DESIGN
Sustainable Aluminium Living with EcoShelta
Growing populations can make adequate housing a challenge in any part of the world
26 August, 2016
Sustainability-minded planners and architects, furthermore, need to provide homes with a minimal footprint.
Urban planners across the globe share many of the same challenges, and one of them is how to meet the housing and support needs of aging populations. A strategy that many families choose is the "accessory dwelling unit." With their growing popularity, more planners are approving ADU use in their cities – or at least considering it. These small homes, sometimes called "granny flats," are designed as separate living quarters on the same property, and they are ideal for elders who continue independent lifestyles while enjoying close contact with extended family. At the same time, younger family members are on hand to help out when needed, and benefit as well from the multigenerational experience they can share with their loved ones.
Australia, in particular, has seen booming business in the ADU market, and the country is home to architect Stephen Sainsbury and his EcoShelta company. Sainsbury designs and creates modular studios, public shelters and houses – including the two-pod "granny" cabin – with sustainability as his priority.
Australia, in particular, has seen booming business in the ADU market, and the country is home to architect Stephen Sainsbury and his EcoShelta company. Sainsbury designs and creates modular studios, public shelters and houses – including the two-pod "granny" cabin – with sustainability as his priority.
Images: Ecoshelta
The prefabricated pods are made from eco-friendly timber and marine-grade aluminium alloy. The corrugated aluminium, used for the walls and ceilings, was chosen after Sainsbury studied materials for two decades and found it to be the superior option. Many people are aware that aluminium can be recycled repeatedly, but Sainsbury discovered a host of other advantages while designing the EcoShelta.
Among them: The aluminium is five times as strong as steel, just half the weight, and the amount of material needed is reduced to just a quarter. Compared with timber, Sainsbury's company requires just a tenth the material. The aluminium also holds up under the extreme climate conditions of Australia, including blistering heat, bushfires and batten-the-hatches cyclones. While the EcoShelta is used in residential communities, the aluminium units also are used by government agencies and businesses in some of Australia's most rugged terrain and remote locations, from the Outback to the oceanfront.
Among them: The aluminium is five times as strong as steel, just half the weight, and the amount of material needed is reduced to just a quarter. Compared with timber, Sainsbury's company requires just a tenth the material. The aluminium also holds up under the extreme climate conditions of Australia, including blistering heat, bushfires and batten-the-hatches cyclones. While the EcoShelta is used in residential communities, the aluminium units also are used by government agencies and businesses in some of Australia's most rugged terrain and remote locations, from the Outback to the oceanfront.
Image: Ecoshelta
Sainsbury ensures the extraction and manufacturing footprint of the aluminium is as low as possible, from the mining, to the hydro and geothermal smelting and the cutting and welding energy systems. Less obvious advantages include reduced reliance on painting or priming, which means no volatile organic compounds are necessary, and termite-proof materials that reduce the use of insecticides.
Image: Ecoshelta
Almost as stunning as the EcoShelta itself is the mathematical process Sainsbury uses to determine environmental impact in construction, as well as the rigor with which he applies that to EcoShelta products. The company's commitment to transparency means that the algorithm Sainsbury applies to determine the environmental costs of all of his architectural installations is readily available on the website. The designs also consider airflow for ventilation, and solar for lighting and heating and cooling systems.
The EcoShelta is meant to be a housing solution that improves quality of life while building sustainable practices into cities. That helps explain why they are attractive to families who want to welcome an aging loved one. The two-pod cabin, about 60 meters square, is widely accepted in Australia, with streamlined zoning approval in locations that have adopted the ADU as part of a wider community resilience approach focused on aging populations and overall affordable housing needs. But there's another reason people like the EcoShelta: It's prefabricated and easy to put together on-site.
While professional installation is recommended, handier customers can assemble the EcoShelta within a week with a few helpers and a lot of patience. The basic unit contains 3,000 identical screws to complete construction; with a power screwdriver, the EcoShelta can be shipped straight to your door.
The EcoShelta is meant to be a housing solution that improves quality of life while building sustainable practices into cities. That helps explain why they are attractive to families who want to welcome an aging loved one. The two-pod cabin, about 60 meters square, is widely accepted in Australia, with streamlined zoning approval in locations that have adopted the ADU as part of a wider community resilience approach focused on aging populations and overall affordable housing needs. But there's another reason people like the EcoShelta: It's prefabricated and easy to put together on-site.
While professional installation is recommended, handier customers can assemble the EcoShelta within a week with a few helpers and a lot of patience. The basic unit contains 3,000 identical screws to complete construction; with a power screwdriver, the EcoShelta can be shipped straight to your door.
Banner image: Stephen Sainsbury Architects