Final Presenation

Bridget Tobin and Teresa Huckaby

The rapid expansion of the city population makes the availability of affordable housing problematic. Many large cities have limited affordable housing.We envisioned and designed a modular micro apartment housing system that is using the existing infrastructure of railroad tracks. The proposed compact house modules can move on the railroad tracks can be combined and positioned as needed. Our team focused on a house that could expand to create more exterior and interior space in different weather conditions.

When we first started brainstorming ideas for the house, we began looking at existing micro homes that were similar to what we had envisioned. We looked at house that had different units that could retract from one another.

Our first iteration was to build a house that could separate into two different units to create additional outdoor space. The exterior design of the house looked like three large steps. Our plan was to create sunroofs on each step, that would let in natural light. We had an expanding roof that would go over the large steps to create shade. After looking at the exterior we began to realize that there was very limited space for furniture on the interior, so we began brainstorming ways to fix this. We also received feedback from other coaches,

Our second iteration was definitely much different than the first. Instead of the housing expanding horizontally on the tracks, the house now expanded vertically. We made the house longer but shorter in width. We decided to have the house be in two separate parts that slid together like tetris pieces, to create one larger unit. We also added a small second floor to the house to give more space for different rooms in the house. This design was definitely more efficient and it created a better use of space for the interior. After these changes we were able to work on the interior. We created a couch that converted into a murphy bed that could be used on the first level of the house. Then we made a small kitchen on the first floor. We also made a staircase that lead to the second floor that had a bathroom.

The final product of our house was compact and designed for more simple living. Overall we were very happy with the outcome of the house.