NOMADIC ARCHITECTURE
Design-Build Independent Study Iowa State University Spring 2017 Nomadic Architecture 1
NOMADIC ARCHITECTURE
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” -E.F. Schumacker
TABLE of CONTENTS
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introduction | 06
precedents | 16
design | 38
the build | 64
travel | 106
the van | 128
1 2 3 4 5 6 Nomadic Architecture 5
Architecture studio is designed to explore the imaginative of travel they utilized in order to carry themselves and and innovative ways in which we as designers can shape their livelihood. Take a step into the 1960s and the the world around us. The context is often cities but can resurgence of the modern nomad was seen as a hippie be desolate and barren regions of the earth. Sometimes in a Volkswagen van carving their way across the U.S.A. the studio explores the theories of architecture, in search of adventure and lifestyle changes. Today the construction practices, or the sociological impacts new nomad can be a freelance photographer, a wildlife expert, architecture makes on a community. Although these are a designer, and even an architect. But what is the vehicle thought provoking exercises, they only go so far in the of travel for one who travels often? A van. The van serves three dimensional realm as a tangible project. It was for as a place to live, a vehicle for transport, and a place to this reason we decided to invest our time and money in work from. Through our study we have learned more a studio we found both relatable to current issues and about how to utilize a small space in unique ways that historical practices: Nomadic Architecture. Throughout transform a common van, in our case a 1989 Chevy Van, time humans have traveled in order to inhabit different into a traveling home and studio for work. We hope that regions of the earth and while this curious sense of you enjoy our adventure and it sparks the innovative and adventure fueled the journey the part that often restricted adventurous part of you to tackle something that no one them was the method
Introduction: The Team Iowa State University 6
else around you has.
Joey + Tyler + Milo Pup + Van
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The Van
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Initial research for this project took place in a few different forms. We made a large number of maps trying to figure out where most of the U.S. population is located, and how that corrolated to rent price, starting salaries of architects, etc. What we found was not that surprising as far as density and wages goes. What was surprising to us, however, was the amount of money that people spend on rent yearly. A quite large chunk of your annual salary goes to having a roof over your head, while you almost certainly don’t use every room of your house on the daily. What we are wanting to propose is a cheaper, more ecofriendly solution to housing in contemporary america.
Initial Research Iowa State University 10
Population Density By Major Cities
Cost of Living v.s. Compensation Nomadic Architecture 11
artnet.com/magazine_pre2000/features/abercrombie/abercrombie4-14-99.asp#4
Free Time Node: Trailer Cage Iowa State University 12
In 1961 six architects came together to push the norms long as necessary without taking a lot of space. Trailer of what architecture was viewed as to form what is Cage utilized the idea of plug and play architecture only known as Archigram. The pursuit of looking into different with the use of already transportable homes such as the habitable architecture was the aim of Archigram but this iconic Airstream or Winnebago. We drew inspiration was not by any tangible means. The purpose of Archigram from this concept in the way that modern vandwellers was to create provocative thoughts and concepts for the could utilize existing parking lots equipped with electrical architectural world that although they remained unbuilt, outlets as means for coming together and living while on influenced designers of the time to break the norms of the go. The concept of plug and play can be transformed what could and couldn’t be done by classical standards. today into the concept of living “off the grid” through The idea of Trailer Cage was a living arrangement suitable means of solar energy and energy driven from the use for people who only worked a couple of days a week or a of the vehicle. It is through the adventurous spirit and week at a time in differing locations. The key concept was technological innovations dreamt of in this simple image the ability to pull your home into these “subdivisions” of that we pursue the concepts of nomadic architecture in sorts wherever you landed in your travels and stay for as
the form of a lifestyle and work method.
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1
2
3
4
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The word nomad can be defined: A member of a people in a mobile dwelling, the architecture itself becomes who have no fixed residence but move from place to place nomadic, with ever changing context and purpose. By usually seasonally and within a well-defined territory, or using a conversion van as the shell of the design, we will as a person who does not stay long in the same place; design for the mobile architecture by following the strict a wanderer. As technology continues to make the world size constraints set forth by the van itself, in order to a much smaller place, it allows people to work remotely. produce a functional design that meets all programmatic Where remotely means, is up to the employee. Thus, requirements.
