Location: Houston, TX
Date: 2008
Competition Entry in the 99K House Competition
In 2007, the forward-thinking 99k House Competition asked architects around the world to rethink the affordability, sustainability, and production methods of homes for a project sited in an underserved neighborhood in Houston, TX.
This competition entry envisioned a computer-optimized framing system based on emerging technology in wood truss design and fabrication. The home’s structural proposal consisted of prefab wood sections at four foot centers, with a CNC-cut SIP skin. Energy and daylight analysis maintained an efficient amount of glazing while outdoor rooms expand the small footprint of the house outwards.
The design was one of ten projects selected to be featured on the progressive Houston housing and real estate website Swamplot.
The thesis of the project was ultimately tested in a later research project, where a truss manufacturer produced a prefab frame with similar characteristics that was installed in a community garden in Muncie, Indiana.
Helia LLC 