- ecoMOD
- eco: ecology; economy
- MOD: modular; modern
- ecoREMOD
- eco: ecology; economy
- RE: regenerate; reframe
- MOD: modular; modern
Until now, sustainable residential design has been a luxury reserved for the wealthy. The sustainable homes that grace the pages of design magazines are beyond the reach of most Americans. Yet it is individuals at low and moderate-income levels who can truly benefit from the reduced energy, water and maintenance costs associated with environmentally responsive homes.
Sustainable residential design has also been associated with new construction, not the preservation of historic buildings. For sustainable design strategies to a broader impact, they must address new and existing building stock. By embracing older buildings, designers can uphold the legacy of historic buildings and landscapes as agents in shaping community.
The ecoMOD project contests these assumptions by creating a series of environmentally sound and highly efficient housing units for affordable housing organizations. The project is engaged in two types of design efforts: ecoMOD projects are newly constructed housing units deploying prefabricated construction strategies and ecoREMOD projects are focused on regenerating and adapting historic buildings. Each ecoMOD unit engages the intersection of sustainable design, affordable housing, and prefabricated construction, while ecoREMOD units do so in historic contexts. ecoMOD XS units are small scale accessory dwelling units to be placed behind or attached to existing homes in urban contexts.
The ecoMOD project aims to bridge this divide by creating a series of environmentally sound, modular housing units for affordable housing organizations. Since the project began in 2004, the project has worked with Habitat for Humanity and Piedmont Housing Alliance to build prototypes, and has also developed prototype designs for the non-profits People Incorporated of Virginia, Jefferson Area Board for Aging and Building a Bridge. The project is directed by faculty members in the University of Virginia School of Architecture and School of Engineering and Applied Science. Graduate and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines manage projects and participate in all aspects of ecoMOD.
… it is individuals at low and moderate-income levels who can truly benefit from the reduced energy, water and maintenance costs associated with environmentally responsive homes
Four ecoMOD projects have been completed to date, creating six housing units– three single family detached homes, an accessory unit behind one of them, and a two-unit condominium. The size of the six completed units ranges from 384 square feet to 1,464 square feet. Each design explores the intersection of sustainable design, affordable housing and prefabricated construction. One of them also explores historic preservation and sustainable renovation.
The ecoMOD teams, typically made up of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, historic preservation, planning, business, environmental science and economics students, participate actively in the design, construction and evaluation phases of the project. Over 300 students have participated since 2004.
ecoMOD was established to build on the University of Virginia’s participation in the 2002 Solar Decathlon Competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The UVA team’s design – known as the Trojan Goat – won 1st Place in the Architecture and Energy Balance categories, and took 2nd Place overall. Since the inception of the project in 2004, the project has worked with various housing organizations and non-profits to build and develop prototypes. After the successful renovation of ecoMOD3’s historic house, ecoMOD branched out to include ecoREMOD.
The design process is embedded in the belief that some practices within current conventional housing construction can be accepted, while others must be directly challenged.
Seven ecoMOD projects have been completed to date: four ecoMOD and two ecoREMOD. Combined, they include eight housing units – four single-family homes, two accessory units, and a two-unit condominium. The size of the eight completed units ranges from 302 square feet to 1,464 square feet.
The project is directed by faculty members in the University of Virginia School of Architecture and School of Engineering and Applied Science. Student teams manage and participate in all aspects of ecoMOD. The teams are typically made up of graduate and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines, including architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, historic preservation, planning, business, environmental science and economics. Over 350 students have participated actively in the design, construction and evaluation phases of the project.
The ecoMOD project – while striving to be both visionary and practical — explores the potential of prefabricated housing, while rethinking certain aspects of it. The design process is embedded in the belief that some practices within current conventional housing construction can be accepted, while others must be directly challenged. Prefabricated components and modules are seldom integrated into historic structures, and conventional prefabricated homes are sited without any consideration of solar or wind orientation, or local hydrology. The buildings themselves are aggressively ‘site-less’ – seemingly adaptable to any environment, yet entirely separate from their surroundings. In contrast, the intent of the ecoMOD designs is to create site-specific homes, using natural lighting and ventilation, non-hazardous materials, renewable energy, and energy-efficient systems to help reduce environmental impact and improve occupant health. The project also creates prefabricated components to be integrated into older homes, and modular additions and detached accessory units for existing homes.
Education remains at the core of the project. The organizers offer an intensive educational opportunity for the future designers of the built environment.