This studio will seek to explore the
the age of the digital nomad emerges. As rent prices possibilities of Nomadic Architecture, dealing with issues continue to increase, we see a rise of interest in tiny and of ergonomics, designing for small spaces, material use, minimalistic living. Many people are looking to break free design to full scale construction, construction systems, from the monotonous everyday life, and live a life of self and designing for an ever changing context. This project reliance and simplicity. The era of digital nomads allows will include an initial design phase, followed by the full people to travel and work, fulfilling the urge to travel scale construction. An independent field trip will occur and experience new things, while also living a minimal following the construction, to document and evaluate the lifestyle, and conserving money by breaking free of a livability and functionality of the proposed design. traditional dwelling. With many people choosing to live
Living Life Small
Precedents Iowa State University 16
globalnomadic.com/adventures-road-tripping-across-the-balkans/
the digital nomad
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Nomadic research Labs
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Nomadic Research Labs by Steve Roberts Since 1983 Steve Roberts has explored the concept of a digital nomad, or more importantly someone that uses their vehicle of travel as the same tool to pursue their work and live with. It started with the Winnebiko and over time has elevated to boats that house not only Steve’s work but his home as he travels. We have drawn inspiration from Steve Roberts in the way that he looked at nomadic living as an extension of both research and work. His use of solar power and level of simplicity in design has extended into our design of the van.
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microship.com
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Hank Bought a Bus
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Hank Bought a Bus by Hank Buttita Many inspirations can be drawn from Hank Bought a Bus but the most important of these are the transformative spaces created in the project. While the bus itself affords the creator with a large footprint to transform, he did not allow the space to hinder from multifunctional areas. Through the seating area transforming into a dining area we have drawn inspiration to include transformative design in our van. This can be seen in the seating area which transforms into both a dining area and a sleeping space.
hankboughtabus.com
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The Vanual
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The Vanual The Vanual is one of the priority precedents in terms of aesthetic and craft. With an emphasis on a clean and modern look, the transformation of this van is one of the best documented in terms of craft and quality. The vehicle was used as a method of transportation, innovation, and work which is how we view our van. The Vanual has inspired us to create a space that can be used to work in without sacrificing beauty both in the craft and in the
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experience during travel and adventure. The unique ways in which the workspace can transform into the kitchen or the dining area is something we value. We have taken much inspiration from the use of the vented fan that is designed into the ceiling of the van. Along with this use of natural ventilation we used wood to clad the ceiling and walls of our van to give both texture and a natural aesthetic to the built environment. We hope to incorporate natural lighting in the way this project does when the windows are open by not covering our windows and allowing certain parts of the outside in.
thevanual.com
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High Topper
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The White High Top This van shows us the methods in which you can dissect space and delineate where certain things take place in the van. We have drawn inspiration from the separation of a back bed with storage underneath as a place to relax. This van utilizes a workstation that while more permanent, reflects the mobile desks we have adapted in our van. The key points of inspiration come from the lighting and organizational methods used.
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Our van uses a solar panel power system similar to this setup and this allows for a truly “off the grid� experience for those utilizing the vehicle. It allows for travel and resting without the worry of where to plug in the vehicle. While this van does not have side windows other than that fixed on the doors, it utilizes as much natural light as possible which is important in creating a comfortable space in which to live and travel. Furthermore, the open atmosphere created is vastly important to comfort and by utilizing storage on the doors and under the bed allows for a free space for the eyes to travel from front to back.
http://imgur.com/gallery/rqNm3/new
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Chevy Astro
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The Lifted Astro While the astro van is not designed for both travel and working in, the design utilizes a multitude of transformative design. This in part comes from the fact that an astro van is smaller in scale than a high top, which we can relate to with the G20 model of the Chevy Van as our base. The use of drawers that transform into counter space, a seating area that transforms into a bed, and a cooking area that can be used both inside or outside
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of the vehicle while attached to the door have given light to unique ways we can utilize movement of materials. In particular the door mounted storage of a kitchenette has driven our concept of a non fixed counter and kitchen space. This method works to create an area in which you can cook and prepare food that simply folds away when you are finished without taking up key sections of your living area. The lights built into the sidewalls provide ample lighting at night while the key use of natural light during the daytime is possible through the unobstructed windows.
