Scalable, Sustainable Design
Global design firm Perkins + Will architects has taken a look at what the Demo Hut's approach to building can look like at scale to achieve low-carbon, affordable, sustainable housing.
The Demo Hut is built. Where do we go from here?
The Demo Hut at UC Davis, completed May 2024.
Rendering by Perkins & Will showing how these units can be stacked vertically to achieve density at scale. (Credit: Perkins & Will)
Innovation Starts with Inquiry
In our never-ending quest for applicable knowledge, we push limits, take risks, investigate, and discover. We ask ourselves, “what can we learn from a deeper understanding of a problem that will change and evolve our solutions and free up our minds to find new ones”. This curiosity mindset fuels our inquiry-based design process and helps us to make our ideas clearer, our designs smarter, and our solutions more deeply regenerative.
Perkins&Will
Embodied Carbon Calculation Tool
Image adapted from BS EN 15978:2011 Sustainability of Construction Works -
Assessment of Environmental Performance of Buildings - Calculation Method
Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment
In response to climate emergencies declared around the world, the building industry must rapidly transition into a zero-carbon sector that takes into account both operational and embodied carbon.
What’s at Stake?
In light of the climate crisis, the building industry has a collective responsibility to design buildings, communities, and cities with the lowest possible carbon emissions and with the aspirational goal of creating net zero operational and embodied carbon buildings. If we rise to this challenge, we will stay ahead of regulatory pressures and demonstrate the kind of leadership building industry professionals are capable of.
Carbon Audit of Hut 1.0
With this Hut 1.0 prototype, this multi-disciplinary team embarked on the path to figure out new ways to deliver low carbon, cost effective modular housing.
As part of the iterative process, we analyzed all the building components of the HUT 1.0 prototype and took stock at the current carbon impacts. We have identified a 17% carbon savings with the innovative Plank Concrete-Free foundation. We found carbon reduction opportunities in alternative low carbon products for the insulation, cladding and doors and windows.
HUT 2.0 - Scalability
With the Hut 1.0 prototype, this multi-disciplinary team embarked on the path to figure out new ways to deliver low carbon, cost effective modular housing.
Looking forward to our next iteration - HUT 2.0. This modular housing unit can also scale up, stacking units’ side by side and on top of each other (3 stories possible) and be assembled into larger multi-unit projects.
More than 80% of the embodied carbon in a building's structure is in the floor slabs, walls, and structural foundations.
The GNG emissions by energy end use for commercial and institutional buildings in 2017. Space heating, lighting, and auxxiliary equipment make up 85% of the total GNG emissions for operations. The GNG emissions of each end use in a function of energy use and fuel source.
HUT 2.0 - Embodied Carbon Conservation Measures
A holistic approach to achieve total carbon reductions in the built environment should include operational carbon and embodied carbon.
When looking at HUT 2.0 we need to focus on design strategies that limit embodied carbon, but recognize the emissions associated with building operations.
HUT 2.0 - Scalability + Agriculture
We also interested in paring this low carbon prototype with small scale agriculture that matches food production capabilities with the needs of the inhabitants of each unit.
The full assembly of 32 units = 18 people, a Community Hall and 10,816 square feet of agriculture can been seen in this animation.
