5.28.2009
5.27.2009
C-Day + 21
Finally got started on the roof despite weather concerns! Things went well, the weather held out. Although we had to make an extra trip out to the lumber yard we are still on schedule.
The front frame and sole have been fabricated and bolted to the two steel knuckles/corners of the container. Even without the rest of the frame up yet the front is quite sturdy.
The plan to use the U-Bolts for attachment to the container worked great! There is enough wood and matériel on site to finish the sole and frame astern. It is really starting to look like a workshop there now!
FYI: I am hosting the first "Open House" Friday, June 5th - 7th for anyone who wants to come and explore the site.
Email me if you'd be interested in attending. Food, Alcohol, Accommodations and Patience are limited!
5.26.2009
1982 Mercedes Benz 240D Diesel
Ready, willing and able......
This beast is going to run on waste vegetable oil.
More to come on this project, Stay tuned!
5.25.2009
Exterior Study 06
The most recent design work I've done. Shown here is the single sloped roof over a wood truss style frame to support the roof and provide an "attic" space between the roof and the container, and a deck/patio area made from wood pallets set on block. The container is also sitting on block.
Rain Harvesting Study 03
Rain Harvesting is an ancient and incredibly practical approach to supplying safe fresh water with relative convenience and affordability. Some research I've done on the subject suggests the area of Pennsylvania the prototype is being built in gets approximately 45 inches of rain per year (with it raining 155 days out of the year). This makes it quite suitable for a rain harvesting/catchment system. Assuming this is their only source for water, two people and a dog would need to harvest somewhere between 4-500 gallons of water per month. This includes all washing including clothes, drinking water, cooking and showers. This also assumes the toilet to be waterless and the shower to be "low-flow". Based on these parameters and using a calculation I found for converting inches of rain to gallons and based on the square footage of this model's roof (288 sq./ft.) suggests as much as 600 gallons of water per month could be harvested in this climate region, more than enough to support the inhabitants of the Ark.
Rain Harvesting Study 03
Here I've removed the roof and siding to reveal the wood frame and the two 275 gallon palletized poly-tanks this design would use to store potable water. The gutter is standard, and the down pipe is 2 inches in diameter...
Rain Harvesting Study 03
...The rain water flows down the gutter and spout to the orange 5 gallon bucket, the top half of which is filled with gravel like stones, the bottom half a finer sand aggregate. This is the first stage of filtration and helps to keep "itsy-bitsy spiders" and other large debris from getting any further into the water system. I later added a second 5 gallon bucket to this design concept which is filled with activated carbon before the water is drained into the blue 55 gallon drum. From there it would be pumped by hand up through hose to the "attic" where it would enter the reverse osmosis filtration system (not pictured) and finally the large 275 gallon tanks.
Interior Study 03
Seen here is a built in propane space heater. Although, currently propane is not going to be a source for heat in the prototype.
Interior Study 03
The wood stove is based on a small portable steel stove used in ice fishing cabins. The floor would be composed of recycled glass aggregate at the front and sustainably harvested cork for the remaining area. A 12 volt microwave, two-burner propane stove top and a 12 volt mini-fridge. (Update: The fridge is officially out as its front opening door allows all the cold air to spill out wasting exorbitant amounts of energy to maintain temperature, instead we will build a custom refrigeration unit that is top loaded and heavily insulated.)
Interior Study 03
The bed is a scale representation of a "Double" sized mattress. I also designed the bench seat towards the rear to conform to restaurant standards for booth style seating.
Interior Study 03
This study was centered around the "Matroshka Compact Living Concept" inspired modular interior. I think it represents most closely what I'd like to achieve with the Ark prototype. We will see...
Exterior Study 05
Study 05 is simply five 20' containers welded together with an A-Frame roof set inside the footprint of a scale model of my Grandmother's concrete block basement foundation. I really like the idea of retrofitting containers to existing foundations that have outlived their original building. Especially old barns...
Interior Study 02
Study 02 was fun to make. Really it was about three things, a flat-pack wooden chair I saw on the web somewhere that I wanted to play around with; a modular kitchen and living space; and cool red movie theater style seats!
Interior Study 02
There is a shipping container house I've seen where the builder used these interesting looking steel feet that fit to the corners of the container. Here I considered something slightly more complicated where the feet would be part of a steel frame which the container could be then bolted to.
Interior Study 01
The partially completed interior is depicted here with two folding chairs set at a folding table which is actually the full sized bed that is vertically secured (Murphy bed style) into the larger cabinetry. This is my first attempt at designing modular cabinetry and compact built-in furniture, etc.
Interior Study 01
...And here the bed is lowered into place, the folding chairs tucked away and some extra shelves and stowage accessible when the Murphy bed/table is in this "mode".
Interior Study 01
This interior design study really helped me get a feel for what was possible inside the 160 sq/ft space. Although the wood stove as it looks here would not be practical. I quickly learned that I was going to need to cut out a lot of fat from this design if it was ever going to work in the real world.
Exterior Study 01 "Guybox"
The "Guybox" is an early model I designed utilizing a unique "V" shaped roof which is intended to help with heat convection. Also pictured here are two 175 Watt PV panels and a solar water heater.
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Browse around and be sure to check out the archive located on the right as well as the tabs at the top. There will be plenty of updates to come [videos, photos, links etc.] so be sure to check back regularly.
Thanks for all your support.
Enjoy your stay!
