| The 399 square foot Santiago Adobe is made on-site using local soil harvested from excavation, augmented with clay overburden from a nearby aggregate mine. The adobe soil is mixed and molded in wooden forms, and the bricks are set in the sun to dry. Phased construction is scheduled, starting with the shading pergola which will provide an area for sheltered construction staging. The depressed slab provides additional earth sheltering and takes advantage of over-excavation usually required by code due to the area’s loose, granitic soils. The Adobe is stabilized with asphalt emulsion, a low-embodied carbon and traditional Californian use of a by-product of petroleum refining reflective of the project's ethic of practical (rather than fundamentalist) sustainability.
The region experiences extreme day-to-night temperature variation that favors high thermal mass construction, which absorbs indoor heat and releases it slowly throughout the day and into the evening. With hot, dry summers and cold, stark winters, over the course of a year, the temperature can vary from 34°F to 96°F. In order to address these conditions, the building is designed around solar orientation and shading. East-west orientation minimizes heat gain during the summer months, and south facing glazing is sized and shaded to protect the building from undesirable heat gain while allowing entry of the low winter sun. The all-electric home uses 100% on-site renewable energy provided by photovoltaics allowing lower operational costs and no ongoing expenses related to grid connection.
Santiago Adobe consists of a simple rectangular volume with open floor plan and split-level loft bedroom perched above the bathroom and utility area. As the building is designed around California’s Tiny House Code which limits the building area to less than 400 square feet, the layout employs an incredibly efficient use of space, with custom furniture and clever storage solutions which make the most of spatial constraints. Patio doors open on either side of the living room, and the south facing side of the kitchen, to allow for cross ventilation, and to extend the living space into the outdoors. An adobe banco / seat wall wraps around the perimeter of the patio and connects to an outdoor adobe wood burning stove, which provides heating to the property. Native, drought-resistant plants surround the property. Interior finishes include exposed adobe brick, laminated OSB finish and sheathing for stairs, cabinetry, and millwork; dimensional lumber joists for roof & loft framing; simple geometric tile for the bathroom with off-the-shelf fixtures; and solid wood framed windows & doors.
In the context of a housing crisis created by exclusionary land use and planning policies, as well as widespread conversion of long-term rentals into short-term tourist accommodation, this model empowers everyday people to pick up a shovel and build their own home using the soil beneath their feet. It is driven by the resourcefulness of millennia of individuals living in the Mojave. The project address the issues brought about by imminent climate change through solar orientation, shading strategies and self-sufficient renewable energy. |
