Jump to content

Design Build Bluff

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Eblack7 (talk | contribs) at 20:58, 18 August 2014 (→Projects). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Design Build Bluff is a program of The University of Utah's College of Architecture + Planning, where each year, architecture graduate students are immersed in a hands-on opportunity to design and build a full-scale work of architecture in collaboration with the Navajo people. The program derives its name from the town of Bluff, Utah, adjacent to the Navajo Nation, in which the campus facility is located. Design Build Bluff projects are a full donation to the client and are noted for being, innovative, sustainable and award winning designs. The program is currently collaborating with the Mexican Water Chapter House on more community based projects.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The students are empowered “with the practical hard skills needed to test their theories through applied research. With the hope that students will become better, more conscientious, and empathetic architects for the benefit of our entire community. We like to say that: "We Build Better Architects.”"

History

DesignBuildBLUFF was founded in 2000 by University of Utah Professor, Hank Louis. The program is modeled on a design-build program at Auburn University, known as the Rural Studio, which was founded by Samuel Mockbee. In the Rural Studio model, students abandon the comforts of campus and home for a cooperative life, to learn about architecture through action. The design-build paradigm emphasizes experimentation, scale mock-ups, in-process design iterations, consensus-building through ideas and emotions, and juxtaposing diametrically opposed cultures.[1][2][3]

Since its inception Design Build Bluff has expanded to include The University of Colorado Denver in 2010, and more recently evolved from an independent non-profit to being formally housed within the University of Utah. Hank Louis has since passed leadership, and in 2013 the program welcomed new director, José Galarza, who came from the Yestermorrow Design/Build School.

Design and Construction

The program emphasizes the design and construction of homes using "green-build" techniques such as passive solar, rainwater catchment, permaculture, earthen plaster, rammed earth, straw bale construction, cellulose insulation, Icynene foam (a green, water-based, open-celled building insulation product), and materials salvaged from the landscape of the reservation itself such as a substratum of natural clay, and reed from the local riverbed.[1]

Design plans are formatted around donated and recycled materials such as lumber, windows, doors and appliances. Additionally, some of the homes are built from a unique material, FlexCrete, a new concrete block product made with fibrous aggregate from the surrounding soil, produced locally on the Navajo Nation, thereby further reducing the need to import building materials. The projects are completed on a modest cash budget, largely due to grant funding, and made possible by the generosity of the local design and construction community. Annual donors such as Big D Construction and 3Form have been involved in the projects for many years. Building sustainable, off-grid homes that have little impact on the environment accomplishes for the Navajo Nation the mission of respecting the landscape while providing adequate housing. As the program includes more community based projects it hopes to reinforce the relationship with the Navajo people, align with community goals, and maintain relevance.

Projects

solRose was designed and executed to meet the needs of our client, who is recently adjusting to life in a wheelchair. The design was catered to accessibility and comfort. Major considerations were the landscape, natural light, and low technology solutions that were regionally and environmentally appropriate. This is realized through the clerestory windows, outdoor living space, and datum line that defines the facade. The exterior is clad in a fiber cement panel rain screen, articulated by an aluminum datum line. Natural plaster of locally harvested clay covers the north and south inlets. The interior entry statement is a 10' high 12" deep rammed earth wall, also of local clay, adjacent to a ribbon of clerestory windows that flood the space in soft daylight. solRose features a custom made, highly efficient, wood burning, masonry heater, that will keep Juanita comfortable in the winter. The interior is complete with custom, built-in cabinetry and furniture to streamline the 800 square foot floor plan. A handmade clay oven is the hearth of the outdoor living space, enclosed by a cedar shade structure, and provides a refuge in the summer.

References

  1. ^ a b c University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning website, DesignBuildBLUFF.
  2. ^ a b DesignBuildBLUFF: Drawing on two-by-fours
  3. ^ a b Sustainable Homes for People Who Need Them
  4. ^ Sustainably-built House by DesignBuildBluff in Navajo Nation-Southern Utah
  5. ^ Students from the University of Utah Planning For And With Families Who Live Below the Poverty Line
  6. ^ DesignBuildBluff Mission & Philosophy
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Design_Build_Bluff&oldid=621823982"