http://imgur.com/gallery/DhKEA
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Design Iowa State University 38
Following our initial research stage of the project, the As our design progressed, we started to realize that we iterative process of designing the van came through a had issues in regard to total weight, and designing with series of massing models built to scale. Both Joey and respect to the van itself. A mobile home should be as Tyler were 3-D printed to scale, to help visualize the light as possible, which made us question what materials amount of space that they would actually take up on the we would use in order to be as efficient as possible. The interior. After the initial massing models, our favorite van also has a large amount of windows, that most vans iterations were then transformed into digital models to do not. This posed a problem in the way that we could enable us to better understand the construction process, arrange interior elements; the goal was to not disturb the materials proposals, and budget calculation.
existing conditions of the van.
Respecting the Van
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The original van’s interior was clad in cloth covered wall panels, and shag carpet on the floor. Windows were covered with blinds if privacy was needed. The rear of the van consisted of one large bench seat. The other seats that would normally be in the rear of a van were removed, as the van was previously used as a wheelchair van. The the rear cargo area was a large shelf unit, holding a built in cooler, and storage underneath.
The original bench seat was able to fold down into an approximate ‘full’ bed. It operated like a normal futon, but was considerably uncomfortable. Additionally, the way that the elements were arranged in the van led to a poor use of square footage, and the rear cargo area was quite unfunctional.
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Iterations
Initial design iterations were built through a series of 1�=1’ scale models of the van. We began working through a number of layouts to determine the best response to respecting the constraints set forth by the van itself. Iowa State University 42
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The empty van model. Here you can
In this iteration a bunk bed unit is
see the dropped floor that occurs
built towards the cab of the van,
near the cab of the van.
with a fixed kitchenette towards the rear, and fixed storage cabinet on the right wall.
A bunk bed unit occurs to the rear
A fixed bunk bed unit towards the
of the van, with a fixed kitchenette
cab, with only the fixed kitchenette
towards the cab.
towards the rear.
This iteration is composed of the
A fixed bunk bed unit towards the
bunk bed unit towards the cab, with
rear, with fixed storage adjacent,
the fixed kitchenette towards the
only available from outside via the
rear. Fixed storage is built on the
rear doors.
right side of the van’s wall. A fixed bunk bed unit towards the
A fixed bunk bed unit towards the
rear, with fixed storage on the right
rear, with fixed storage adjacent,
wall. No kitchenette unit.
only available from outside via the rear doors. Additional fixed storage towards the cab.
A fixed bed appears in the rear of the
A fixed bunk bed unit towards
bed, with an ‘L-Shaped’ seating area
the rear, with a fixed kitchenette
towards the front, still allowing entry
towards the cab. Fixed storage is on
through the side doors.
the right wall near the rear.
This ‘L-Shaped’ seating area slides
A fixed kitchenette towards the rear,
out, creating a larger second bed.
with an ‘L-Shaped’ seating area cutting off the space from the cab.
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This would have the potential to
A fixed bed towards the rear, with an
create a much larger second bed, all
‘L-Shaped’ seating area cutting off
from the ‘L-Shaped seating.’
the space from the cab.
A fixed bed towards the rear, with
In this iteration, there is a larger, fixed
‘L-Shaped’ seating towards the cab.
bed in the rear, with a table hidden
Fixed storage may be possible
within it. Additionally, ‘L-Shpaed’ seating is located towards the cab of the van.
A fixed bed towards the rear, with
The table from the fixed bed in the
‘L-Shaped’ seating towards the cab.
rear can be taken up, and the legs for
In this iteration, a table is hidden
it are stored beneath.
within the ‘L-Shaped’ seating.
The table is taken from the center of
The table is set up, and then can be
the ‘L-Shaped’ seating.
used as a large kitchen table, or large desk space.
Legs for the table are stored
Additional fixed storage options may
elsewhere, beneath the rest of the
be available towards the cab of the
bench seating, and attached to the
van.
table top.
The table can then be set up and used
A large fixed bed is loacated towards
as a desk top, or kitchen table.
the rear, dominating most of the floor space. Fixed kitchenette towards the cab.
The table is taken from the center of
A large fixed bed is loacated towards
the ‘L-Shaped’ seating.
the rear, dominating most of the floor space. Fixed kitchenette and stoarage towards the cab.
located
A large fixed bed is loacated towards
towards the cab of the vehicle, with
the rear, dominating most of the
a fixed kitchenette located towards
floor space. A long fixed kitchenette
the rear of the van.
towards the cab.
