Res Communis and Living Buildings
Are you ready to get inspired by two brothers (ages 22 and 30) from Portland, Oregon, who are single handedly developing one of the first residential “Living Buildings” in the country?
Dustin and his brother Garrett Moon, whom I saw present last week at the Living Future Unconference in Vancouver B.C., are in the process of raising $200,000 to construct “The Commons“, a project conceived to push the envelope on what it means to live communally and sustainably. Their new home in Southeast Portland will be built in place of an existing inefficient home they bought for $195,000 in 2007 on Craigslist.
According to their website, the Moon brothers have three main goals with The Commons: to answer the Living Building Challenge; to design and develop a communal living space for two families; and to study, learn, exemplify and contribute to the knowledge of sustainable designs and dwellings. They are attempting to accomplish all this by building the house themselves.
I have discussed the Living Building Challenge in previous posts but it is refreshing to discuss a project that is actively pursuing it. This project goes exactly where GreenFab believes all new construction needs to be - above LEED platinum.
From the images above, sustainable features include: (1) green roof, (2) rain catchment system, (3) translucent movable roof, (4) movable wall, (5) insulating concrete walls, (6) photovoltaic modules, and (7) subterranean shop with garden above.
Another feature of their home that is raising a few heads is an earthen floor constructed of dirt, raw earth, and other ground materials. Much like concrete, the material is mixed with sand, straw and clay and spread out to form a strong layer suitable for any living surface. To some, these design features may seem extreme, but to the Moons it is their way of creating what they believe can be a “mainstream counter-point to irrational consumption.” According to Dustin, “If we do this right, this house can survive on its own. It’s not a doomsday scenario, it just makes sense.”
Their goal is to move into their new “Living Building” by summer or fall of next year.
Res Communis is also involved with another project called “Block” on the Bellingham waterfront in Washington. Proposed on a brownfield site, Block is a mixed-use development made out of reused shipping containers. This project yields low embodied-energy, onsite water and energy management as well as monetary incentives for using alternative transportation. Check out the latest Bellingham Waterfront redevelopment news.
I would love to know what readers think of The Commons. In my opinion, the concepts and philosophies that the Moon brothers are implementing with this project is an example that more developers need to follow. As the founder of GreenFab, I know that our future projects will make every possible stride to do the same.
Source: Oregonlive.com
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