micro-studios from prefab to reality
architecture | huts by steve sopinka
ice huts weather economics cl imate l ight
december 15 Over the past year or so (since my ice hut exploration that appeared in On Site 21: weather ) I have been doing a lot of thinking/designing of a very small multi-purpose permitless building. A combination of economics, retreat and the desire to cultivate new space, this 10 x 10’ building would potentially be used as a shed, studio, cabin, yoga retreat, office, kid’s space, ice hut or any combination of these. Being prefabricated and assembled as one might assemble an Ikea kitchen with no building permit required, it allows a certain freedom to exist, both in design and in construction. There are many versions of this concept all over the world – it is a familiar genre. One thing though is how common these buildings are on the internet (in theory), but I never see or hear of them being built in the Canadian context. They seem so convincing in theory, but haven’t necessarily translated themselves onto land yet. I’m curious as to why these are so appealing and sought after in the architecture world, but relatively non-existent in the ‘real’ world. A draft of my (design) idea is below. As modest as it is, the idea was to create an exterior that was very shed-like and then fine-tune the interior into a more refined space. I’m interested in it being highly adaptable to different environments (rural, urban, mobile on ice). Where some of it breaks down, for me, is how to integrate services like water, heat and electricity and still have it affordable, mobile and permit-free. Over all, I do feel like this idea of a micro-building is a response to shifting economic and attitudes that embrace efficiency and compactness. I suppose it comes down to real costs in the end. Is this building $4000, $7000 or $10000? When does it not become economical? What is 100 sq/ft of portable office space worth in an urban environment? Who would build it? Can one building suit all sites and most Canadian climates?
january 18 I’ve been dragging myself on the small things article, and it hasn’t really gone anywhere. And now it seems to be on hold due to an exhibition I’ll be going in called Ice Follies (www.icefollies. ca) happening out on frozen Lake Nipissing in early Feb. I’m designing/constructing an ice hut (or at least my interpretation of an ice hut) and so this has been taking up a lot of my time. february 26 My ice hut has been out on Lake Nipissing for a couple of weeks now. It’s not exactly an efficient use of wood, or very practical or functional as an ice hut, but it is what it is. There is plexiglas dadoed in between each wood band. Until you get up close to it, you can’t see the plexi (so the inside is more sheltered than it appears). Anyway, it was a neat project – to design and build something in a relatively short period of time – and to follow an idea through. For me, small translates into immediacy, which is a nice change from institutional work. feb 27 Initially I hadn’t really thought about it so much at night, and I do think that the night shots are more compelling than the daytime ones. I also built it in a relatively small warehouse, so never was able to view it from afar until it was out on the ice. I was pleased with the outcome, but more than anything, I was just glad that it didn’t get damaged en-route on the flat bed, and then during towing out on the ice with a pick-up. And yes, there are about 150 pieces of 3/16” plexi (1.5 x 8”), and a dado on each face of the 2x3.
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On Site review 23 Small Things
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