A HOUSING SYSTEM:
CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO VARYING TOPOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
By:
PAUL DEAN HOAG
Bachelor of Architecture
University of Oklahoma (1971)
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE, ADVANCED STUDIES
At the
MASSACHUSETTYI/NTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
May, 1973
Author.......
Department Jf Arclitecture
Certified by....
Thesis Advisor
Accepted by
........
ChairUfti Departmental Committee
On Graduate Students
Archives
APR 17 1974
May 11, 1973
Dean William Porter
School of Architecture and Planning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dear Dean Porter:
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture, Advanced Studies, I hereby
submit this thesis entitled:
A HOUSING SYSTEM:
CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO VARYING TOPOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Respectfully,
Paul Dean Hoag
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author gratefully acknowledges the following people
who assisted in the development of this thesis:
Professor Waclaw P. Zalewski, Thesis Advisor
Department of Architecture, M.I .T.
Professor Eduardo F. Catalano
Department of Architecture, M.I.T.
Professor Arthur Bernhardt
Department of Architecture,
M.I.T.
This thesis is dedicated to Linda and Chat.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Letter of Submittal
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Areas of Concern and Restraints
Description of the System
COMPONENTS
DESIGN MODULES
MODULE PLAN RELATIONSHIPS
APARTMENT PLANS
VERTICAL MODULE RELATIONSHIPS
SLOPE ALTERNATIVES
GENERAL SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION
COMPOSITE SITE PLAN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
iv
ABSTRACT
A HOUSING SYSTEM: CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO VARYING TOPOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
By: Paul Dean Hoag
Submitted to the Department of Architecture on May 11,
degree of Master of Architecture, Advanced Studies.
1973, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
This thesis is intended to develop an industrialized system for housing produced in the factory, using both concrete
and steel as structural materials, with the capability of being erected on a site with varying topological conditions.
The written section of this thesis provides a brief description of the system developed and establishes areas of concern,
long range potentials, and constraints within which the design proposal is made.
The design proposal demonstrates how modular coordination of basic living elements with given interior components
can generate many combinations of modules ready for shipment and erection.
Using the sample modules and varying
the module length, the proposal illustrates the many variations possible and demonstrates new site planning concepts
generated by these units.
V
INTRODUCTION
An expanding and shifting population within the United States has its impact focused on the urban areas of the country.
These urban centers already contain over 50/o of the total population and are increasingly faced with growth constraining
factors of excessive land costs as competition for the diminishing available land becomes a more determinant factor.
Much of the steep slope land in these urban areas is within easy access of the urban cores of the various cities.
As a
result, the available sloped land could become highly desirable from a development standpoint.
Because of the close relationship of the sloped land areas to the urban cores, and man's need to be near his work, it
becomes apparent that the sloped land might be utilized for housing. This could be a potentially desirable solution for
the urban areas already faced with serious housing shortages.
At the same time, the basic structure of the typical house in the United States remains unchanged past mid-century
despite early attempts in the use of mass production as far back as the early 1900's.
This has resulted in the continually
spiralling labor and material costs of traditional on-site construction.
The publicity of Moshe Safdie's Habitat at Expo 67, the Operation Breakthrough project sponsored by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development, and the success of the mobile home have encouraged architects, engineers, and
manufacturers to seriously study the potential of dwelling modules.
These modules are suitable for factory production,
vi
and are capable of being transported over our present highway system.
are positioned by cranes and organized in various configurations.
Once the modules have reached the site, they
This approach is a faster and cheaper method of
constructing housing than the conventional on-site method, and will become increasingly more economical as
traditional construction labor costs rise.
Another important aspect of industrialized housing is the ability to maintain a
higher standard of quality control not presently being achieved in conventional construction.
The attempt of this thesis is to develop an industrialized system for housing with the capability of adapting to the urban
areas where high slope ratio of the surrounding terrain prevents expansion under present conventional construction methods.
This system utilizes the present factory technology to produce a finished concrete or steel modular unit which can be
transported to the site, and stacked in an overlapping configuration to reflect the topography of the site or in a vertical,
more conventional high-rise configuration.
vii
AREAS OF CONCERN AND RESTRAINT
UNIT TYPE
Individually shipped manufactured units that incorporate minimum volumes of shipped air and
maximum use of existing technology.
UNIT SIZE
a.
14' - 0" maximum shipping width.
b.
70' - 0" maximum shipping length.
c.
13' - 6" maximum shipping height.
BUILDING CONDITIONS
a.
For high, medium, and low-rise density.
b.
Middle-upper middle income groups.
c.
Provide apartment units with 1-4 bedrooms.
d.
Structural materials to be concrete or steel produced and assembled in a factory.
viii
DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM
The system developed is made of either concrete or steel floor, wall, and ceiling panels that are welded together to
form modular units for housing.
The units are completely finished except for the final utility connection at the site and
minimum interior finishing where more than one module make up a single dwelling unit.
arranged to form different apartment types and sizes.
These modules can be
Emphasis is placed on direct resolution of structural and
mechanical needs, while minimizing the restraints these functions have on planning.
The objective of the terraced configuration is to provide the capability of conforming to different topological
conditions.
Slopes of the sites for the terraced situation can vary from approximately 15 to 32 degrees and maintain
comfortable exterior pedestrian circulation up and down the slope.
For slopes greater than 32 degrees, pedestrian
circulation will be limited to stairs with intermediate landings between apartment levels or through the use of inclined
elevators.
To incorporate the system in a more conventional high-rise configuration, it is necessary to provide full-storey trusses
at every fifth level thereby carrying four levels of modular units. These levels at the trusses could then be left open
or infill construction provided to maintain a pedestrian street.
apartment units or commercial and public space.
The infill construction might then become more
A typical core of elevators and firestairs would be constructed at the
ix
bottom of the slope and wherever necessary to provide ingress and egress to the high-rise configuration.
The high-rise
building then in turn could serve as a supportive structure in terms of services and circulation for the terraced
configuration.
Structural System
The basic structural element is the modular box of either lightweight reinforced concrete panels or steel truss walls.
The concrete unit has vertical ribs cast in at intervals of 3' - 6", while the steel unit has a system of alternating vertical
trusses and steel columns.
In either case, the walls act as beams and are load bearing with welded connections. The
ribs or columns allow for horizontal displacement of the modules at 3' - 6" intervals, thus determining the different
slopes of the terraced configuration, while lessening the weight of the modules in either configuration.
Mechanical System
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are provided by either fan coil, or hot water radiation units with air
conditioning being an option.
Final utility connections are made after the modules are placed at the site.
Kitchen
and bathroom exhausts are ducted through the utility chase to points pre-determined in the total plan.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.
Cornell University, "The New Building Block", Ithaca, New York: Cornell Press, 1969.
2.
Dietz and Cutler, Industrialized Building Systems for Housing, M.I.T. Special Summer Session 1969 & 1970.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, M.I.T. Press, 1971.
3.
M.I.T. 1969 Department of Architecture Research Project with Professor Waclaw Zalewski, "Building on Slopes:
An Approach", Limited published report.
4.
M.I.T. 1971 Department of Architecture Master's Class with Professor Eduardo F. Catalano, "Housing Systems:
Seven Studies for Factory Produced Concrete and Steel Modular Units", Limited published master's thesis, M.I.T.
5.
Safdie, Moshe, Beyond Habitat, Cambridge, Massachusetts, M.I.T. Press, 1971.