Descripción del proyecto por Description of project by The Backcountry Hut Company
In 2015, architect Michael Leckie co-founded The Backcountry Hut Company with the vision of creating prototypes for simple, recreational structures that could be easily installed in remote locations by groups of volunteers. The Backcountry Hut was designed for flexibility in recreational use, suitable for the outdoor enthusiast, outdoor clubs, alpine associations, and backcountry lodge operators.
Inspired by the idea of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad of providing affordable well-designed products ‘for the many people’, The Backcountry Hut Company provides a turnkey solution to housing through the provision of a flat pre-packed assembly system with the following characteristics:
Prefabrication: The ‘kit of parts’ hut system is designed as an engineered wood post-and-beam skeleton that is then layered with prefabricated insulated panels. A simple nail-on window system is provided, and prefabricated cladding modules are then applied.
Modularity: The standardized structural modules can be combined adjust the size, and adapt the structure for different needs, whether for one person, or a group; for short term shelter or prolonged inhabitation.
Ease of Assembly: The components easily fit together with pre-engineered connections, and the scale of the building affords it’s assembly by a group of volunteers with minimal tools, through the use of traditional ‘barn-raising’ techniques. The system is built on a pile system, with minimal site work required.
Customization: The shell and interior fit-out are separate platforms, allowing for customization for a range of possible needs and scenarios – whether the intended use is for outdoor recreation or urban living.
Sustainability: The hut uses FSC certified lumber and engineered wood products, 100% recyclable components, and adopts a zero-waste philosophy with minimal site imprint.
This simple cabin project is situated further within the political scope of principles and methodologies that allow for lay people to have more agency in building their own housing, by lowering the barrier of entry and, ultimately, having more accountability in shaping their communities. The scheme disrupts traditional thinking and practice of architecture through the momentum of the growing self-build and DIY housing movement.
The self-build model is currently evolving around challenges posed by some local regulations, which potentially limits the scope of accessibility that is promised through DIY housing through limitations on building qualifications and legality. In urban sites, there are also tight zoning regulations and neighbourhood concerns to contend with, which place unique constraints on the potential for strategic application of self-build through infill development. These are all very critical issues to the DIY housing movement across North America, and emphasize the need to make affordable housing more widely accessible at all stages of its development.
The project is further informed in part by the modular principles of urban development introduced in: Yona Friedman's research into prefabrication and the "dilution of architecture" for greater accessibility in formally shaping residential structures; social housing projects that enable incremental development by Alejandro Aravena and ELEMENTAL; Dutch master-plans that apply self-build housing in Almere Oosterwold by MVRDV; N. John Habraken on user participation in architecture; and Hassan Fathy on using traditional building techniques and vernacular architecture for community empowerment.
By basing the principles of the Backcountry Hut Company project on this wide range of precedents, we intend to improve upon previous iterations of modular architecture. As we work through the construction of the first few prototypes, we are exploring ‘open-source’ models for the project, including releasing the license for the design under Creative Commons for general public use. Once the concept is widely tested The BackCountry Hut plans to make selected blueprints available for free download via the Paperhouses open source architecture project, thus enabling anyone with the means to either construct their own hut or hire a professional to build it for them.
The BackCountry Hut is also interested in evolving the model via collective input, where designs can be improved upon by numerous authors, further challenging the role of traditional architecture and raising a myriad of possibilities to explore.
In addition to ‘backcountry’ applications (i.e. without road/vehicle access), the hut prototype has received considerable interest from private individuals who are looking to erect prefabricated structures on both rural and urban ‘front-country’ sites (i.e. easily accessible by vehicle). The Backcountry Hut Company system affords the opportunity to furnish the modular prefabricated shell with an interior that supports full time residential occupation. In this scenario the hut works as a small structure that can be understood as part of the Tiny House Movement.
Sustainability
Prefabrication allows for an economy and conservation of material and energy usage in the production and assembly of the building components. Each component is then flat-packed onto pallets for shipping to a location close to the site, then transported via air or off-road vehicles. Site preparation is minimal and requires no use of heavy machinery for minimal site disruption. Piling holes are hand-dug and concrete is then poured into sonotubes to form the piles for the foundation. Environmentally sensitive products are used for all materials such as: engineered wood products, FSC certified lumber, 100% recyclable components. The Backcountry Hut company adopts a zero-waste philosophy in its design and implementation of its products.
Value
Rustic and simple in nature, the hut is designed to insure durability and security against weather with its metal-clad shell engineered to last 50+ years. Its simple form lends itself to simple construction, and simple function from a volunteer construction team and IKEA/Lego-like assembly to passive cooling via ventilation out the roof. At low and high latitudes, solar photovoltaic panels are oriented vertically on the facade and at mid latitudes the panels are oriented at 45 degrees on the roof.
Modular + Scalable
The hut system is conceived as an aggregation of modules which creates a scalable typology. The starting point for each multi-module hut is an entry module, which contains a covered entry transition space as well as a flexible utility room which can be accessed from inside or outside the hut. Subsequent structural modules are added to create increments of additional space for living, eating, and sleeping.
Mass Customization
In its most simple application, the primitive hut is comprised of 4 posts, 4 beams, and a roof. As the building shell acts as shelter for domestic life, users can then customize the interior space based on the parameters of the building form; from densely populated bunk-beds in the backcountry to spacious bedrooms and full kitchens in the frontcountry.
