The Infill-House is a single-family residential product designed to fit within the existing infrastructure of suburban neighborhoods where increased density is desired and the cultural and historic character of the community is also worthy of preservation. The home is best described as upholding the ideals of Stewardship, which references not only a strategy of sustainable design but also embodies the conscious process of protection and preservation of place, culture, and tradition.
The home is intended to fit within a 10 foot lot easement created by allocating 5 feet from each adjacent property. Elements of the home above 32 feet are then allowed to overhang the property below. The Infill-House is designed as a net-zero home, providing all of it’s own energy through renewable systems and is also intended to provide renewable energy to the adjacent homes. This allows minimim disturbance to the existing homes and avoids wasteful renovations and reto-fit to these homes in the name of sustainability.
The Infill-House introduces a new layer within the fabric of of the neighborhood. The physical seperation of Infill-House allows the existing homes and streetscape to evolve at there own pace by creating a flexible infrastructure open to an infinite array of residential, retail, and mixed use development possibilities.
The Infill-House provides an example of how the multiple challenges of suburbia can be solved by an overlay of architecture that is both unique and memorable.
This could be very cool on its own, but is a bit scary in context. The narrowness of the infill building further emphasizes the height.
What about taking some right-of-way from the rear of the lots, as well, and creating a multifamily building surrounded by the existing single family homes?
In terms of the larger conversation on the suburbs, this rendering actually looks like an urban neighborhood, not suburban sprawl.
Infill is happening in Seattle, but not with buildings that exceed 30′ in height. This proposal looks a bit like the walking giant cannon carrying thingies in the Star Wars series of movies. All of those walk up stairs comport poorly with the baby boomer demographic in which we will have a higher percentage of infirm elders soon.
Good idea but impractical design, ever try lugging groceries, equipment, or strollers up and down stairs? You would have to have a lift.
Re #3 :
In the second image of the gallery (…/Infill-House-Perspective-670×433.jpg) the second caption on the right says “Residential elevator” (aka lift) “provides access to all levels of the infill-house.”
This concept reminds me of Expo 67’s “Habitat 67″ ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67 ). The elevations drawing (…/Infill-Elevations-670×175.jpg) makes it look like the upper levels are fifteen to twenty feet (15′ – 20′) wide which would be quite livable. And while this might not work for three unconnected families it might be great for an extended family.
I totally agree with Jeremy Fretts comment. It’s really cool, but a bit scary in context, especially when it’s shown in what looks like a historic urban neighborhood. Its a really interesting idea for sure, I think it would have been more powerful if rendered in a suburban tract setting.
This is an exciting presentation. The idea to use shared easement space to create new dwelling sites is worthwhile.