100-Mile House designs are available for viewing.

I want to sincerely thank everyone for their hard work and dedication toward this class – it’s been a great journey.

My project had two major focuses:

1. Textures and materiality of local materials

2. Creating a large living space by formally separating the main living spaces and the private spaces

My elevations below show this materiality.

More on the house:

A truly sustainable building design takes advantage of materials that can be found locally. Having this restriction allows us to design something that truly has a sense of place. This proposal for a 100-mile-house not only looks to local resources, but attempts to understand the textures and patterns that these local materials can create. This design focuses on the ways wood, stone, and other local resources can be used to create a space that is rich is texture and materiality.

Much of this structure is made out of wood. Norway Pine has a great variety of uses and is abundant in central Minnesota. I chose to use this wood for much of my design for this reason. I then explored the ways wood can be cut, layered, and connected to create different textures. From wood shingles to the wood structure to wood interior cladding, this design really takes advantage of this local resource. I also explored several reclaimed wood options for things like railings, cabinets, and flooring.

While wood makes up a large portion of the house, I wanted to use some elements that would help keep this house warm during the long winter. The large southern windows bring sunlight in to the main living space where a tile floor can absorb some of the heat. A wood burning stove acts as an important solar mass as well. I chose to use stone over brick for this because of its ability to capture and maintain heat in the most effective way. An indirect circulation solar thermal system is applied to the roof as well, to take advantage of the sun’s renewable energy.

On top of using local materials, designing “locally” also means supporting the local economy. I incorporated materials like Element Surface’s recycled glass countertops in order to show the importance of looking to your local businesses first, not only to minimize carbon emissions, but to help your local community flourish.

The building’s design is influenced by the materials used and a sense of openness in both plan and section. This openness allows the window filled south wall to be visible from all parts of the house. The building itself is set back further in the lot than its neighbors.  This setback, an extended roof overhang on the south wall, and deciduous tree placement work together to optimize passive solar heating.  The trees also give more privacy from neighbors and add to the view from inside. The majority of the windows that were available from the salvage yard were single pane windows. Because of this they are only used on the south wall and a couple on the west façade to generate cross ventilation to the east patio door. The glulam beams allowed for very large spans which kept the plan very open. The second floor resembles a loft with a long balcony. This voided space, along with interior walls that are left to float, create less confined spaces and allows for the vaulted wood ceiling to be more visible.

The overall process of designing and building within 100 miles creates a very different type of home than homes built today. I think one of the biggest benefits of building like this is how the house would raise the awareness of thinking locally for the residents and their guests. Many advantages of thinking locally can be applied to society and too often people only think of the source of their belongings when they spot the small “Made in ____” on the label.

-Mike Koenig

The main focus of my project is to enforce the idea of the kitchen being a central gathering space to the home. I was inspired through my second precedent study of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Willey House in Minneapolis. In most of his works, Wright incorporates the idea of the hearth being the heart of the home and is therefore central to the floor plan. This concept is where I formulated the idea of who my clients would be for this house. I chose to design for my friend and her husband. Both of them enjoy cooking and often have guests over. I felt that they were the perfect clients as their values were directly in line with the type of home that I wanted to design. To achieve this concept, I placed a pellet stove used to heat the home in a central space in the living area. The chimney extending from the stove to the ceiling is the dominant feature of the space in order to draw the eye to the kitchen.I also wanted to design as open of a living space as possible, since the dimensions of the house are so small, I felt that it was important to have as open of a floor plan as possible to create the feeling of a larger space. The lofted bedroom on the rear half of the house opens up to this space, creating a private, but still open feeling. Energy efficiency was also one of the ideas I wanted to incorporate into the home. Large windows were placed on the southeast end of the house to bring in sunlight and help heat the home in the winter. The open floor plan also helps to improve efficient heating and cooling. Double hung windows are used throughout the house to allow flow during the summer. I located coniferous trees at the northwest end of the house and minimal windows to allow for as little cold air to enter the house as possible. Deciduous trees were placed toward the south end of the home to provide additional shade in the summer, but allow the sun’s rays to heat the house during the winter.Overall, most of the materials I used in the project were salvaged. Attempting to find salvaged materials usable in the house’s construction provided an interesting challenge to the project. I found several barns which provided more than enough material to side the house and beams which could be milled down to create the structural support. Since plywood is not a local material, for the subfloor layer, I chose to lay boards at a 45 degree angle instead which was done in most older homes. Windows, doors, and flooring materials were also salvaged. The materials that I could not salvage were found locally, with the exception of the brick used for the chimney, which is only 20 miles outside of the 100 mile radius. The only materials I used in the project that were not produced locally were materials that were impossible to find but necessary to the house’s construction. This included the mesh for the lath and plaster walls, the floor underlayment, and the chimney lining. For these materials, however, I was able to find local manufacturers. The solar and PV panels do contain various parts found outside the 100 mile radius, but once they are implemented into the home, they create energy locally.This process has taught me that while it is possible to construct a home with a very large percentage of materials located within a 100 mile radius, a small amount of materials will always be produced elsewhere. The house was designed to be as ‘local’ as possible, but in some instances, it was necessary to go outside the 100 mile radius.

