PROTOTYPE B
At the conclusion of “Community Ecologies” for design studio 6, my undergraduate capstone studio, I was asked to participate in the coming stages of the project as part of the Healthy Materials Lab team. Together with Smokey House Center and numerous other partners, Healthy Materials Lab won a Northern Border Region Commission (NBRC) grant that focuses on the use of local materials, primarily wood, in the region. The academic studio had had a broader focus, representing the first pass at ideas for Smokey House Center. This included speculative expanded programing and a range of architectural interventions to support that program. The professional work for this grant looked specifically at creating small homes for seasonal workers, built with New Frameworks structural straw panels and additional local materials. Smokey House Center’s goal is to aggregate 10 of these homes on an unused agricultural site just east of the main campus beginning with a single pilot home to be built in 2026.
I had the opportunity to experience a series of design phases including: schematic design, design development, construction drawing, and material selection while preparing reports and presenting to stakeholders along the way.
Prototype B utilizes two-intersecting typical farmhouse forms to create and L-shaped plan, giving the experience of distinct rooms for with only two interior walls. The house negotiates between efficiency and delightful daily ritual within tight square-footage.
Healthy Materials Lab
Prototype of worker housing
Danby, VT
Date
2025
2025