‘L-Shaped’
seating
is
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Early Material Palette Ideas
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Early Solar Ideas
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Iteration One Iowa State University 48
seating
bed
In this seating mode, you can see a large L-shaped bench seating along the lower portion of the floor plan. This L-shaped seating sits below the windows of the van, while still at a good height off the ground for a regular seated position of the body. While in bench mode, the windows are partially covered on the bottom by back rest cushions. Beneath the bench seating is storage for clothes, food, etc. Towards the back of the van, you can see a fixed bed. This bed has a large amount of storage underneath that can be accessed from the back doors, or from inside via a hinged access door that will be beneath the mattress.
‘Seating Mode’
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seating
bed
table
A portion of the bench seat transforms into a desk that we can utilize for working, or eating. The cushion on the bench seat would come off, showing the removable desk top beneath. The legs for the desk would either be stored underneath the bench, or fold out from the desk itself.
‘Desk Mode’
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bed
bed
In the ‘Bed Mode’ the bench seat of the van slides out to form a second larger bed. The back rest cushions of the bench seat would be used on the slide out to form the rest of the mattress. After much consideration for a fixed kitchenette inside of the van, we opted to design a portable kitchen. This portable kitchen will be stored either under the fixed bed, or within the open floor space. The portable kitchen will allow us to use it indoors, or outside if desired.
‘Bed Mode’
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Iteration Two Iowa State University 52
seating
table
Simalar to iteration one, iteration two uses an ‘L-Shaped’ seating area as well, however this iteration situates it directly behind the driver and passenger seats. In the rear of the van, a two bench seating with a larger desk is utilized as a working or eating area. The ‘L-Shaped’ seating becomes the large lounging space.
‘Desk Mode’
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seating
bed
The large desk from the ‘desk mode’ drops straight down to form the foundation of a large bed in the back. In this situation, someone can lay down in the bed, while still leaving the ‘L-Shaped’ seating area available for use.
‘Seating/Bed Mode’
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bed
Similar to the bench seating in iteration one, the ‘L-Shaped’ seating slides out to form sleeping space for another person.
‘Bed Mode’
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Framing Plans Iowa State University 56
Simalar to iteration one, iteration two uses an ‘L-Shaped’ seating area as well, however this iteration situates it directly behind the driver and passenger seats. In the rear of the van, a two bench seating with a larger desk is utilized as a working or eating area. The ‘L-Shaped’ seating becomes the large lounging space.
‘Seating Mode’
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The large desk from the ‘desk mode’ drops straight down to form the foundation of a large bed in the back. In this situation, someone can lay down in the bed, while still leaving the ‘L-Shaped’ seating area available for use.
‘Desk Mode’
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Similar to the bench seating in iteration one, the ‘L-Shaped’ seating slides out to form sleeping space for another person.
‘Bed Mode’
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Left wall interior elevation
The wall elevations were a tool pre-build that allowed us to measure out the amount of tongue and groove needed to complete the cladding.
Wall Elevations
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Right wall interior elevation
Back doors interior elevation
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Portable Kitchen
After much consideration, we decided to design a portable kitchen unit to use in place of a fixed kitchenette within the van itself. This allows us to use this kitchen indoors or outdoors as we see fit.
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Dem·o·li·tion + Re·vi·tal·i·za·tion Iowa State University 64
The first step of the rebuild of the van included the complete gutting of the interior. This was a long process that included multiple repairs that needed to be done to the interior of the van before we could start rebuilding. All interior elements such as furniture, wall paneling, ceiling paneling, carpet, subfloor, wiring, etc. were removed before repair. After everything was gutted, countless holes through the floor were patched and repaired using JB Weld, a simple reinforcing epoxy. Additionally, spots that had been ground down to bare metal were then primed to prevent future rust.
Respecting the Van
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First Steps
The first steps in the deconstruction phase of this project was to get all of the major elements of the van out. This included the shelving/cooler in the rear, and the bench seat. Following the major elements, the finishing materials of the interior were also removed. Iowa State University 66
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After removing the window trim, we saw that the van was actually insulated beneath the wall panels. The carpet removed also revealed the bare floor of the van. After removing a few screws from the wall panels and trim, we were able to remove them completely to uncover a very messy fiberglass insulation job, and messy wiring.
