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PALISADES GLACIER MOUNTAIN HUT

AUTONOMOUS DWELLING: A Sustainable Hotel in Mountains: Octahedral, Adaptable Prototype Providing Sustainable Dwelling Environment for Mountain Activities: It is a competition for a sustainable dwelling for mountain activities. The program required 80 guests with 1.5 million USD. We developed a hotel with rock-bed/solar-panel energy sustainability. The structure was formed by using octahedral prototype in order to be adapted to various topographical conditions.

Prototype: with an octahedron, two variation of uses are invented by swinging stairs:
The unit with pyramidal type is for two people staying and the pyramidal space is for four bedroom with bathroom. They can be interconnected with each other through a stair due to the demand for a various types of rooms. As a result, six visitors can lodge in an interconnected room at the same time, so this system can cope with the various types of visitors. The stair is fixed with hinges and rotates vertically, so it can be alternatively used as a ladder
accessing upper bed where it is lifted up. This basic spatial system is arrayed in the ground floor to accommodate a regular range of visitors. On the other hand, more unique spaces are provided on the first floor as a result of the deformation of roof structure. This special space under the undulating roof structure would give a fantastic experience for special visitors including families. The communal space including reception, dining, lounge and storage for outdoor gear is located in-between two arrays of rooms. Staff room is provided behind reception and has independent accessibility from outside and inside hall. The location of kitchen, fish cleaning space on the west side facilitate the everyday service.

Structural Organisation:
The hut requires construction methodology to be adapted in various site conditions. For this purpose, the design process started from selection of an appropriate structural system in mountains. The octahedral structure unit is considered due to the flexibility to be adapted to various topographies of sites, because it has just one foundation for one structural unit unlike a general hexahedral structural unit. The structural system can minimize earthwork, so construction in sites isolated from vehicle access would be facilitated. 6X6 m basic unit is set up in consideration of room
for two visitors. By a conglomerated formation of units the structural stability can be achieved. The given regular form of structural system has been deformed by some spatial and environmental factors. Access from outside, solar angle, wind direction, mass of snow has affected the basic structure and result in the specific deformed structure and space. It is made of timber with the aid of the prefabricated steel place connectors with single bolts through the notched ends of the timber members. In addition, the unit system can easily reflect the flexibility of space including extension in the future.

Sustainability: Circular flow of energy and material:
The built environment takes advantage of the local material as much as possible. Especially, timbers produced locally would be used as a main construction material. The construction process of minimizing the environmental effect on the adjacent area is considered into the selection of structural system as mentioned earlier. After construction, the “Autonomous Dwelling” can be managed with a limited amount of energy, material and food from outside of site. A photovoltaic-thermal hybrid system can harness as much as power and thermal energy required in the hut. The huge gap in temperature between in daytime and night can be utilized as a natural cooling system with an aid of thermal rock bed collected in a adjacent area. Just in winter when solar energy cannot provide as much as energy the deficit is able to burn wood collected carefully in an adjacent forest backs up. Wood is dried with the surplus thermal energy in summer. Fresh water is supplied by a PV-powered water pump and then the grey water is purified naturally in a green house outside the hut. This green house can provide food without break even in winter. The manure produced in a solar assisted natural compost maker with human output and food waste provide the green house with a sufficient nutrient. The wood waste in the process of cutting wood down for a wood burner would be used as well. The ash after the burning process also can be used as a deodorant. With the combination of these facilities the circular environmental system can be established.

Status: Competition Entry| Location: California, USA | Year: 2003 | Architect: Matter Organisation | Budget: 1.5 million UDD | Service Engineer: Byungyun Lee |