Re think home gabriella ebbesson Re think Home a sustainable sanctuary inspired by animals master thesis gabriella ebbesson April 2017 University of Florida Master of Architecture College of Design, Construction and Planning 1480 Inner Road, Gainesville, FL 32601 Chair: Nawari Nawari Co-chair: Martin Gold contents 01 abstract 35 case studies barndominium 03 introduction earth house history and impact redwoods treehouse restaurant 09 problem 43 location 11 methodology 55 design concept program and process 13 animal architecture building for expansion social behavior connection to nature water management recyclable materials temperature control de-mountability waste management social interaction energy passive design strategies materials neighborhood transformation 23 building strategies 91 conclusion sustainable principles 95 bibliography abstract 01 “Home isn’t a place; it’s a feeling.” - Cecelia Ahern Through the exploration of animal structures, Utilizing the single-family home typology valuable sustainable building strategies ubiquitous in Florida (3 bedroom 2 bath with can be extracted and applied to our own yard and garage), this work reconsiders buildings to achieve ecological functionalism the introverted nature of current housing by and an improved relationship with nature. extending living into the nominally temperate This thesis seeks to adapt these strategies subtropical landscape – akin to animal toward sustainable housing that is affordable inhabitation – toward more sustainable and and accessible to working families while resource efficient living. advancing environmental stewardship. It is vital that we make sustainable housing To approach these problems, a variety of available to the majority of community animal species have been studied, including residents to significantly improve our their building methods and lifestyles to learn relationship with our environment and ensure what makes their communities successful. not only our survival but also the richness of The study also evaluates humanity’s our culture. The research aims to broaden relationship with nature through periods our knowledge about resilient construction in history and the lineage of those building concepts, methods, and resource cycling to strategies that we apply in sustainable discover improved ways of making housing residential homes today and as it relates to more affordable, flexible, inspiring and animal architecture. Through this research durable while building a stronger community and analysis, a set of guidelines have as an opportunistic response to the potentially emerged suggesting applicable building threatening climate conditions we are being methods appropriate for the subtropical faced with. climate of Florida while considering the impacts of a changing climate. 03 introduction Throughout history our residential building The following research explores a variety methods and concepts of home have greatly of building strategies such as excavating, evolved with improved knowledge and stacking, weaving, and folding derived from technological achievements spawned during different animal species, and how to attend periods like the industrial revolution, while to our environmental issues by introducing animals have continued to perfect the same sustainable residential architecture with a type of structures they have always built. new mind set. Animal and human habitats Distributing the earth’s area evenly between our Through these years, it cannot be denied are more similar than not in their pursuit nations would result in 4.4 acres per person. In the that we have also found new ways to worsen for security, weather resistance, hygiene, our relationship with nature while animals storage, community spaces and more. United States, people occupy on average an area have remained in harmony with nature. Through the exploration of animal structures, of 20 acres per person. With regard to our population growth and valuable sustainable building strategies can the ecological footprint of different societies, be extracted and applied to our own buildings distributing the earth’s area evenly between to achieve ecological functionalism and an our nations would result in 4.4 acres per improved relationship with nature. person. In the United States, people occupy on average an area of 20 acres per person (Bovill 2015). history and building progression “Humans have only played the role of ecosystem engineers over a few tens of thousands of years while animals have been altering landscapes for tens, hundreds of millions of years before us.” - Michael Hansell The journey of homo sapiens began at least This era was followed by the fossil fuel age, 100,000 years ago, with their migration out of where progress achieved through the coal Africa to colonize a variety of places around and steam engine lead to mass consumption the globe. The impact of humans populating through mass production. The manufacturing Europe and North America resulted in the of steel and concrete frames after the first extinction of many species of large mammals world war became an important architectural due to human hunting (Hansell 2007). For milestone enabling buildings to have more many years, human societies were self- glass resulting in more daylight and more sustaining with food, water and materials flexibility. obtained from nearby surroundings. Societies remained largely rural and The Second World War lead to further agrarian until the industrial revolution and technological advances and a large extreme population growth caused large consumer society. This was the beginning scale urbanization, which required food to of the age of home appliances and air be transported in to the cities. The outcome conditioning, causing electricity usage was a reliance on external sources as to rise. The introduction of Eisenhower’s well as landfills to manage the increasing interstate highway system implemented industrial and domestic waste. Vernacular new ways on how to transport people faster building strategies were neglected including and easier between the cities and the adaptation to the site’s potential. suburbs. The 1970’s energy crisis, brought on in part by petroleum shortages across Many changes brought by the industrial the world, marked the first steps towards revolution were beneficial. In the beginning, improved building efficiency in modern energy was obtained through mills driven by society. Unfortunately, these methods were water power with the main transportation of soon abandoned when oil prices began to goods to various markets being transported decrease causing the economic incentive for on canals. Scientific advancements allowed energy efficiency to decrease as well for improved health care and diet, which (Bovill 2015). resulted in explosive population growth. 4 Gabriella Ebbesson Rethink Home 5 environmental impact Throughout humans’ existence, population increased water temperature and the melting growth has increased from five million to of Greenland and Antarctic ice, increased 500 million within 10,000 years. By 2010 droughts in temperate regions and the the human population was 7 billion people destruction of coastal wetlands. compared to one billion in 1800. At this exponential growth rate our numbers would As a reaction to these disasters, more than be 14 billion in 2072 (Bovill 2015). This a billion people of the world’s population that discussion has become very important as live in coastal regions will be forced to migrate. our remaining resources start to diminish Increased droughts will result in less water and cannot support our increasing numbers. and less food, which will increase their cost This problematic population growth widens significantly. A diversity of plants and animals the gap between rich and poor nations, will disappear as well as our protection from (Friedman 2015) as well as increases our storms and waves (Bovill 2015). carbon dioxide and methane emissions to dangerous levels. The amount of carbon The municipal water and sewage systems present in our atmosphere today has not are other factors contaminating our regional been present in 800,000 years which has environment and threatening a variety of caused a more rapid climate change. animal species. All animals are directly affected by our decisions and faced with Carbon dioxide is one of the primary the same environmental problems humans greenhouse gases, along with water vapor are, without having caused any of them. and methane, and the most difficult one to Ecological damage caused by animals control. These greenhouse gases prevent is negligible compared to humans’. An heat radiated by the sun to be re-radiated example of these negative impacts would back towards space, which causes earth’s be burrowing, which can disturb the soil and atmosphere to warm up. This natural cycle damage vegetation (Hansell 2007). As the has been in effect for 3 billion years but has main cause of environmental devastation, escalated through human production and humans need to respect their surrounding environmental neglect. ecosystem in order to ensure a stable future for everyone. This rapid climate change will result in submerged coastal regions by rising sea levels, caused by water expansion through 6 Gabriella Ebbesson Rethink Home 7 09 problem According to the United States Environmental To address these problems, it is vital that we Protection Agency, the residential sector in make sustainable housing more available the United States is responsible for more than and affordable to the majority