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re·vi·tal·i·za·tion
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A wire brush wheel attachment for a grinder was used to remove the remaining carpet remnants and adhesive from the floor. Then, a grinding wheel was used to grind down some spots where there was surface rust. Once down to the bare floor, repairs were needed before we could continue with the build of the project. There were a large amount of holes to be patched in the floor. Instead of welding, we opted to use JB Weld, a two part epoxy. This worked very well on small holes, but not very good on larger holes. After patching the holes, we used a primer to seal the bare metal spots.
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1x2 Wood Framing
Existing Van Floor
3/4” Rigid Insulation
1/8” Subfloor
1/16” Protective Flooring
Floor Framing + Insulation
The original van had no insulation on the floor. It was important to frame out a floor, and insulate it with extruded polystyrene. Iowa State University 74
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The first step of the installation process was to layout our 1x2 framing on After removing countless screws from the original van’s floor and repairing all the floor of the van itself. This was a particularly interesting and challenging of the penetrations, we opted to use adhesive to attach the floor framing to problem. Because the van had the floor lowered at some point, (it was done the metal floor of the van. Liquid nails were used to attach the 1x2 members very poorly) it was difficult to get everything square and finished out perfectly. to the metal, and then weight was placed upon the members while it dried.
After many hours of drying, we were finally able to move some of the weights We decided to start the rigid foam insulation while some of the drying was over to new members. At this point, we were running out of things to do, so we done. The 1x2 framing has a thickness of 3/4�, and we were lucky to find found some broken cinderblocks to use as makeshift weights, in an attempt some rigid insulation with the same thickness. This allowed for extremely glue more framing members at one time.
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quick installation.
This was the longest process of the build by far because of how long it took The framing for the lower section was considerably more easy to do. This for the glue to dry. We had only a certain amount of weights available to us, is because the lower floor of the van is flat steel, rather than the original so we could only work so fast. This is something that we did not think about corrugated steel like the upper level. On the upper level, we had to place when we were originally planning out the schedule for this project. While the the framing members on the ‘high’ part of the corrugation, which limited glue was drying, we continued to cut and dry fit framing members for the our options on placement. On the lower level, we could place the members anywhere, as there is no corrugation.
The installation process of the floor framing and rigid foam insulation was The upper level of the floor entirely insulated. It took awhile to cut to size occuring during February, in Iowa. The weather was pretty hit or miss, some of the smaller pieces that needed a lot more specific measurements. and we ended up running into some pretty cold temperatures during the Additionally, we needed to level a lot of the framing and insulation towards gluing process. The Liquid Nails glue needs to be applied during a certain the edges near the walls. It was hard to level the framing, as the van doesn’t temperature, so we had to heat the interior of the space to allow for proper sit level, and we were often parked on unlevel surfaces as well. Seeing the curing of the glue. You can see our little space heater in the photo below.
insulation completed on the upper level was highly satisfying.
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With the upper floor done, we were left to waiting on the lower levels framing All of the floor insulation completed! The lower level was much easier to finish, members to dry, which took leaving it in the heat of the space heater for a as there were no small pieces to fit in. Next step: Ceiling insulation. few hours. In the meantime, we measured out the pieces and cut the rigid insulation to be installed after drying.
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Following the completion of the floor insulation, we also decided to move For some unknown reason, the spacing between each structural rib of the forward with the ceiling insulation. The depth of the structural roof ribs were ceiling was a different width. We aren’t entirely sure if that has to do with also conveniently 3/4”, allowing the rigid insulation to fit perfectly between where the side doors or windows or located, or if it is something entirely ribs, and allow a ceiling application to be put over top with ease.
different.
Corunt omniscimolo blaut moluptasped que velenessecto consed quatiaeratem Great Stuff expanding foam insulation was used to fill all of the little nooks and quas et voluptatest eatior sit, commod que ventibus.
crannies that we were unable to get to easily with the rigid foam insulation.
Sa nectem as nem eat invelectotas moloruptae natus nonsectem fugia que This stuff works great, but is pretty messy. Because of how much it expands, perias excepe rati ommolecte net mos doluptatur? Quiae. Ab idus ea cusam it requires you to trim all of the excess off after it cures. While it is messy, fuga. Ferfero offictur?
it’s a lifesaver.
