Experimental housing on tap By Koalani Roberts Emerald Contributor A group of University professors hus designed three experimental housing units It hopes will serve as models for Oregon’s wood industry as well as inex pensive student housing. The duplex-type units were designed at the (Cen ter for Housing Innovation, a faculty research group begun four years ago. All will be experiments in building different types of factory-produced homos "Our goal is to help Lane County develop a pre-fabri cation industry to build homes here and ship them elsewhere," said David Corner, CHI director. "I think this absolutely will happen." Corner cited Japan and Hawaii as excellent poten tial markets because land and home prices there are so expensive. Buyers could save money purchasing a house shipped from Ore gon. "CHI in general is inter ested in finding ways to support a sustainable wood products industry that doesn’t exploit resources." said Will Sturges, a re search assistant at the cen ter. "We're working on ma terial efficiency and ways to got more housing with less wood." CHI created the Universi ty Experimental Housing Project to research and de sign different types of in dustrialized housing. All units are designed to be inexpensive, energy effi cient, accessible to the physically disabled and built on small lots to in crease land use density, Sturges said. The three units wens de signed as part of the Stu dent Housing Project, which includes building 20 apartments at 1Hth Avenue and Agate Street and even tually rebuilding Amazon family housing. Each of the three build ings consists of two small two-bedroom, one-bath room apartments — 750 square feet measured from outside the walls. They will be built on a vacant lot in the hast campus area near Villard Street A one-story building will use single stressed skin closed panels This means one solid material with both structural and insulat ing properties would be used for a wail, instead of the standard stud and frame construction that would require added Insu lution. A one-and-a-half story building will use conven tional wood framing, but all the parts will la; factory assembled then construct ed on site. The third building will bo a two-story modular home, completely built and assembled in u factory like; a mobile home, but set down without the wheels or trailer. This allows the homo to meet building code and neighborhood zoning requirements of al most any city. The modular second sto ry of this thirii unit will Ih; set on a first story of con crete blocks insulated on the outside and exposed on the inside. The blcx:ks will increase energy efficiency by radiating heat collected during the day into the apartment at night. However. Eugene's mild climate will make the actu al energy efficiency of this construction difficult to de termine, Corner said. In addition, Comer said the pro-fabricated housing is a design experiment more than it is a groat fi nancial savings He said building 100 units would be very efficient, hut build ing only three Is not. One lesson the designers learned is they can build an affordable and economi cal house, hut outside costs quickly add up. Sturgos said. "It's not us much the de sign or the product that af fects the cost so much as the planning and infra structure." he said. For example, the city re quires they have a concrete alley access poured to each unit This driveway will cost as much as one of the six apartments. Sturges said Also, although housing density is increased, FWhlt stl!! requires there he six separate water meters on the street with six separate water tines. Multi-unit buildings often have one line on the street, branch ing off to feed the Individu al units, 1CHI In general is Interested In finding ways to support a sustainable wood products industry that doesn’t exploit resources Will Sturges, Center tor Housing Innovation research assistant "We need a lot of redun dant systems," Sturges said "There am over-engi neered requirements we can't find a way of avoid ing," The cost of the three buildings. Including con struction. materials, engi neering and permits, is ex pected to be $300,000, Cor ner said. University Housing offi cials do not know how much the units will rent for Current family housing occupants must first agree on how much of the pro ject's cost they will absorb in rent Increases, said Nan cy Wright, University di rector of facilities and capi tal improvements Ail of the new East cam pus housing will bo rented to single graduate students us well as to student fami lies. THE VERDICT IS IN! w TALRAY draws the line on the recession. Enjoy the affordable, quality lifestyle that Talray offers... without breaking the budget or sacrificing the quality that you deserve! 10 apartment and quad locations to choose from starting at *245. 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