Roundhouse by Eli Attia
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.21.08
Architect Eli Attia tells Forbes Magazine "Enough of this nonsense of building homes the way we did 100 years ago, It's all a waste."
So what is he building in Beverley Hills? A 13,000 square foot roundhouse- instead of a McMansion it is a giant round McPatty. It is prefab, recycled steel, has rainwater collection and a green roof. It is true that a circle of a given perimeter encloses more area than a square of the same perimeter, so there is some logic to this if you can figure out how to furnish the round rooms (speak to anyone who has ever lived in a dome about this.) Attia says "We have to be more efficient in how we build,We can't afford not to be."
Forbes notes that ``There are some construction efficiencies to a Roundhouse. Wiring, water pipes and heating/cooling ducts can radiate from a central utility core, shortening runs of these copper-rich connections. Interior walls can be either movable and modular or easily constructed bulwarks of studs and drywall. In colder climates exterior walls will consist almost entirely of argon-filled thermopane glass. Equipped with computer-controlled blinds, these walls could, depending on temperature and the need for light, insulate the house or fill it with the sun's rays.``
But 13,000 square feet does not a sustainable house make. Come back when you cut the area by a factor of eight or ten and we might have a model worth emulating. ::Forbes and ::Roundhouse
Don't knock it just on its size. Just change the interior for multi-family use!
Composing the exterior entirely by argon-filled thermopane might be likely to get an R-10 rating if curtains are used all around the house. That's horrible for efficiency and heating.
Try cob. Built in furniture, very small homes with an amazing feel.
www.cobworks.com www.klierwerks.com or search for cob cottage.
much more realistic for the world we're headed towards - or try round strawbale. been done, elegantly!
13,000 sq. ft. is most definitely green and sustainable, right?
My question is, was this building built like every other one in that the cost for tearing it down is built into the cost of construction?