Smart & Stylish Modular Housing. The House Arc By Bellamo Architects.

The House Arc is a modular off-the-grid housing solution where the pieces are shipped (ideally, fabricated locally) to the site and erected by the user or community. The future goal of the House Arc is to house people in devastated areas after catastrophic events and replace housing that was not built to withstand such forces.





The House Arc could be utilized in locations where natural disasters have displaced people, such as Haiti and New Orleans. Hopefully, organizations dedicated to finding the most affordable off-the-grid modular housing solutions will consider the House Arc.



The first House Arc was permanently installed on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2010 (a time lapse video of that construction can be seen at the end of this post.) Large windows provide natural light, maintain views, and funnel in ocean breezes to cool the interior while the shading trellis limits heat infiltration.





The raised structure allows air to flow underneath for cooling, functions with the site terrain, and maintains the permeability of the site.




The House Arc’s simple and modular design allows it to be assembled extremely quickly. Construction assembly is much like building modular furniture with a kit of parts and an easy-to-follow, graphic installation manual requiring no special training.



Time lapse video of the House Arc being constructed in Hawaii:


Bellomo Architects

Check Out The Tetra Shed. A Modern Modular Office Pod Available Next Month.

A Mod pod that rocks. Available as of January 2012 is yet another modular office pod from the UK (they are big on garden sheds and modular pods). The tetra shed® by architect David Ajasa-Adekunle of Innovation Imperative is a new modular building system which, as a single module, has been designed to be a modern garden office.



The tetra shed® is available with external finishes in any RAL colour or clad in either copper, zinc, corten steel or marine plywood.







Inside, the tetra-shed can be internally lined in either birch faced plywood or plasterboard.





A double module layout has also been designed to create a larger office for larger gardens.



Clusters of up to 6 modules have primarily been designed as additional work, rest and play space for homes. Larger tessellations can be used for a range of applications such as classrooms, exhibition space, corporate events, tourism & leisure facilities and retail space. Designed to exceed the building regulations, tetra shed® is suitable for permanent year-round use.
additional images courtesy of sinbad design

Tetra Shed

Modern London Suburban Studio with Sedum Roof and Heated Paddling Pool by Ashton Porter.

North London architecture firm Ashton Porter added this fabulous modern studio with rooftop garden, heated paddling pool, full kitchen and more to a suburban home.





The studio is located in a typical Victorian suburban garden. Its main facade which faces the garden floats above a glass panel and forms a screen to separate the work space of the studio from the domestic garden.




The typical green suburban garden is replaced by a folded timber landscape characterized by a pop up landscape of activities including a heated paddling pool, a sand pit and a fire pit.





The materials of the studio make reference to the suburban context; timber cladding echoes domestic fencing, corrugated aluminum refers to inter-war prefabricated garages and a former Anderson shelter.




The studio is super-insulated and benefits from a sedum roof; heating is provided by Apple Macintosh computers with very occasional recourse to underfloor heating.







The main facade is unsupported along its full length and rests on cantilevered side walls. The wall construction is entirely from stressed ply composite panels with no hidden steel supporting frame.





Ground was first broken in September 2005 for footings and to install water, electrical, gas and communications services. The studio was ready for occupation in April 2008. Since then the garden as completed and the main house has been refurbished with a new rear addition and remodelling. This was completed in Spring 2010.




all images courtesy of Ashton Porter and photographed by Riddle Stagg

ashton porter are an architectural practice based in the North London suburbs.