Alex Bursh

The Straw House is designed for one individual or couple who is on a budget but would still like their own home. Field grown straw is being grown in hundreds of locations locally, and has the quality of providing excellent insulation and even load bearing capabilities. Construction of these homes can be done thru volunteer work, after a explanation of proper insulation. A 3- String Bale can fit within my modular design. Collecting 150 bales will be enough to surround the home. Reusing telephone poles or rough saw timbers set with a small amount of fly ash from Aggregate Industries in Elk River will provide extra strength.

The floor, ceilings, and walls will be blown with cellulous from Northern Insulation Products in Gibbon. Rough saw timbers will be used for interior walls and Valspar in Minneapolis will treat exterior timber.

Wood will be provided to Cardinal Glass in Eden Prairie for framing of the double pain windows, and doors will have to be hand made. The flooring will be limestone from Mankato on top of the timber framing with cellulous infill. The heating will then be radiated from a masonry floor. All appliances will be bought new and must be energy star approved. In the kitchen, cabinets will be handcrafted and countertops will be a recycled glass from Element Surfaces in Minneapolis.

A unique part of this house is the availability to add an addition. Within the modular design, the east façade has two piers that break the pattern of straw to the roof. If the homeowner decides to expand, removal of the isolated straw columns provides a break that can be the focal point of the addition. The house is placed on the lot as far forward as it can sit, allowing for a wide variety of additions to the rear, and to assume a strong connection to the block.

The Starter House uses local materials, volunteers and craftsman, a low carbon emission footprint, and can be constructed in many ways due to its modular design. It’s simple form makes this straw and timber home the smartest build within 100 miles of the Twin Cities.

The major constituents in designing my 100 mile house were the program as well as the design issue of incorporating a workspace for someone who works from the home. From my precedent study of the house in the Shawangunks, I took away the notion of compartmentalizing public and private space. I utilized that in the plan of my house by making distinct areas, or zones, according to their function. This starts in the entry, where one can either enter the main space of the house or into the office. If entering the home, a living room, kitchen, and dining area make up the public areas.  An L-shaped staircase leading to a lofted space creates the barrier between public and private space; the master bedroom and bathroom are located on the other side.

I also utilized materials to translate the separation of these spaces. Elm flooring was employed for a majority of the house, but its orientation was changed depending on the space. The office floor boards lay vertically while the public area’s boards are horizontal (if facing north). The lofted space is also created using these boards, but in a diagonal direction. I used the diagonal boards to signify that the loft was a different space, it could eventually be a guest room, hobby space, television area, etc. depending on the owner’s needs. I used Dakota Burl flooring from Environ Composites to make up the flooring for the private space to give it a clear separation from the rest of the house.

A majority of the materials I used in the home were local, but I decided to go 30 miles beyond the 100 mile radius and use cedar shingles from Duluth, MN. I decided that the benefits of using these shingles compensated for the fact that they were outside of the radius. This is because the shingles, cut from cedar trees, do not need to be finished to be utilized on the house. Their properties make them durable and able to shed water easily. These shingles have been claimed to work for 100 years, so I feel that they add a durability to the home that would be lacking with other types of shingles.

Another component to the home are the windows. For a majority of the house, I used windows with paned glass on the first floor with large windows reaching up to the second floor. The glass came from Cardinal Glass and the windows were made custom by New Morning Windows. The large windows on the second level are made from a type of frosted glass to maximize natural lighting from the sun  as well as privacy. This type of glass inhibits neighbors from being able to see into the home from the second level, which is extremely important in maintaining privacy since there are so many windows.

Aside from the cedar shingles and elm flooring, the house is made on a single stud frame, with the framing pieces being white pine. The interior walls are formed from a lath and plaster system while the exterior is from white pine siding. The foundation is a gravel trench foundation with a fly-ash concrete beam and the insulation used is blown cellulose. To hold up the sloping roof, I used a truss system.

