Students begin research to develop and design a complete, off-grid tiny home.
Students identify and provide a rationale for key constraints and requirements for their design.
Students begin planning for a public showcase of their projects.
Through the series of activities below the students will consider and research important ideas and constraints regarding their design challenge. These activities are designed to help the students create a knowledge base for the activity in order to proceed towards asking important questions that will further define their product.
Identify the Problem
Identify and explain the engineering problem you are trying to solve. This step should not include any information about a solution for the problem. (Note: Engineers generally receive problems to solve from clients. In this step, they are making more concrete the specific problem that has been given to them. It is similar in nature to, but less specific than, the focused "Define" step in Design Thinking.)
To review if necessary: EDPL.io
For this project the students will document their learning and progress in the online Engineering Design Process Log (EDPL.io).
Creating a Project and assigning Permissions:
Once logged in they should click on the class link and then click on the project link.
Students will now be on the Project page to create their new project, enter a name.
And then click save. This will create the project and return them to the front page.
They should now click on the project the created so they can begin the process.
Each student could assign permissions, to give access to teammates (if appropriate). To do this, the student should click on the Permissions button on the Projects page, and teammate names under "Add a group member". This will give you and teammates access to the project.
Students need to click the save button so that they don't lose their project and permissions.
The tiny house movement is helping people overcome many challenges associated with more traditional housing options. Your team is tasked with designing a tiny home that solves several of these problems associated with traditional, modern housing for your client. In addition your home should include design elements and features that allow it to function as "off the grid" as possible, taking obvious consideration for your client/user and their unique situation. After completing your research and design phases you will create a 2D and/or 3D computer model of your design, choose materials to build a scale model of your tiny home, build a prototype of your energy system, and help to organize a public showcase for your tiny homes.
Read, understand, and clearly restate the problem you are working on.
Students should begin with the Identify section of the EDPL. There are two important components to include in this section--the problem students are attempting to solve, and the customer or client.
Possible narrative to students:
Part of engineering design is properly understanding the problem and the customer or client. It is a common mistake to make something that no one actually wants. To avoid that, it is important to research the problem and the customer. The problem and the intended client should both be described clearly in the ‘Identify the Problem’ box of the EDPL.
Students should Identify the customer in the EDPL
In your own words, type of clear statement of the problem. It should include a specific client and a specific need that doesn’t imply a certain solution. (For example: an older, retired couple wishes to relocate to a tiny home in a remote location where power, natural gas service, and public sewer are not available)
Students should Identify what products already exist.
Possible narrative to students:
It is always important to research what has already been done. You don’t want to re-invent the wheel, nor do you want to repeat someone else’s mistake.
Activities below will guide student research into topics related to trends and opportunities in tiny home design and development
Note--Market research can inform both the identification of the problem, and the understanding of the requirements on the product. In the EDPL, market research can be documented as a "Research Note", and conclusions added to the Identify text box. New requirements that they uncover through their market research should be added to the Understand section in Step 2 below as a new requirement.