Ratur sinverunt, volorru mquias aut volores tionsequatem num ent porersperum quia si sed estem nulpa si veres es aut quiatendit
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After much consideration to insulation types for the walls, we decided to This was probably the messiest part of the build. The vans walls are curved, go with Mineral Wool Batt insulation. Spray foam was extremely out of our and become thinner towards the top. Because of the density of the mineral price range for a similar R-Value. The Mineral Wool insulation comes in at an wool insulation, we couldn’t simply compress the batts towards the top, but R-Value of approximately 15.
had to shave the depth of the batts down the higher up the wall we went.
Conduit was run within the insulation so that wires could be run in the walls easily after installing all of the insulation. This ended up being extremely helpful, when we decided we needed to run some extra wiring. Iowa State University 80
Proper safety had to be taken to avoid health issues when installing the mineral Since the batts needed to be shaved down in depth to accomodate the walls, wool insulation. This included long sleeve shirts, pants, boots, and of course it created a huge mess during installation. The stuff sticks to your clothes, dust masks. When installing it, the fibers get into the air which can give you and leaves you leaving itchy even after a good shower. While a spray foam serious lung irritation if not wearing a dust mask. Additionally, opening up all insulation would have been cleaner, the price couldn’ t be justified for our of the doors helps a lot for dust mitigation.
budget.
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Vent Fan Dome
Interior Trim
Exterior Vent Fan Flashing
Existing Structural Rib
1/8� Melamine Ceilng
3/4� Rigid Insulation
Existing Van Roof
Vent Fan Installation
In such a small living space, ventilation is important, not only for health reasons, but moisture control. Iowa State University 82
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The first step in the installation was to measure out the location of the hole. After the location of the hole was drawn out on the van, we drilled four pilot This ribs on the roof of the van have a convenient break in them, which we took holes in each corner of the square. This hole allowed us to get the jigsaw blade advantage of, as you can see above. We didn’t want to install the fan on the through the roof, and to begin cutting. It also helps make the 90 degree cut ribs directly, as it would have been difficult to seal.
at the corners.
Another difficult part of this process was cutting the hole while standing on the roof. The roof is only supported at a few places where there is reinforcement, so you have to be careful where you are stepping. Iowa State University 84
Progress of the cut. The 90 degree corners are the hardest part of the cut. Seeing through the roof into the van was scary. This step is pretty much Luckily, the hole does not need to be perfect, and can even be oversized.
irreversible, and we were crossing our fingers hoping that we measured everything correctly, and that it was centered. Even though we double checked everything about 10 times.
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Installation In order to ensure a good seal, we used a compressible putty tape between the vent flange and metal roof. Screwing the fan into place compresses the putty, creating a seal around the perimeter. After completing this step, a self leveling outdoor sealant is used to cover screw heads, as well as around the perimeter.
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Existing Van Window Window Trim
Existing Van Wall
Mineral Wool Insulation
1/4� Tongue & Groove Pine
Existing Structural Rib
The Walls Following the insulation of the walls, the interior paneling was installed using a 1/4� tongue and groove knotty pine wood. Iowa State University 88
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After much research on different potential wall claddings, we finally decided to use a tongue and groove knotty pine. Tongue and groove board allows for a much easier installation than a full sheet of material, especially around the windows of the van, and around the wheel wells. Most of the material that we could find for a tongue and groove application was around 3/4” thick, much too heavy and thick for what we needed. We considered taking the 3/4” material and using a planar to reduce the thickness, but decided against this; it would be too much of a waste of material. We were lucky to finally find a tongue and groove material locally, at only 1/4” thick. This was the perfect thickness, as it is flexible, and extremely lightweight.
