KieranTimberlake initiates new paradigm in construction in the Chesapeake Bay
[Philadelphia, PA - December 2006] - Fabrication of the Loblolly House, the latest innovation from the creators of SmartWrapTM: The Building Envelope of the Future, was completed last month on Taylor's Island, Maryland. Designed by the Philadelphia-based architecture firm KieranTimberlake, and composed largely of off-site fabricated elements and "smart" components, the 2200-square foot structure was assembled from the platform up in only six weeks. Bensonwood Homes, of Walpole, NH, manufactured the components and installed the design, and Arena Program Management, of Wallingford, PA, completed on-site work.
Unlike many prefabricated homes, which are typically manufactured wholly in a factory and delivered to the site on a flatbed truck, Loblolly House embraces a componentized system which allows for smaller "chunks" to be joined together easily on site by attachment to an aluminum scaffold with a wrench. The design of the house is therefore not restricted to the scale of a truck over the US highway system. Another distinguishing factor is the use of "smart" components Ð floor and ceiling cartridges are fully integrated with radiant floor heating, insulated micro ducts for air conditioning, and wiring for power, lighting, and data. Once on site, the components are plugged to waiting utility hookups.
Just as the "chunks" may be assembled swiftly at the site, so may they be disassembled swiftly, and most importantly, whole. "We envision here a new way in which our architecture, even as it is disassembled at some unknown future time, can be relocated and reassembled in new ways from old parts," remarks architect Stephen Kieran. "Instead of the stream of decomposed debris that comprises much of what we are left with to recycle today, Loblolly House poses a far more extensive agenda of wholesale reclamation."
The architects see Loblolly House as a sounding board to test the appropriateness of this system for much broader applications. According to James Timberlake, "the intention is to think about scalability and mass customization in terms of process, application and final product."
"The truth is that much of what is needed to more efficiently build homes is missing," states Tedd Benson, owner of Bensonwood Homes. "The entire industry is oriented to creating commodity parts and pieces that have to be cut, shaped, assembled and finished on the building site. Nearly every aspect of a building could be made by the manufacturers to have more embedded value if everything was created to be an assembly or a system, rather than disparate parts and pieces. Loblolly is a full-scale example of what some of the components and assemblies could be. Architects, engineers and manufacturers should be paying very close attention."
Founded in 1984, KieranTimberlake is an award-winning and internationally published architecture firm noted for its research, innovation and inventive design. Current commissions include projects for Yale University, Cornell University, the University of Calgary, the Philadelphia Theatre Company and a multi-family housing product for Living Homes.
© 2007 KieranTimberlake
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