Lone Tree | A Sweat Equity Prototype in Dennehotso, Arizona by University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Article source: University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF 

There is an overwhelming need for affordable and culturally appropriate housing within the Navajo Nation, more than a small non-profit design-organization can meaningfully contribute to on its own. With this problem in mind our designers sought to develop a flexible housing prototype that could be easily built by would-be native homeowners. The concept of “sweat equity” is one in which the client uses their own labor, rather than cash, as a form of contribution in the building process. This design, in collaboration with the Dennehotso Sweat Equity Project, creates opportunities to more directly address the issues of homelessness across the Navajo Nation by empowering communities with the basic skills, design principles, and experience needed to build for themselves. The prototype home emphasizes ease of construction, material availability, and expansion through phases.

Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

• Architects: University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF
• Project: Lone Tree | A Sweat Equity Prototype
• Location: Dennehotso, Arizona, USA

West Perspective, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

During the design process, a moment of innovation occurred from a basic framing exercise. We realized a way to maintain efficient use of materials while still allowing for formal adaptability. This discovery was enhanced by the appreciation that the process of assembly needed to be simple in order for the clients to meaningfully participate in the construction. Beginning with the typology of a small single-pitch roof structure (a shed), the design duplicates that form and mirrors it along an axis to expand into a larger volume. The final form, a combination of two joined shed structures, could be configured in multiple ways (gable, butterfly, and so on), and if shifted, imply the possibility for continual expansion. Using two matching shed structures as a starting point, and then shifting the volumes along a central axis, public and private halves were defined, the traditional gable roof form was broken, and most importantly, expansion zones were created in the resulting spaces.

Northeast Perspective, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Southeast Perspective, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Functionally, one half of the building (the first shed) contains private rooms and a plumbing core with bathroom and kitchen bar on either side; the other half is an open plan, intended to serve as a living room, gathering space, and hearth. This public half echoes Navajo concepts found in the traditional Hogan, where families carry out traditional ceremonies and also gather for communal events. The foundation system is split to further emphasize these concepts; the private half is a poured concrete slab, while the public half utilizes a concrete stem wall filled with an adobe earthen floor.

Living Room, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Living Room, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Beyond the delivery of one house, the Navajo community we worked with has received some tangible hands-on experiences working with our design-builders. They participated in demonstrations of local material use, and received the plans for an adaptable home and a building journal that outlines in detail the entire building process. It is hoped that the plans and principles set forth by this prototype will create a lasting legacy.

Main Bedroom, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Secondary Bedroom, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Kitchen, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Kitchen, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Kitchen, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Secondary Bedroom, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Bathroom, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Bathroom, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

South Perspective, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Sweat Equity Client, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Sweat Equity Client, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Plan Variations, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Shifting Volumes Concept Diagram, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Natural Ventilation Diagram, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Section, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Site Plan, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Floor Plan, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Elevations, Image Courtesy © University of Utah – DesignBuildBLUFF

Tags: Arizona, USA

Categories: House, Residential

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