Resilient Experiments in Rural Housing: Architectural Experiments in Planned Housing

G Galford,L M Tucker

doi:10.1088/1755-1315/903/1/012001

Abstract

Single family houses contribute substantially to climate change in the US and other parts of the world. In the US specifically, most housing has been designed by builders and developers. The motivation has not been sustainability and a knowledge of how to design net zero energy and net zero water dwelling is not commonly understood. This paper seeks to use a historical model as viewed through the lens of the Living Building Challenge to demonstrate how an architect designed historic example might provide a way of implementing a cutting-edge approach to sustainable housing today. Arthurdale was an early 20th century housing experiment that was conceptualized to provide for sustainable living in rural Appalachia. This paper presents the history of the region, an overview of the houses and the Living Building Challenge and then analyses how this historic prototype might model a sustainable housing development today using the Living Building Challenge system.

Highlights

According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings contribute significantly to global warming and climate change
There’s over a 95% probability that human actions over the past 50 years have warmed our planet, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fifth Assessment Report” [1]. Buildings and their construction together account for 39 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and 36 percent of global energy use annually, according to the United Nations Environment Program making building a significant contributor to global warming [1]
In the US, commercial buildings use only 40% of all energy and residential construction is responsible for the other 60% [2].As such, designing sustainable housing can have a major impact on climate change

Summary

Introduction

According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. There’s over a 95% probability that human actions over the past 50 years have warmed our planet, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fifth Assessment Report” [1]. Buildings and their construction together account for 39 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and 36 percent of global energy use annually, according to the United Nations Environment Program making building a significant contributor to global warming [1]. In the US, commercial buildings use only 40% of all energy and residential construction is responsible for the other 60% [2].As such, designing sustainable housing can have a major impact on climate change. The sustainable design of residential buildings is critical to the reduction of greenhouse gasses and climate change

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Conclusion