Prouvé House CASE STUDY PROUVÉ HOUSE

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Christopher Daniels
6 years ago
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Prouvé House We were asked by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Architects (RSH+P) to initially provide engineering advice and then to fabricate a contemporary adaptation of a historic and collectible,

Made entirely of timber and steel, it could be transported and dismantled easily and was first built to re-house war victims in the Lorraine region of France in 1944.

The adaption by RSH+P was similarly designed to be demountable and assembled with minimal mechanical assistance.

1 Prouvé House We were asked by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Architects (RSH+P) to initially provide engineering advice and then to fabricate a contemporary adaptation of a historic and collectible, demountable house designed by Jean Prouvé. The original demountable house measured 6m x 6m. Made entirely of timber and steel, it could be transported and dismantled easily and was first built to re-house war victims in the Lorraine region of France in Components were shipped directly to bomb-devastated villages where they could be assembled by two people in a day to provide much needed shelter for the homeless. The adaption by RSH+P was similarly designed to be demountable and assembled with minimal mechanical assistance. The sympathetic integration of a new roof, a new floor, a pivoting front deck and high performance thermal insulation into the existing structure, was combined with the creation of two new pods and state-of-the-art off-grid services. These additions employed our detailing and fabrication skills across a broad range of disciplines. The RSH+P designed pods provide compact yet high-tech kitchen and bathroom facilities, carefully designed to simplify their installation on site. We worked in close collaboration with RSH+P, Arup (structure), and Chapman & BDSP (building services) to provide the highly detailed specification as required by the client. The house was showcased at Art Basel 2015.

Renovation of original house The existing structure required various additions and modifications for its repurposing as a

We added a manually operated pivoting deck across the front elevation and three sets of steps created from six blocks of

We also added a new roof, in keeping with the original Prouvé design and insulated with high performance vacuum insulation

In order to integrate the pivoting deck with the house and provide structure to suspend ductwork from for the building

The whole house is supported on screw-jacks fabricated from duplex stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance.

2 Renovation of original house The existing structure required various additions and modifications for its repurposing as a contemporary holiday dwelling for the client. We added a manually operated pivoting deck across the front elevation and three sets of steps created from six blocks of Siberian larch, each with a hollowed-out core. We also added a new roof, in keeping with the original Prouvé design and insulated with high performance vacuum insulation panels. Further insulation was also included within the floor construction. In order to integrate the pivoting deck with the house and provide structure to suspend ductwork from for the building services, we produced supplementary structure that gloved the original Prouvé beams. The whole house is supported on screw-jacks fabricated from duplex stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance. Bespoke cast iron kentledge is used to ballast the structure. Inside the house we fitted a new floor of Siberian larch. We naturally weathered the Siberian Larch outside our workshops for several months in order to attain a patina that would complement the existing walls of the 6x6 house. The new floor included perimeter trench heating and electrical sockets.

Services A fully integrated system of horizontal and vertical trolleys connected to underfloor ducting provide the house with all the required services: electricity, gas,

A fresh water tank with pump service the bathroom and kitchen, a boiler provides hot water for the shower while black water tank and grey water tank enabled waste water

3 Services A fully integrated system of horizontal and vertical trolleys connected to underfloor ducting provide the house with all the required services: electricity, gas, water and waste management. A fresh water tank with pump service the bathroom and kitchen, a boiler provides hot water for the shower while black water tank and grey water tank enabled waste water recycling where possible. Bathroom waste composting is also provided. Four trolleys with photovoltaic panels enabled the house to generate its own electricity with the inverter, controller and batteries housed on a further trollies stationed under and behind the 6x6 house. All elements can be manually assembled and dismantled on site.

The pods: construction The primary structure of the pods comprises steel ring beams for the base and roof which were corrosion protected and finished with a high quality, automotive style pearlescent

The roof structure of each pod has radial beam connected to the ring beam with a central node to provide the required structural performance for the range of anticipated build locations (including

4 The pods: construction The primary structure of the pods comprises steel ring beams for the base and roof which were corrosion protected and finished with a high quality, automotive style pearlescent paint system. The roof structure of each pod has radial beam connected to the ring beam with a central node to provide the required structural performance for the range of anticipated build locations (including consideration of a snow load in Switzerland). The central node also provided a conduit for ventilation. Both the kitchen and bathroom pods include sound attenuated air extractors, the bathroom with additional intelligent energy-saving measures for maintaining extraction from the composting toilet using a wind-driven extractor fan, augmented with an electrically-driven fan that operated below a threshold wind speed. The pod walls comprise a primary frame fabricated from rolled square hollow section aluminium extrusions, with laser cut and rolled aluminium gusset plates riveted to it. The panels are insulated with vacuum insulation panels within the cavities in the construction. Weatherproofing and the aesthetic finish of the panels are achieved with anodised profiled aluminium sheets, rolled to match the curvature of the walls. In terms of weatherproofing, the panels comprise a rainscreen construction: in principle, the external aluminium sheet is riveted to the structure with a vapour permeable waterproofing membrane behind it; while the internal aluminium panel is bonded to the structure to act as a vapour control layer (VCL). The vertical joints between pod wall panels are alternately weatherproofed with compression gaskets and special watertight and gas-tight zips, similar in design to those found on drysuits. The pods are supported on a second type of screw-jack fabricated from duplex stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance. As with the screw-jacks for the 6x6 house, bespoke cast iron kentledge is used to ballast the structure.

Bathroom and Kitchen The compact size of the pods meant that the RSH+P design delivered some clever space saving, utilising spaces such as within door frames, to carry power to the ventilators in

The bathroom itself used a central tri-wall structure to provide a zone for shower, toilet and sink, all of which used Vola fittings. Space for the services was provided by the central core.

5 Bathroom and Kitchen The compact size of the pods meant that the RSH+P design delivered some clever space saving, utilising spaces such as within door frames, to carry power to the ventilators in kitchen and bathroom. The ring beams of both pods were fitted with integral LED lighting and the custom made GRP floor trays were given a rubber floor finish. The bathroom itself used a central tri-wall structure to provide a zone for shower, toilet and sink, all of which used Vola fittings. Space for the services was provided by the central core. Kebony timber, a softwood pressure-treated with a bio resin, was used to create the curved wall panels that clad the central aluminum tri-wall structure. In the kitchen, all facilities, fittings, storage and the cast zinc counters were curved to follow the pod profile. Additions such as pop-up socket towers, custom made hob, shelf lighting and a retractable slatted cupboard door provided the necessary facilities whilst keeping the kitchen uncluttered. Both pods have krypton filled double glazed roof light units complete with solar control coatings to maximise thermal performance and low-iron glass to maximise clarity. Link bridges In order to connect the pods to the house, two short link bridges complete with trench heating were constructed. These glazed units were fitted with thermally insulated double glazing and both internal doors and also external doors. The external doors not only provide access in and out of the house, but reduce the need to use the main doors of the original house during cold or inclement weather.

Premier Inn, Wilson Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 1AE. Site progress report. February 2017

Premier Inn, Wilson Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 1AE Site progress report February 2017 Site set up Currently 4 weeks in to the build the site has been cleared and hoardings have been erected. Welfare cabins