The 100-mile house project was very educational and thought-provoking. Starting with very rudimentary knowledge on how to built a house, I learned a vast amount about each zone of the house. I had my doubts about the possibility of getting all materials for the house within 100 miles, and was surprised with how much we could source locally. I think that there are a few fuzzy areas in this, in that some materials are received from different parts of the world, and then manufactured together within the 100 mile radius. This is basically the same effect as just ordering something from a different part of the world. Yet, I think it is important to consider the manufacturing process as a type of local (although not completely local) because without it, it would be much more difficult, if not nearly impossible, to locate some of these materials. I have really opened up my dialogue with the importance of local materials through this class, and plan on continuing to apply this approach throughout the rest of my career as a student and eventually as a professional.

*The wood is harvested in Stacy, MN then brought to Von Vett Construction in Wyoming, MN. He can green-treat the wood that is in contact with the ground as well as kiln or air dry it.
*Roofing is mock-slate made from recycled tires in Isanti, MN
*Siding is reclaimed Red Cedar found on craigslist.com. 12,000 – 15,000 lbf of it was listed.
*Inside finish is plaster on shiplap board.
*Concrete footing is made with fly ash produced in Alma, WI.
*Insulation is Blown Cellulose which is rated at R3.7 p/inch
*Solar panels and windows and doors were located on craigslist.com from within the 100-mile rating as well as tyvek, ice and water shield and tar paper.

Aim

The aim of my project was to design a house that would reference the forms of the small, historic bungalows in south Minneapolis but to put a contemporary spin on them.  It is also about recycling, relying heavily on salvaged building materials.  I love a mix of old and new, so using a newer version of an old form, made out of old materials was an interesting angle to me.  I was going for an eclecticism that would make the house stand out materially but fit in with the shape of its neighbors.  I wanted to design a home that would be very livable for a young urban family, which meant an efficient use of indoor space in such a small home.  The rooms are small but the high slanted ceilings make the spaces airy and light.  Outdoor living is also important so the backyard is very private.

Materiality

My decision to use broken recycled glass bottles and mortar as a decorative cladding had two reasons behind it.  First, I liked the aesthetics of a sparkly, colorful material that moves playfully around the building.  Second, I wanted anyone walking by the house to recognize it as unique and to understand that this house is about re-use.  This material can be made at home, using broken glass bottles that could be sourced at a local recycling plant and mortar, which is sand and fly ash cement.  Since sheet rock is not available locally, both the interior and exterior walls are finished with lath and plaster, a historical building method that gives the walls a very textured and hand-made look.  With most of the materials being salvaged, the house has a shabby and vintage feel.  Combining this materiality with the angular ceilings and jagged facade design reinforces the idea of old meets new.

Salvage

I found salvaged materials for as much of the house as I could.  At the ReUse Center in Minneapolis, I found all the windows and doors, then animated them in SketchUp and placed them in the design.  They all seemed to be in pretty good condition, but I would advise using storm windows in the winter to make extra-sure there is not much heat loss.  While I was at the ReUse Center, I found great kitchen cabinets, lots of wood flooring, and beautiful plumbing fixtures.  The roof is made of recycled rubber tire shingles, which are long-lasting and look like wood shakes, so they fit with the materiality of the rest of the house.  I found countertops made in Minneapolis out of recycled glass bottles, so I thought that would be a good way to continue the decorative glass motif inside the house, which the fireplace does as well.

Sustainability

I designed my house with a staggered stud wall system on the exterior walls, so that it would have a super-insulated building envelope.  The house has a wood-burning fireplace in the most common space of the house to reduce the use of the furnace in winter.  The material load of the house was kept as minimal as possible, with a simple floor plan, no major ceiling trusses, and a concrete footing-and-post foundation.  The daylighting was carefully designed for each space to maximize interior environmental quality.  Low-emission paint and linseed oil wood stain also create a healthy environment.  In the backyard, a rain garden helps prevent water runoff and a vegetable garden fosters awareness of living locally.

I think it is possible to build locally.  It certainly makes the process of putting up a house more difficult, but those problems can be a positive thing.  Such an ethically-responsible home would clearly be worth the effort.  I estimated that 3% of my materials came from outside the 100-mile radius.  Those two materials are cellulose insulation and concrete, which I need very little of.  If a client is motivated to build locally, I think they would generally be okay with salvaged materials, especially if they are used creatively.  Personally, I would love to live in a house that combines the old and the new in this way.