– In collaboration with Michal Spory.

Workflow: Revit, SketchUp, Sefaira, Photoshop, Illustrator

The design brief for this studio involved designing 5 low cost single family residences in Des Moines.The task was to design a low cost, net zero home for families unable to afford one. We worked with habitat for humanity to design a comfortable space which for some families were their first.

We went with a combination of passive solar, by orienting the houses to the south creating a trombe with a three season porch and combining below grade trenches & radiant floor heating reducing energy costs.The envelope was designed using a traditional skin with thicker rigid insulation on the exterior membrane to keep cost low with existing materials. The final cost of an individual home came out to $94,000.