| FAQ
1. What
is BuildingCircles™ Organization?
2. What
are our resouces and expertise?
3. What
will the homes look like? (please
also see Gallery)
4. Why
should these dwellings be integrated into the landscape?
5. Will
making the buildings nature-integrated make the interiors dark?
6. Are
these structures energy efficient?
7. What
are some BuildingCircles’
choices for materials?
8. How
do BCO's new designs compare with similar alternative housing?
9. Can
I do the labor myself to cut my costs?
10. If
I'm not ready to build, can I be active in this project?
11. From
a global perspective, why make changes in how housing is built?
1. What is BuildingCircles™
Organization?
BuildingCircles™ Organization
on
Vashon-Maury Island (VMI), Washington will help build primary residences,
secondary or seasonal homes, or income-producing Accessory Dwelling Units,
as well as adult communities to achieve independent living. We will
facilitate affinity-based communities based on affordable, authentically-green
and nature-integrated housing. We have a particular interest in creating
adult communities now that will be viable in the future as we "age
in place." These projects will demonstrate that intentional community
building, using universal design,
will serve individuals with special needs of all ages and will result in
stronger communities for society.
Ultimately, with motivated people,
available land, and community support, a comprehensive cooperative community
could be built. The community we envision will be based on environmentally
and human-friendly land planning, structures, and relationships.
2. What Are Our Resouces
and Expertise?
Founders and Management:
President, Robert
Bornn
Vice President, Laura
Worth, MSW
Robert Bornn has a longstanding history
of environmental and shelter design for alternative communities beginning
in the 60's with an alternative residential artist community on an island
in Maine. He published the early 70's journal, Island
Quarterly and was inspired by neighboring islander, Buckminster
Fuller.
Robert Bornn and Laura Worth have
moiré than 25 years experience in organizational management, having
raised more than $3.5 million to finance their projects. They have
extensive experience building small teams of motivated and expert professionals
dedicated to significant projects like medical electronic devices for the
sleep industry and the special needs community. They have managed
R&D and designed and managed the clinical research of Robert’s medical
device inventions at UCSF and Stanford University.
They obtained FDA permission to market their devices. They are seasoned
in joint ventures and product licensing. Management will contract
with qualified organizations for development and construction of energy
efficient, nature-integrated homes utilizing universal design.
Advisors
Nancy
Henderson, LEED, AP founded
ArchEcology out of a passion for housing and sustainable design.
She has over 13 years experience most of which has been focused on multi-family
and mixed use developments. While at GGLO she chaired the Sustainable
Design group for five years. During that time she lead in-house education
efforts which resulted in a third of the office becoming LEED accredited,
adoption of an Environmental Policy, and development of an Environmental
Management Plan. Projects pursuing LEED certification went from one
in 2001 to more than 15 in 2006. She also founded the Affordable
Housing Action Team to develop a focused expertise in the office to specifically
address the unique needs of affordable housing.
Jon
McWhirter, Ph.D., P.E., Engineer. Jon
McWhirter has a professional career in energy and energy conversion technology
spanning over 25 years. He has a doctorate in thermal sciences and
has worked as a professor, consultant, researcher, and international fellow.
Jon has authored technical papers in several topics relating to energy
conversion and storage. Jon teaches engineering part-time for the St. Martin’s
University satellite campus in Bremerton. He is a registered professional
engineer in Washington and Idaho. With two young children living on Vashon
Island, he has a vested interest in the island’s future and well-being.
(home page)
3. What will the homes look
like?
| These custom-designed,
nature-integrated homes can look and feel to your liking. Only your
imagination can limit the possibilities.
As an example, in the BCO
Universal Design Series, the homes appear to “grow” naturally out of
the ground. Gentle contours and landscaped earth-berming rise to
the lower sills of recessed windows. In between the windows and doors
the ground will contour gently to the living roof, blending with nature.
In turn the eaves can support vegetation (i.e. vines or other climbing
plants) which descend down to the top sill of windows and doors.
