See this superb off-the-grid residence on Whidbey Island: Puzzle Prefab

Puzzle Prefab is a prototype of recent structure and sustainable dwelling, designed by Wittman Estes in partnership with Sparrow Woodworks on Whidbey Island, Washington. It’s energy-efficient and makes use of numerous sustainable supplies, modern methods, and constructing practices to scale back its environmental footprint.

Outlined by flexibility, Puzzle Prefab took on the problem of constructing dwellings that decrease environmental affect whereas fostering well being and connection to nature for the inhabitants. 1 / 4 of the dimensions of the standard 2,000-square-foot American residence, the prototype contains 600 sq. ft of dwelling house hooked up to 557 sq. ft of coated outside house with cedar decks and soffits.

DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECTURE/INTERIOR DESIGN Wittman Estes STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Josh Welch Engineering BUILDER Sparrow Woodworks NET ZERO ENERGY CONSULTANT Erin Moore, FLOAT MECHANICAL ENGINEER Solarc Vitality Group

A sequence of 4 modules makes this residence infinitely reconfigurable, demonstrating prefabrication’s means to create areas that may sinuously broaden and swimsuit any setting, whether or not distant, suburban, or city. Whidbey Puzzle Prefab seamlessly merges high-performance, sustainable design with limitless customization and replication.

Puzzle Prefab is a carbon-negative prefab prototype organized round 4 modules for dwelling, sleep/examine, power, and outside eating.

The modules are constructed on pin foundations, eliminating concrete and lowering CO2 emissions by 24 tons. A 4.1 kW photo voltaic array drives a warmth pump with hydronic heating and cooling and power restoration air flow. Good residence controls monitor power use and optimize conditioning to align with consumer consolation.

The structure minimizes its footprint, sources native supplies, is constructed off-site, and incorporates impermanent foundations – lowering the bodily and visual affect on the challenge location.

This can be a pilot challenge for the design workforce, which is monitoring efficiency metrics and guaranteeing that the teachings inform every subsequent iteration of the earlier residence.

The challenge succeeded in constructing one thing replicable and versatile, web zero, and low-impact on the challenge web site, making a optimistic relationship between the construct course of, the setting, and the inhabitants for generations.

“It’s so compact that it feels monumental,” says architect Matt Wittman. “Prefab permits for higher-quality development on a shorter timeline whereas respecting the delicate forest ecology by shifting the constructing course of off-site.”

What We Love: Puzzle Prefab is an award-winning design that showcases the flexibility of prefabricated housing made with sustainable supplies. This prototype residence lowers power consumption and features as a net-positive power generator. It’s not only a home; it’s a blueprint for a extra sustainable, clever, and harmonious way of life. We particularly love how half this residence’s flooring plan lives outdoor, encouraging time spent with nature and a extra peaceable lifestyle.

Inform Us: What do you consider the design of this prefabricated residence? Tell us within the Feedback under!

Observe: Try a few different superb residence excursions that we’ve featured right here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this challenge, Wittman Estes: Craftsman type residence will get trendy replace with rentable backyard ADU in Seattle and A small rural retreat impressed by nature on the Hood Canal, Washington.

PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Pogue

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS

PHOTOGRAPHER Dan Sutherland

DRAWINGS

Sustainability Highlights

Internet Zero Vitality Constructing Techniques
A Life Cycle Evaluation calculated cradle-to-gate international warming impacts and drove design choices for the
basis, flooring meeting, wall meeting, roof meeting, and photo voltaic panel array. Air supply warmth pumps
with hydronic heating and cooling and power restoration air flow.

Photo voltaic Energy
4.1 kW photovoltaic array produces 3,981 kWh/hr of power.

Zero Concrete Basis
Metal floor body basis system to remove using concrete. The hand-set micro pin piles
scale back earthwork disturbance to guard tree roots. The micro piles scale back the carbon footprint by 77%
relative to the equal concrete basis.

Excessive-Efficiency Constructing Envelope
Enhanced insulation, excessive R-values, and photo voltaic power enabled the constructing to fulfill net-zero requirements. The continual roxul insulated thermal envelope with a tightly sealed liquid-applied weather-resistant barrier achieved under 1.5 air modifications/hour.
Roof, R-50 (70% improve*)
Wall R-53 (200% improve*)
Ground R-38 (26% improve*)
* elevated over the 2015 Washington State Vitality Code (WSEC)

Rainwater Assortment
Potable waster-safe roofing channels rainwater into metal columns that act each structurally and as
downspouts. The water is then saved in a rainwater tank after which purified with a customized water filtration
system, which makes it protected for potable use in kitchens, bogs, showers, washing machines, and
dishwashers. The water additionally goes to the indoor greenhouse for vegetable backyard irrigation.

Small Footprint, Human-Centered Design
The tiny footprint reduces power use, development supplies and creates an indoor/outside setting
that’s more healthy for occupants.

Good House Techniques
Residents to reap and retailer sources whereas monitoring consumption and managing private consolation.

Indoor Outside Connections
The temperate web site local weather allowed 600 sq. foot core dwelling areas with 557 sq. foot coated outside adjoining house.
The Whidbey configuration is 70% smaller than the median US residence measurement. Extensions and views of the outside had been prioritized. Outside dwelling on elevated coated cedar decks is handled equally as indoor dwelling. Variable-width exterior cedar siding evokes totally different sizes of timber within the forest.

End Supplies
Worldwide Dwelling Future Institute (ILFI) Crimson-Listing Free for all inside supplies

– Exterior siding: Tight Knot Cedar 1×6, semi-transparent stain, Benjamin Arbor Coat Silver Mist
– Doorways: Excessive-Efficiency Fiberglass Univeral Sequence by Cascadia – U worth .25. Home windows: Excessive-Efficiency Fiberglass by Alpen Sequence 625 U worth .16
– Roofing: Potable Water Protected TPO Membrane for Rainwater Seize
– Casework: Sustainably-sourced birch plywood, clear end
– Flooring: FSC-Licensed White Oak
– Ceiling: Domestically sourced FSC Clear Cedar
– Counter: Blackened Stainless Metal
– Paint Shade: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White
– Tub Wall Tile: 1×1 White Ceramic Hex
– Sleeping Nook: Felted Wool wall panels
– Bathe flooring: Alaskan Yellow Cedar decking
– Plumbing Fixtures:
– Toilet: Duravit Stark Twin Flush rest room,
– Toilet: Kohler Stillness stainless-steel Wall Mount tub faucet and bathe trim
– Toilet Duravit D-Code compact ceramic wall mount sink
– Kitchen faucet, Blanco Colina Basic Metal,
– Kitchen sink, Blanco stainless-steel undermount sink
– Fire: Aeris Coccon Bioethanol
– Electrical Fixtures:
– Toilet: Crisp LED Flushmount Tub wall sconce by RBW,
– Eating Scone: Aplomb Concrete Suspension Lamp by Paolo Lucici and Luca Pevere
– Mattress and Dwelling Sconce: Estiluz Volta Wall Lamp

Panorama Supplies
– Exterior Decking: Tight Knot Crimson Cedar
– Native Planting: Deer Ferns, Salal, Vine Maples

Furnishings
– Couch: Customized pull-out mattress
– Eating Desk:
– Eating Chairs Bertoia Wire Eating Chairs
– Eames LCW Lounge Chair in Walnut
– Eames Wire base low desk
– Kinto Luna Vases

“This challenge reveals how modern prefab development might be. This could possibly be positioned wherever with little disruption to the pure ecosystem and panorama.” –2024 AIA Nationwide Small Undertaking Award – Jury

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