Sustainable Construction

My Journey

Independent Research on Elon's Tiny House Student Living Community

I learned many strategies as a result of my research into the implementation of environmentally sustainable building practices and the amount of effort it will take to apply them globally. This fall semester of my sophomore year I had the opportunity to be a part of a brand new construction project at Elon University designed by students and Professor Robert Charest. Under Professor Charest's instruction, this fall semester a team of students at Elon University constructed the first of Elon's Tiny Student Living Homes right by our student and faculty-supported Loy Farm.

House One of Loy Farm Ecovillage

Built by Students for Students: Loy Farm Ecovillage LLC Article

Building was completed in late August, 2024

Construction Begins on Loy Farm LLC Article

The Team

Structure

Step one: Structure elevation, Horizontal and vertical Framing

Walls and Blocking

Step 2: Wall boarding and Floor Boards

Ceiling and (more) Blocking

Step 3: Ceiling boards and always more blocking for stable infrastructure

Windows and Doors

Step 4: Windows, Doors, and Exterior Wrapping, Weather and Lock Strips

Interior Walls

Step 5: Interior walls were assembled individually and then secured into place.

Electrical

Step 6: Electrical, a professional team ame in to do the electrical work as students are not certified, however we all learned a ot about the process and under supervision we tied some wires on our own!

Plumbing

Step 7: Plumbing was also done mainly by professionals, but the exterior plumbing shifted due to flooding before inspectors could come out. It required us to dig out the mud, replace it with dry ground, and relevel it for final inspection before covering it

Spray Foam & Eco Friendly Insulation

Step 8: I think we had a lot of fun with this part, and seeing the walls filled in began to show how much progress we had made.

Metal Roof Cover

Step 9: We used a pulley system to bring the metal sheets up and secure them to the canopy. Gutters were also added.

Baltic Birch Exterior

Step 10: Using 3/4 inch thick birch mirroring the interior, we then lusted and sealed the woods' faces, edges, and creases.

Floor

Step 11: Using leftover beams from the initial structure and framing, we cut up various rectangles and squares, sanding the edges and faces of each individual tile, there was no followed pattern and we went section by section, gluing and securing each section before the next was laid. We then used industrial sanders to even the floors surface before coating with a clear epoxy.

Shower and Bathroom

Step 12: Two of my female teammates and I tackled stone tiling and thin-set mortar for the shower and bathroom floor. We used a large diamond edge tile saw, some required angled cuts, adding to the many difficult firsts we successfully tackled.

Scaffolding Removal and Railings

Step 13: Scaffolding was removed after permanent exterior bracing was added and railings were added.

Concrete Stairs

Step 14: We built wooden carcasses for the cement to be poured into

Cabinetry

Step 14: All cabinets, interior furniture, and table tops were built and assembled by students. We used walnut and birch for all furniture, shelving, cabinets, and furniture.

Deck and Beam Staining

Step 15: All jobs come with weather challenges, we learned a lot about the staining in regard to how it dried when under direct sunlight, it also unexpectedly rained that following night which diminished the strength of the stain in affected areas and required touch-ups.

Waste Management

Unlike every other step, sustainability is a continuous process with many steps. Over every step in our construction process, the reuse, proper material distribution, and storage is critical. Through my interview with Mr. Benavides, subsequent research, and time spent on-site waiting for material shipments to arrive, it is clear the COVID shutdown is still affecting logistics and manufacturing. However, in hindsight, the time spent waiting for materials provided our team with the opportunity to clear up the site. Here, I got the opportunity to manage and construct a plan for our waste cuts, sorting them into either reusable or recyclable groups.

Page updated

Report abuse