The UT New Norris House

College of Architecture & Design

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

NEW NORRIS HOUSE 01

Overview A New Norris House, an award-winning model for efficient and sustainable living, reflects the collaboration of students and faculty from design, planning, environmental studies and engineering programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It is inspired by the Town of Norris, a progressive New Deal Era village and one of the nation’s first planned communities.

Heralding the enterprising legacy of Norris, the innovative house and landscape incorporate green materials, water- and energy-conscious design strategies, and prefabricated construction methods. These earned it the LEED for Homes Platinum Certification, the highest standard buildings can earn from the U.S. Green Building Council.

PROCESS

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Design

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Demonstrating how modern,

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sustainable architecture can be

Jan

sensitively integrated into a historic

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town like Norris, the team confronted

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challenges and legal, social and aesthetic issues presently limiting

INTEGRATED DESIGN

the widespread adoption of green design and construction.

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May Jun

The New Norris House acknowledges the

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tradition and innovation in design of the original

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Norris cottages. The team partnered with

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Clayton Homes, the nation’s leading producer

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of manufactured and modular homes, to

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prefabricated modules that were transported and installed on a residential street in Norris.

The result is a house that is fully adapted into its community and representative of forwardthinking, contemporary design.

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Dec

natural ve

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Apr

Build

design and assemble the 1008 ft 2 home in two

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Temperature (ďƒťF)

and resolved the technological

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comfort z

70 60 50

full passive solar heating

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partial passive solar heat 20 10

Evaluate

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Over 50 sensors record data on energy, water use and environmental performance, and treated water quality. Preliminary analysis indicates a 56% reduction in average energy consumption. The house also uses 60% less potable water than the average home and landscape in the Southeastern United States.

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Architecture The team pursued an integrated, holistic approach to design, which mirrored and drew upon Clayton Homes’ vertically integrated design and production team, and the multidisciplinary 1930’s model of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Students learned to organize, delegate and communicate effectively across disciplines and to leverage ideas, expertise, time and money to make the house a reality.

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Interior Design Constrained by the adoption of the original Norris cottage size and form, the design of the interior exhibits reduced square footage without compromising spaciousness and livability. Natural materials, textures, color, and handcrafted details contribute to an inviting space that meets contemporary living needs.

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Landscape Design Landscape design students incorporated sustainable site design strategies to create a multi-functional, productive landscape that enriches the lives of both the homeowners and Norris community members. The landscape creates a place for human enjoyment while providing a milieu for ecological processes such as rainwater infiltration, soil regeneration, and habitat production.

INTEGRATED DESIGN TEAM

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Community Access The Town of Norris is centered on a common green with commercial, educational, and spiritual amenities within walking distance of its clustered homes.

The historic plan supports lifestyles that emphasize walking and cycling. The house is within a half mile of schools, a grocery store, a library, a café, a post office,

LEED PLATINUM

and a bank. The site design reconstitutes a stone path linking the home to the original network of town paths, communal spaces and a forest preserve.

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Water Catchment

Overview

The primary cistern uses UV and carbon filtration to treat rainwater collected

A New Norris House is the 10th LEED-

from the roof. At capacity, this cistern overflows to a second cistern for garden

Platinum project in the State of Tennessee,

irrigation and bio-retention beds. If similar strategies were applied throughout

and the first LEED-platinum project for UT

the town, the municipality could reduce its consumption of potable water by 25

Knoxville and the College of Architecture

million gallons per year—an amount equivalent to 34 Olympic pools.

and Design. Its efficiency is evident in the building, site, water, energy, atmosphere and materials use. Its connection to the local

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Energy The building envelope is tight, well insulated and capable of passively resisting most external temperature fluctuations. Its high ceilings and concealed loft shutter promote stack ventilation and further extend the house’s comfort zone. A solar hotwater panel produces the majority of the home’s hot water. A thermostaticallycontrolled, tankless hot water heater boosts temperatures when necessary.

environment and community is accompanied by the technical achievements seen in its rainwater collection and treatment system, extensive planned landscape, efficient heating and cooling systems, and abundance of environmentally friendly materials.

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01 Framing Sustainable Forest Initiative Certified Regional: Greenville, NC (461 miles)

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MATERIALS

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Foundation

Roofing

General Shale Concrete Masonry

Englert standing seam metal roof

CEMEX Masonry Cement

Made of 99% recycled material

Regional: Knoxville, TN (30 miles)

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Siding

Gypsum (Interior Walls & Ceilings)

Atlantic White Cedar

90% recycled content

Regional: Roanoke, VA (237 miles)

Regional: Bridgeport, AL (163 miles)

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Left

Paints and Coatings

Flooring

KILZ 2 Low VOC Latex Primer

Reclaimed White Oak

SHW PROMAR速 200 Zero VOC Interior

Regional: Stanford, KY (127 miles)

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EXTERIOR

Sustainability is addressed throughout the exterior. The house features a ventilated rainscreen facade that prevents decay caused by trapped moisture. Its airspace, combined with external and internal insulation, reduces heat transfer. The house’s natural, durable materials, which will improve with time and weathering, fit within the historic context of Norris.

The design of the house’s shell is adapted to the manufacturing process of Clayton Homes.

Offsite shell construction and panelized, prefabricated modular units show a 70% diversion of construction waste. Advanced framing techniques demonstrate a 17.5% reduction in lumber, increased insulation, and decreased thermal bridging.

UT students produced the decks, canopies, windows and doors offsite, and installed the siding and landscape elements onsite. The construction became a community project that utilized the talents and resources of

Section Through Kitchen, Loft

the university, professional community,

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and neighborhood.

Bedroom

02 Kitchen 03 Loft 04 Ventilation Shutter 05 Solar Hot Water Panels 06 Mech/Waste

The house was designed as an extension of public activity, while providing a retreat from the compact urbanism of Norris.

The shared entertainment areas, such as the living room, kitchen and office space, are equipped with large windows that offer views of the neighborhood and open to a semiprivate rear deck. The bedroom, bathroom, and loft are located directly off of these public spaces.

High rafters and a continuous, double-ridge beam were designed to eliminate collar ties and to create a roomy, vaulted interior. Built-in cabinetry in the kitchen, swing space, and bedroom are treated as furniture rather than an enclosed space. They hide appliances and offer storage to make more room for living. The ladder-accessed loft and swing space serve as additional sleeping and working areas.

The house’s spatiality is largely the result of lighting studies.

The team executed and evaluated techniques to maximize the effective use of daylighting. This informed the team’s placement and design of glazing areas and exterior shading devices. Skylights were also sized and placed to maximize impact and limit solar gain. The lighting in the home, as an effect, is optimal no matter the time of day or year.

Folding Chair Designed by UT students, this chair is made of oak plywood with a rubbed beeswax finish. By folding the chair and sliding the two units together, a queen bed is formed allowing both compacted use and the accommodation of a functional guest sleeping space.

INTERIOR

AWARDS 2013 Top Ten Green Project of the American Institute of Architects and the Committee on the Environment 2013 Design Build Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture 2012 Award of Excellence American from the American Institute of Architects Tennessee 2012 Residential Architect Design Award of Merit in Single-Family Housing 2012 Design Award in New Modular Home Design from the Manufactured Housing Institute, National Industry Awards 2012 Design Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects Gulf States 2011 National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Prize for Creative Integration of Research & Practice 2009 P3 Award, Environmental Protection Agency Sustainable Design Competition Images credited to Ken McCown