Although the homes are sheltered by
earth and vegetation, their "above grade" siting will permit abundant light
through windows and skylights.
Nature-Integrated Homestead
"Accessory
Dwelling Unit"
(2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1000
sq. ft.
Floor
Plan in the
BCO
Universal Design Series)
Floor Plan by Nancy
Henderson, LEED, AP
(click
for enlargement - 903KB)
|
Nature-Integrated Homestead
"Accessory
Dwelling Unit"
(2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1000
sq. ft. Floor Plan in the
BCO
Universal Design Series)
Aerial View
(click picture for enlargement)
Illustrative Site Plan Courtesy of
Barbara Oakrock of Oakrock Design
Studio
(Please also
see Gallery)
Whimsical "Hobbit House"
"Accessory
Dwelling Unit"
(2-Bedroom, 2-Bath, 1000
sq. ft. Floor Plan in the
BCO
Universal Design Series)
(click picture for enlargement)
Conceptual Rendering by Nancy
Henderson, LEED, AP
(Please also
see Gallery)
|
Individual choice of landscaping,
stonework facades, doors, windows, decks, and courtyards will make each
home a unique expression of the owner's taste. The interiors will
also reflect owner choices for maximum comfort, style, and sustainability. |
Examples of World Architecture
Using Similar Design Elements
There are many examples from around the
world with similar design elements.
Hockerton, England
Housing Project
-
5 attached residential homes on 25
acres
-
leasehold, each unit 1800 sq. ft.
-
Developed by group of five families
-
Entirely off-the-grid electrical,
water, sewer
|
Sun Porch
Hockerton, England
(Please also
see Gallery)
|
4. Why should these dwellings
be integrated into the landscape?
Because nature-integration can support:
-
More healthy and harmonious reconnection
to the earth.
-
Better use of hillsides for dwellings
and terraced food production, freeing valuable flat land for larger scale
agriculture.
-
Local energy and food producing
technologies.
-
Cost-efficient shelter construction.
-
Decreased dependency upon distant
centralized
power production.
5. Will making the buildings
nature-integrated make the interiors dark?
No, these buildings can be varied
in orientation and have large glazed areas (windows), doors, skylights,
light-tubes, courtyards, and a variety of conventional and innovative lighting.
Nature integration can be achieved with a combination of landscaping, contouring,
and a certain amount of earth-sheltering. This
can provide a buffer for the insulation on the outside of the walls and
on the roof. Insulated shutters can provide for protection during
severe storms and insulated curtains can help retain warmth at night.
| 6. Are these structures
energy efficient?
A premise behind the design philosophy
of BuildingCircles is that basic shelter should contribute
toward its own internal heating and cooling. It should be supported
by annual solar heat storage and other alternative, non-carbon dioxide
producing energy systems. Relatively large amounts of thermal energy
can be derived from daily solar gain and stored seasonally in the ground
for interior and hot water heating. The maximization of this solar
gain may best be achieved by utilizing landscape-integrated buildings.
Additionally, the single most effective method for conserving energy from
the start is with sufficient high quality insulation. Cooling can
be achieved with the use of a buried (4'-6') "ground loop" circulating
50° ± F. water.
|
The above shows an optional
pond area for a second version
of SolarHarvester
*
|
SolarHarvester Solar Heat
Collector *
* Please see links
page for information about SolarHarvester, a BCO system for
collecting solar heat and storing it in an insulated water, ground, or
rock medium for use year-round in Northern latitude locations such as the
Pacific Northwest. The proposed structure for solar heat collection
drawn above is a sun room or raised bed greenhouse. Year-round heat storage
in this version is in a water cistern under the house. Further technical
details are available.
Other heat collection and storage
structures are also possible, such as the solar ponds version illustrated
to the left.
Heat collection and storage systems
like BCO's SolarHarvester
are used worldwide for year-round, carbon-neutral
heating of both water and the interiors of
buildings.
|
7. What are some BuildingCircles’
choices
for materials?