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Cork Hardwood Flooring
Outside Corner Moulding
Toe Kick Trim
Quarter Round Trim
1x2 Vertical Framing
1x2 Floor Framing
3/4� Rigid Insulation
1/8� Protective Flooring
Existing Van Floor
Flooring
To acheive a level and well finished floor, a subfloor was first laid down, to fix any imperfections that came during the framing/insulation stage of the build. Our finish floors were then installed on top. Iowa State University 92
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Some of the original wall panels that we tore out of the van originally were salvaged for use as the subfloor in the van. The wall panels were made out of 1/8” plywood, so it worked well as a thin subfloor before the flooring was laid. In the front section of the van, we opted to use a cork flooring. The cork flooring is a simple tongue and groove installation method, which made it easy and quick to install. The cork flooring does well to resist moisture, and scratches/dents. It has a warm aesthetic, and should hold up well in the high traffic area. In the rear section, we used a ‘protective wall paneling’ as our flooring. It is about 1/16” thick, and is used on the walls in hospitals, commercial bathrooms, etc. This will work well as a flooring for the storage area, because it can take a beating. We understand that the storage area will get a lot of use, and will get dirty and scratched up. This material resists scratching, and is easy to clean. It is also relatively slick, allowing for easier storage. Iowa State University 94
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Existing Van Ceiling
Recessed LED Light
3/4� Rigid Insulation
1/8� Melamine Ceiling
Ceiling + Lighting
To follow our ideal of clean aesthetic, white melamine panel board was installed as a light contrast to the wood paneling and cork flooring. Recessed LED lighting was installed to provide a sense of repetition within the space. Iowa State University 96
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Before the ceiling could be installed, we had to ensure that all wiring required to power the lights, and the ceiling fan were in place and working. The lights were measured out, and the insulation was cut to accomodate the depth of the recessed lights. All of the lighting was wired in parrallel. Neither of us was very familiar with electricity or wiring, so this is something that took a bit of research and practice to make sure that we were doing everything correctly. To complete the wiring, we used crimped butt connections, and shrink wrap tubing. Before installing the ceiling, we wired up all of the lights and the ceiling fan, and made sure everything was working before we covered up the wiring.
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Furniture Framing Following all of the major elements of the build, framing was installed with priority given to 1 5/8� ultrasteel stud to compose the furniture elements with the least amount of weight. Iowa State University 100
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Working the ultrasteel studs proved surprisingly easy for both of us, who had only worked with wood before. The 20 gauge metal was easy to cut to length with a snips only, and easy to assemble with self tapping screws. Of course, we have lateral stability problems without any assistance from bracing or cladding right away. Most of the assembly of the ultrasteel studs was completed inside, and then installed in the van afterwards. Using the ultrasteel studs as a vertical member allowed us to take advantage of the inherent strength of the material when arranged like this. Wood 2x2 members were then used as the horizontal spanning members for the ‘fixed bed’, as the ultrasteel doesn’t have the strength to span horizontally effectively.
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The construction of the extending bench/bed was the portion of the framing that took us the longest amount of time. The top ‘extension slatting’ was constructed using 1x4 lumber, with 1x2 ‘anchors’ that hold the slatting together, and allow for the slatting to only extend so far. In our original design, we wanted the bench seat to have a hinged top so that we could have storage accessed from above. We opted to go against this design, because of the annoyance of having to lift up the mattress whenever access to storage was needed.
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3,896 miles
Travel
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While the build of the van was not fully completed by After some research on the weather, the Pacific North the time that our spring break had arrived, we thought it West was getting hit hard with a large amount of snow and necessary to take the van on a trip to evaluate the design winter storms, so we opted to change our route in order to thus far, and to find what things we really needed to accommodate safe travel and safe living conditions inside actually live in it. The major elements had been framed of the van. This was our first lesson on Nomadic Living; out, so we essentially had the large fixed bed in the rear, there does not have to be a clear destination in mind if you and the bench/bed combo built. This would provide us don’t want there to be. both a place to sleep, and a place to sit and relax inside After changing our route, our travels included going to the the van itself.
South West, primarily hitting the states of Colorado, Utah,
The original plan for our trip was to travel to Denver, and Arizona, and New Mexico. Our main goals were to reach then head to the Pacific North West, hitting National Colorado Springs, Zion National Park, The Grand Canyon, Parks like Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons along the and Phoenix. way, before finally coming to the Seattle/Portland area.
