Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Since Hurricane Katrina, Architecture for Humanity has been working on the ground in East Biloxi to develop a program to help families repair and rebuild their homes. Through a partnership with the Biloxi Relief Recovery and Revitalization Center, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio of Mississippi State University and others, we have been able to set up and secure funding to offer design services to a number of families in the area. One such family is the Odoms. The design of their new home is described as follows:

The layered seed scales of a pinecone grow and open to dry, cool, and inevitably escape, shedding the fertilized scales to become new conifer plants. Using the pinecone as an inspirational organic model, the design investigates the ventilation potential of vernacular architectural elements like breezeways, prefab trusses, and operable shutters. A main breezeway brings cool air into the sleeping chambers, and perimeter verandahs (deepest on the south and east) both shade the house and offer indoor-outdoor living options.

The prefabricated trusses provide ample space under the floor for utilities and create interior height to effectively ventilate the interior spaces through the stack effect. Operable shutters can be closed along the porch perimeter to protect the house during hurricane season and can be opened regularly to capture prevailing breezes. Furthermore, by varying the degree of openness in the shutters, inhabitants can tailor the shade and privacy to their liking.

ARCHITECT:
Studio Gang is a Chicago-based architecture firm offering design service with a commitment to excellence. Jeanne Gang established the practice in 1998 with a focus on combining sustainability and good design. Good design stems from intelligence, creativity, good communication, enthusiasm, and hard work. Studio Gang Architects is recognized for these qualities throughout all phases of architectural design from programming and schematic through construction. www.studiogang.net