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Our concept combines the traditional structure of the house with the aesthetic appeal, strength, and luminescent qualities of a sail. It grows from the ground up in a tree like fashion branching out to support the rest of the structure. The house is centered around large floor to ceiling masts that are anchored into the base. The masts provide most of the support for the roof and wall sections through the use of branches and cross members. The masts can be made similarly to real sailboat masts. They can be made from PVC which is strengthened where needed by wrapping in a weave such as carbon fiber or fiberglass. These masts would become the focal point of the sail design.
The sails themselves bring some very desirable properties to the design. They provide superior strength in a lightweight durable material. Yet another advantage of the sails is that they are available in the size and scale that our design would call for. Plus they would create some very desirable lighting effects. In the daytime, the space would be illuminated with natural light, and at night it would glow creating a soothing aesthetic appeal. This brings the outside in during the day, and projects the inside to the outside at night. At night the space will feel very cozy and warm as it will seem smaller than it does in the daytime. This is because the translucent sails will reflect the light back inwards. Additionally, the PVC allows for cabling to be run to the top of the masts. We can provide ambient lighting from the treetops. In respects to climate control, the white sails will reflect the sun in the heat of the summer to help keep the house cool.
Providing contrast to the white sails will be tall green plants in the middle of the space. They will be able to grow from the natural light that they will get all day long. They will also help keep the air feeling fresh.
The floor plan consists of three main living spaces. The entrance to the house will be wide open with very high ceilings. Upon entering the house there is a common living space where everyone will meet and converse. Then there will be several stairs down into the kitchen space. There is a staircase from the common area leading to a loft. The loft can be a more personal lounge space. Perhaps displaying the kids room and pimp couch concepts.
Yet another advantage to the sail walls is that you can project onto them. There can be projectors for television, computers, or maybe a picture of another place entirely. This intertwines the idea of having the walls able to display all sorts of information and media. The sailcloth is very strong, allowing for projects to be hung directly on the walls.
The construction of the base of the house would be done by traditional methods. The floors would be built just as a house is framed out. This is done mostly to make it more appealing to the booth safety personnel. Ideally, the mast and branch system would provide all of the structure to the house itself, including floor, ceiling, loft and stairway.
We feel our concept brings together many of the concepts proposed in the studio so far. It combines aesthetic appeal with a simplistic style that conveys a fresh look at how building construction might be altered in the future.
last updated 2.18.2005 by home
