Design of a Sustainable Housing Relief Unit

The UKID Students for Design Innovation & Sustainable Environments is a group of upper level interior design students at the University of Kentucky. The group was presented with the challenge of designing housing units for housing relief in areas throughout the world that have experienced natural disasters. The research objectives included the design of structures that could be prefabricated; would use over 95% recycled materials; and could be shipped in flat packs for assembly at the location where needed. The units also are designed to withstand local environmental conditions, and the conditions resulting from earthquakes, hurricanes and flooding. As a result of the research, the group chose to design the housing units using a material whose trade name is Homasote. Homasote is an environmentally-intelligent building and industrial packaging material made of 98% post-consumer recycled paper. In this project the research has shown that this material has the necessary strength to function as wall studs and joists, along with sheathing panels for roofing, walls, and floors. Other characteristics include moisture and mold resistance, integral protection against termites and fungi, and fire protection. All of the components of the housing units will be made from Homasote sheets measuring 8 feet x 4 feet x ½”. The project also is intended to create awareness about the sustainable nature of Homasote as a building material. The student group will soon be contacting disaster relief agencies around the world to find partners in the building and shipment of these environmentally-friendly and affordable housing units