Canopy House Materials and Aesthetics: Studio Final Review

Today was our final review for my studio class.  Matthew Weikert and I were responsible for choosing the materials for the house as well as developing the overall aesthetic, and we showed this though podium renderings to showcase our final efforts. In addition to these renderings we specified materials, developed a cost estimate for all materials and fixtures, and chose furnishings and accessories not being built by students from IKEA. I was very pleased with the final renderings, and I am looking forward to seeing how everything will come together in the house!

View of the kitchen and DIEM wall from the dining area

View of the living room from the kitchen 

Flex space rendering

View of the bathroom looking from the shower

bedroom rendering

rendered floor plan

Updated Renderings

For my meeting with Team Tidewater in Virginia last Monday, I updated a few renderings of the Canopy House, making the views more accurate with the changes they have made as well as adding more entourage to make the renderings look more interesting and lived-in.

Some changes still have to be made, such as adding reflection to the bathroom mirror, and giving different options for the accent color on the main wall.

What I have been up to this past year- Solar Decathlon 2013

Despite the lack of school blog posts this past year, I have been very busy! Mainly designing the interior of the Canopy House- Team Tidewater Virginia's aging-in-place residence for the 2013 Solar Decathlon coming up this October in Irvine, California.

So what is a Solar Decathlon? And who is Team Tidewater Virginia?

The Solar Decathlon is a contest by the US Department of Energy that challenges universities around the world to design houses that are completely off-the-grid, using the sun via solar panels to supply all energy for the homes. These houses are judged on various criteria such as energy efficiency, marketability, home entertainment, etc.  The houses are to be no more than 1,000 square feet with a construction budget of $250,000.

Team Tidewater Virginia is comprised of Hampton University's architecture students and Old Dominion University's engineering students, who asked my studio to assist with designing the interior of their "Canopy House".  The Canopy House is a sustainable residence that uses the principles of aging-in-place and universal design to make it a home that anyone could live in. This is achieved by features such as grab bars in the bathroom, ADA-height countertops and appliances, and wheelchair turning radii throughout the home. The Canopy House follows a modern, earthen aesthetic, with sleek lines and warm tones.

My responsibilities for this project included brainstorming and space-planning in the schematic design phase to figure out how so many features can fit in an 880 square foot home, and has moved into more detail-oriented work as we are now in the design development phase. I have continued work on this project through an independent study with a fourth-year studio, who are designing objects to go in the home while a fellow third-year and I are currently refining material and fixture selections.

This project has given me real world experience in working with clients (Team Tidewater), working with a budget, and meeting strict construction deadlines. I hope in the coming months to complete a cohesive, universally interior designed home that appeals to just about every visitor.