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Places Visited Iowa
1. Ames, Iowa
2. Colorado Springs
Colorado
13. Carl Hayden Visitors Center at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (in both Utah and Arizona) 14. Kaibab National Forest 15. Grand Canyon National Park
3. Garden of the Gods 4. San Isabel National Forest 5. Bishop’s Castle 6. Great Sand Dunes National Park 7. Rio Grande National Forest 8. Mesa Verde National Park
Utah
9. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 10. Zion National Park 11. Dixie National Forest 12. Bryce Canyon National Park
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Arizona
16. Coconino National Forest 17. Phoenix, AZ 18. Prescott National Forest 19. Tonto National Forest 20. Sitgreaves National Forest 21. Petrified Forest National Park
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Our first few days of the trip were spent in Colorado. We spent our time hiking, and sight seeing. Bishops Castle was our last stop before embarking on our trip south west. This castle was built by hand by Jim Bishop, a man who has no educational backround in Architecture or Engineering. It was quite impressive to see everything that he has built over the years, considering every stone was placed by his hand. Walking around and into the castle was somewhat frightening, considering our backround in Architecture. We only made it into the main portion of the castle, before we turned around and walked back out. We didn’t trust some of the structure, and the supports that he had in place. Seeing some of the people at the top of the tower had us worried about their safety.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
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Our first National Park stop was the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. It was an incredible experience. Driving along the highway approaching the park, you cannot directly see the Sand Dunes at first. They blend in to the mountain range that surrounds them. When you get closer, they seem to appear out of nowhere. It was quite an eerie feeling to see the Dunes, with snow capped mountains in the backround. They seemed out of place; an alien in the native surroundings of Colorado.
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Views from Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
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Zion National Park, Utah
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Zion National Park was an unbelievable experience. Neither of us had any idea of the beauty that is in the park. You start to feel small, especially when you really get into the park, and start to see how big it really is. I think this was easily our favorite park, and favorite part of the trip. We stayed outside of the park for three nights total, exploring the park and areas around it.
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Leaving Zion
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Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park was a short drive from Zion, and we were able to make it into a day trip, before heading to the Grand Canyon. Bryce Canyon was vast, and composed of spire like formations. We decided to drive through the entire park, which led us to Rainbow Point, the highest elevation that we had been so far on the trip. The top of the canyon was still topped with snow, and made for a much colder enviornment than we had just been in, with Zion being around 70+ degrees daily.
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Grand Canyon National Park The Grand Canyon was an incredible experience. After seeing Bryce Canyon, we had a good idea of the size that the Grand Canyon might be, but we were still completely blown away. It is hard to comprehend how big it really is, even after they give you the exact specifics. The day we arrived here it was extremely busy. There were people everywhere, and congested vehicular traffic, making it difficult for us to really experience everything that we wanted to. We didn’t stay for that long in the park itself, mainly because we weren’t big fans of the crowds. We camped a ways south of the Grand Canyon that night.
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Petrified Forest National Park Petrified Forest National Park was a stop that we made on our long journey from Phoenix back to Ames. It was conveniently on our way, and made for a nice break during our drive. This park was quite large, and we didn’t have time to make it all of the way through. What we did see, though, was quite amazing. In it are Puebloan ruins, and ancient petroglyphs. Much of the formations reminded us of the Badlands, although of different colors of course. The petrified wood ‘forests’ were also quite beautiful.
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The Van Iowa State University 128
After our return from Spring Break we were able to finish out the rest of the build. We needed to basically put the finishing touches on the van. This meant covering up all of the metal stud, applying trim, painting the interior of the doors, and constructing door panels. The interior of the doors were painted white in an effort to brighten up the space. If you recall, they were previously a dark gray, which really made the space feel much smaller inside. A splash of color was added to the interior by making all trim pieces a rustic red color.
The Finishing Touches
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Live | Work
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After the interior of the doors were painted white, the interior space was bright and airy, much better than before. With the finishing touches in place, the van becomes much more usable than it was when we took it on Spring Break. The addition of a multi use table makes everyday life much easier.
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FINAL THOUGHTS Iowa State University 134
Throughout our studies this far in the semester, it has become increasingly clear that the way we are living is not a sustainable practice. If we continue to live in a way that uses too much, we will soon reach a point of no return; we will quite literally cause the destruction of our planet, our home. So we must ask ourselves: “What can we do to change this?�. There are a million right answers to this problem, but the first step is to accept a responsibility to this issue. And so, we ask: Could this idea of living small actually be a viable option for people. Could having less, and using less be the first step of a cultural shift into the idea of sustainable practices?
Architecture Tyler Wurr Joseph Bahnsen Professor Shelby Doyle | AIA Nomadic Architecture 135
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