Brien Tal-Baker
Username
Brien Baker
Proposer First Name
Brien
Proposer Email
brien@simplecitystudio.com
Proposer Last Name
Baker

Boston 2021 Areas of Focus

Proposer Company/Organization
Simple City Studio
Proposer Phone
(206) 375-5126
Proposer Job Title
Owner/Architect
Proposed Session Description
Join Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, Simple City Studio, and VEIC to discuss PV Habitat’s recent award-winning experiment in affordable net-zero housing. After completing two modular homes and one site-built home, PV Habitat compares build time, cost, and energy efficiency between modular and stick-built construction, focusing on the trade-offs between affordability and energy efficiency, and examining where design can simplify or complicate a build. At the cutting edge of affordable housing, these recent builds expand on PV Habitat’s efforts to build small, durable, and affordable homes, and demonstrate that a home does not have to be expensive to be innovative and energy-efficient. We believe that small, durable, zero net energy homes can pave a way to the future of affordable homeownership, where energy efficiency renders utility bills obsolete and well-designed small homes offer sufficient, flexible spaces for a variety of family sizes.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Habitat for Humanity works directly to advance equity and inclusion in homeownership, and to ensure that the homes they build are pushing boundaries on what's possible in terms of building performance on a limited budget.
Learning Objectives
Understand the context of affordable housing and Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity's approach to providing housing. This will contextualize the choices made and the difference in construction techniques.
Understand the difference between the two construction methods used on the houses, and why these methods might be chosen given the requirements of a particular project.
Understand the difference in overall costs between the houses and what factors influenced those costs.
Understand the difference in energy performance between the houses and what factors influenced the performance.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 1 - No prior knowledge needed.
Recommended Length
60-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2021

Reviewer 1
Jones, Emily
Reviewer 2
Stuart, Stephen
Curator
Stuart, Stephen
Proposal #
150
Session #
710
Committee Decision
Accepted

Presenters

Full Description
It creates a direct comparison between two building methodologies. The stick built and modular designs are nearly identical and built adjacent to each other, creating ideal conditions for comparison of cost and performance. This will give attendees insight when considering construction methods on their own projects.