed for ease of build and to allow the client some customisation, colour, material and in where they place window and doors. Maintenance on these panels will also be easy. Instead of needing to deconstruct the entire wall, only a meter of the pod will need to be serviced. Panels that require window frames, vents or electrical sockets, can be easily altered off site, depending on what the client wants. The panels are bolted to each other and the base and top frame, with a rubber layer forming an airtight seal. To provide this access, the exterior surface will be attached once the panel has been correctly installed.
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Design Wall Panels
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Design Windows and doors With the walls in place, the windows and doors can then be fixed in. The frames have been designed with the same principles as the panels, so that they can be easily clamped into place. The client can specify to some degree before construction where the openings should be and their sizes, allowing the pod greater diversity for customisation. Consideration has been made so that the frames are not flush to the walls, and water can run off effectively.
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Design Ceiling and Roof Once the walls are in place, a timber wall plate and frame can be attached to the top of the panels. The top of the panels will then be secured to this plate locking them in position. Like the floor construction, four premade panels will be attached into position to form the ceiling with appropriate openings for lighting already cut. Prefabricated rafters would then be attached and a semi permeable felt lining rolled over the top to keep water out but allow the roof space breathability.
From this point, lightweight fiberglass roof panels and a fibre glass facia boards and gutter system can be added sealing the unit completely.
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Design Furnishings
With the structure finished, the internal space can be furnished accordingly. In this instance a space saving fold up bed and wardrobe combination has been designed, along with a folding desk to highlight some of the methods in which space can be saved. Here the bed can be folded into the wardrobe when not in use. This bed allows for 1900mm in length and 800mm in width which will be suitable for the majority of single occupants. It also provides over the required 450mm space around it for adequate movement so that the bathroom door or the entrance are not obscured. The work desk can also be folded up and be stored in the wardrobe when not needed.
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Design Power The pod will be electrically powered by plugging into the mains of the building it’s located on. Solar panels were considered for this design, but with an aim of reducing build costs and weight, they have been discounted. Electrical wiring will run through the walls and ceiling in service voids so that wires will not be left trailing around the pod.
Heating As the pod contains only two small spaces, a single electrical panel heater will be installed to warm the pod. An example of which shown below.
For cooling, the pod will be naturally ventilated by the windows and an air vent that will help create a comfortable living environment. The pods insulation will also serve to keep hot air in, and cool air out to regulate the temperature. For the sink and shower water heating, the pod can house a small portable electric boiler in a space underneath the kitchen sink with an example shown below.
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Design Drains and Plumbing As the Pod will be placed on a roof it will be plumbed in directly to the building to take in water and get rid of waste. Consideration to where it’s sited will need to be taken in order to be close to an available access point to the main plumbing system. A sceptic tank would be a potential option for it the pod was moved to a ground location, though this would add further complication if this solution was employed on a rooftop as it would need to be emptied.
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Design Finished Pod
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Design
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Technical Half section Below is an example of how the wall panels would connect to each other, and also to the roof and to the footing.
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Technical Price
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This pod should not be an expensive construction. A team of two can assemble the pod in a day cutting down on labour costs. All materials are easy to source, and the shapes being used are regular. No parts need to be cut on site, leaving little in the way of wastage. At the design can be altered to fit client needs and requirements, the pod can arguably scale in price depending on what materials the client may desire on their panels.
Weight This pod will not be a heavy build. Each part of the pod can be built up or broken down before being transported. If part of the pod were too heavy to carry, it could be broken down to smaller parts to be built up on site. To save time, having the components in larger sections would be more ideal but the options are there to be versatile to the surroundings and context.
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Reflective Conclusion To conclude, I believe this pod to have some positive attributes. I like how it can be customised to fit client needs and largely prepared off site. The panel system I have chosen provides this flexibility over a pod with a fixed form. The chosen design provides a practical and realistic solution for an affordable student living space on a roof of an existing building. However, I do feel my design has lacked adventure. Many of the pods I have looked at had an almost space age quality to them that my own pod does not. Whether or not those pods were truly practical to live in for a long term period is debatable however. I am satisfied that my design would be possible, affordable and practical.
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References Bosch water heater. Caravan Accessory shop. [Online]. Available at:https://www.caravanaccessoryshop.co.uk/product/bosch-w11-lpg-water-heater/4565 (Accessed: 1 February 2016) Panel heaters. Electric Heatig solutions.[Online]. Available at:http://www.electricheatingsolutions.co.uk/panel_heaters/ehs_gseries_sleek_elegant_ glass_fronted_panel_radiator__2kw_black_P405.html (Accessed: 1 February 2016) Paris renfroe design. M112 pod.[Online]. Available at: http://www.parisrenfroedesign.com/images/m112pod_1.jpg (Accessed: 23 January 2016) OBN. Living in a bubble.[Online]. Available at:http://theownerbuildernetwork.co/househunting/unusual-homes/living-in-a-bubble/(Accessed: 23 January 2016) Nau. Living Roof.[Online]. Available at:http://www.nau.coop/future-design/living-roof/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016) BPI. Tarplanes Showering Solutions. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bpindex.co.uk/supplier/6811/ (Accessed: 25 January 2016) Baden-Powell, C. (2011) Architects Pocket Book, 4th edition. New York, Routledge
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