Net-Zero Bunkhouse

Origonal image by: Tony Christensen

• Complete with solar panels and wind turbines for power generation,


• 12" Thick R40 insulated walls,


• Triple paned, argon gas filled windows


• and R60 insulation in the attic
  

Abstract Outline

Net-Zero camp housing

How cost effective would it be to prefabricate net-zero housing for companies in remote parts of Northern BC? Would these companies go for the idea of having moveable, completely sustainable housing options at their disposal?

In order to be considered “net-zero” a structure must create just as much, or more energy than it uses. The concept of net zero is great, apart from one small problem… Money, the cost of creating a completely self sustaining building far surpasses the cost of building a regular structure. Although creating a net-zero building is much more expensive than other options and may seem undesirable to some, it could also be exactly what someone else is looking for.

The goal of this research appears to be quite an achievable one. Bigger companies such as logging and mining companies will have a much higher budget for things like housing than the general public. These buildings will become a necessity in the most remote parts of the world. Camps could be established within a few days and would leave almost no impact on the environment. These buildings would eliminate the need for generators which cost both the environment and the owner.

In order to achieve net-zero, especially in such an extreme climate, many different methods of energy conservation must be implemented into design. Solar panels will be installed on the roof of every building. Wind turbines will also be added for times of the year when there isn’t as much sun. The energy created from the panels and turbines must be stored since the power drain will, for the most part, be in the evening. The excess energy from all the buildings will be stored in a single building (most likely the cookhouse) and will be distributed to the rest of the buildings as required. Extra insulation must be added to the walls and roof in order to cut down on heat loss. Triple pane - argon gas filled windows will be installed since a significant amount of heat loss is through windows. Motion sensors will be used for all lights in order to prevent unnecessary power use.

Technical
· Solar panels on the roof of each building
· Wind turbines incorporated
· All excess power stored in one main battery building
· Motion sensor lights to ensure efficient use of energy
· Higher insulation value in the walls
· Smaller/fewer windows

Net-Zero Bunkhouses

Thesis Statement:

How cost effective would it be to construct prefabricated net-zero bunkhouses for companies in remote parts of Northern B.C?

Application:

To create sustainable, affordable living quarters for companies located in Northern B.C.

New Subject

I have found that just researching and comparing prefabricated homes is very dry and quite a broad subject.

I will still be doing research involving prefabricated homes but i am shifting my sights more to the net-zero side of things. My research will focus on creating net-zero bunkhouses for work camps. Achieving net zero shouldn't be too big of a problem considering the bunkhouses will mainly just need lighting and heat, instead the problems will arise in the cost. If a cost effective net-zero bunkhouse could be created it would eliminate the need for generators and power lines and create an even more mobile camp.

Pros and Cons of Manufactured Homes

Pros:

• Able to do construction all year
• Faster completion time
• Fast on-site assembly
• Construct building while doing site work
• Better than average structural quality
• Less wasted time and materials
• Lower cost
• Steady pricing of materials and labor

Cons:

• Limited design capabilities
• Zoning restrictions
• People have negative attitude towards them
• Can only choose one of their catalog designs
• Only one and a half storeys permitted
• No changes made once construction commences

History of Prefabricated Homes

One of the first companies to sell prefabricated homes was Sears. Buyers would order a house kit from a catalog and within a few weeks it would be shipped to them by train. These kits would include a complete set of plans and all the materials required to construct the house. In the mid 1920's Sears sold more than 200 homes a month, made $10 million a year, and with around 400 different designs the buyer had plenty of choices. In order to expand the scope of buyers Sears offered private financing with monthly payments. During the depression in the 1930's Sears lost $11 million because people couldnt make their payments. Sales never recovered from this and sears sold their last kit home in 1940. In the 32 year period that Sears was selling kit homes they sold 75000 kits.

Alladin Homes was one of the other main kit home sellers in North America dureing the 1900's. Like Sears, Alladin Homes also sold their kits through a catalog. In 1906 they Started out selling summer cottages and outbuildings for farms. After surving the depression Alladin Homes set theirs sights higher and started selling plans and packages to developers in order to create neighborhoods and company towns.

Prices of kit homes varied from $600-$1500 depending of styles and options the buyer included. In the past buyers usualy had the skills required for constructing these kit home... These days only a select amount of the population has theses skills and instead people tend to hire someone else to do the job for them.

Prefabricated Housing Proposal

Summary Statement of Proposed Project:
There are many different ways to construct a building. Two methods in particular stand out more than the rest. A comparison between Prefabricated and built on site homes will show which of these methods is best suited for the world we live in today. Could prefabricating homes be the building method of the future?

Purpose:
· To determine whether prefabricating homes is better than building them on site.

Goals and Objectives:
· To take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each building method.
· To compare between costs, energy involved, build time and building quality of each
method.
· To determine how the flexibility of designs for prefabricated houses measure up to houses built on site.

Methodology and Analytical Approach:
· Research each building method and discover as much about them as possible, cost to both the environment and peoples funds is the main deciding factor here so that will be the focus.
· Discover a variety of personal opinions on prefabricated homes.
· Books and websites should give sufficient information for the above objectives.
· Construct a report on the pros and cons of each method in order to reach a consensus.

Previous Studies:
Studies have been previously conducted for each of the building methods and some comparisons have been made between the two. This research will provide a more in depth report on the differences between the two methods and give a final conclusion as to which construction method is better.

Plans for Dissemination of Work:
Putting the work on the internet should provide a fairly large audience with many different opinions; blogs will be the easiest source to get quick feedback from the public. Discussions amongst classmates and other people in the architectural field should help spark several different questions to aid in completing the research.

Welcome to my blog!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Over the following year i will be gathering information in order to create a research document. My research is going to be an in depth comparison between prefabricated and built on site houses. I look forward to reading anything that people would like to post so feel free to criticize or compliment my work.