BuildingCircles will
use a combination of nature-integrated ferrocement
and other building materials and methods to construct residential dwellings,
open clustered homes, and small-scale commercial buildings. Examples
of other advanced materials choices under consideration include soy-based
spray foam insulation (to replace petroleum-based products) and LED
lighting adapted for AC current (for safer, long-lasting light bulbs
without hazardous waste), both of which are now commercially available. The
homes will be nature-integrated, restoring much of the “footprint” of each
building to the ecosystem. These houses will result in durable, vermin-
and fire-resistant structures, capable of supporting living roofs and requiring
minimal external energy supply.
8. How do BCO's new designs compare
with similar alternative housing?
More specifically, how do BCO's new
designs compare with other earth-sheltered or nature-integrated homes with
respect to structural integrity, humidity and temperature control, natural
lighting, and mold, vermin, and insect control? How do BCO designs
compare to other commercially available concrete dome housing?
BCO homes will be structurally engineered
to meet or exceed building code standards for fire and earthquake resistance
as well as other structural requirements. They are designed to prevent
mold, vermin, and insect infiltration. Well-designed ventilation
will maintain the necessary neutral internal air pressure that will achieve
optimal airflow and control water seepage. The unique BCO system
for annual solar heating and ground-loop cooling will ensure year-round
temperature control without the erratic overheating associated with many
passive solar heating systems. Modern ferrocement can be treated
to improve water resistance and expert BCO technical design will ensure
optimal correct soil drainage and water run-off.
In addition to the insulative value
of concrete and earth, additional insulation choices include biodegradable,
soy-based spray foam insulation (to replace petroleum-based, potentially
toxic products).
Unlike some above-grade dome housing,
BCO homes can appear to “grow” naturally out of the landscape without rigid,
bunker-like, geometric shapes. The concrete structure need not be
visible at all unless an owner specifies it for some portion of the home.
Because of
the high level of insulation in BCO homes, more window surface will be
permitted by code than is allowed in conventional homes. Natural lighting
will further be assured with skylights, light-tubes, and conventional above-grade
glazing using highly energy-efficient thermal-glass components.
9. Can I do the labor myself
to cut my costs?
Some on-site building methods can
be learned quickly by those unskilled in construction under direct supervision
of an architect and other construction personnel.
10. If I'm not ready to build,
can I be active in this project?
We expect many people to be
involved in BuildingCircles as "advisors" and "explorers."
Please feel free to contact us about what you know or can share.
11. From a global perspective,
why make changes in how housing is built?
Across a variety of regions, world
cultures, and demographics people need more affordable housing. Conventional
houses in developed and developing nations alike are expensive to build
and expensive to maintain. Conventional buildings are subject to
damage from earthquake, fire, and vermin. The footprints of conventional
buildings keep reducing the surrounding ecosystem viability. A continuous
increase in CO2 and related emissions
must, and can, be reversed.
Of global concern, it is estimated
that one-third, or more than 2 billion of the world’s people, are
living today in significantly substandard housing. If uncorrected
these slum/shantytown residents will increase to 6 billion people, or two-thirds
of the then world’s people, in 20 years. Virtually all
substantial population growth is expected to occur in developing nations
with the highest percentage having either no housing or inadequate housing.
As the number of people escalates, efficient use of energy, water, and
land for human shelter and agriculture will increase in importance to the
point where global security will depend on the fair distribution
of life-sustaining resources.
| This FAQ is for educational purposes
only. It is not a substitute for professional consultation.
No claim is made or implied that the ideas and inventions herein are applicable
to any other manufactured housing, building, or land use project.
Nor do they represent in any way consulting services of any kind.
Nothing herein is an offer to sell, transfer, license, or permit the use
of any proprietary method or technology described herein. Nor should
anything herein be construed as an offer to buy, sell, or transfer securities.
Relevant information will be provided upon request. |
|
|
