the
settlement
house
the
settlement house
The concept of settlement begins with land. The
land may appear empty to the naked eye but it
is actually full of life and systems that have
already settled here. New settlers arrive to
establish a home and community for themselves but never forget the land’s original
inhabitants. The new inhabitants build their life
on the land in proportion to their needs, and
their built environment grows only as their
needs grow.
It is upon these beliefs that The Settlement
House was designed. Sustainable building
methods and systems have been incorporated
into the design of The Settlement House, to
preserve and respect the land upon which it
lies. The construction of the house has been
divided into phases, so that The Settlement
House embodies the needs of its occupants.
In accordance with our goal to build only
enough to accommodate the needs of the
resident, Phase One of The Settlement
House is compact- 700 square feet with
one bedroom.
Phase One is the perfect size for a single
young professional or a young couple.
Just as any settlement is built to accommodate future expansion, the first phase
includes the completed Utility Wallestablishing the lot as a place of growth.
3.
2.
1.
Phase One Floor Plan
Scale 1/16” = 1’ 0”
1. Living/Dining
2. Work
3. Bedroom
settle here to rebuild
settle here to establish
The Settlement House is anchored by a Utility Wall that carries all of the house’s systems; this includes plumbing,
electrical and storage. The Utility Wall divides the space creating circulation and public/ private zones. The dual
function of the Utility Wall allows us to reduce material usage by eliminating most of the partition walls traditionally used to separate interior residential spaces.
The Utility Wall is built almost completely in Phase One- establishing it as the backbone of the site upon which the
house is attached. To reinforce its importance, the Utility Wall is sheathed in a bright yellow birch- making its visual
presence equally dominant to its functional presence.
HardiBoard Panel
Yellow Birch
Concrete
settle here to grow
Phase Two adds to the site a 1200 square foot,
two-bedroom single family home- the perfect
size for a growing family. From this phase the
function of The Settlement House can continue
to evolve with its residents. Phase One can take
on the function of a work space, a guest house, a
nursery or a private area for teenage children.
1. Office/second
residence
2. Living
3. Kitchen/
Dinning
4. Bedroom
5. Bedroom
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
Phase Two Floor Plan
Scale 1/16” = 1’ 0”
summer sun
winter sun
The Settlement House has been designed to meet LEED gold standards.
One of the fundamental concepts behind The Settlement House is designing
to work with nature. The narrow design of The Settlement House allows for
winter sunlight to penetrate through the upper clearstorys and reach deep
into the living spaces, providing light and warmth. An overhanging roof
protects the house from the harsh summer sun- keeping energy costs down.
The roof is pitched to accommodate the future addition of photovolatic cells.
The roof pitch also creates a path to cisterns housed in the Utility Wall for
rainwater collection to irrigate the landscape.
settle here to sustain
Agriboard panels provide the structure and the
envelope of The Settlement House. The
Agriboard panels are made from compressed
straw- a renewable, natural resource (in contrast
to the polyurethane foam used in many SIPs).
Agriboard has a high insulation value- R= 25.4,
allowing precise control over the interior
environment. The Settlement House has been
designed on a four foot module to reduce
construction waste.
Oriented Strand Board
Compressed Wheat or Rice Straw Fiber
Features of Agriboard
-Fast method of construction
-Made from Biobased Renewable
Agricultural Resources
-Fire Safe
-Energy Efficient
-Structurally Strong
-Mold Resistant
-Termite and Insect Resistant
-Reduces Sound Transmission
settle here to connect
summer deck
this patio blocks the summer winds
The Settlement House has been
designed to connect to the outdoors
and reach out to the community. The
house includes substantial outdoor
living spaces, with seasonal patios to
maintain the outdoor connection all
year. Native plants have been chosen
for all landscaping to eliminate
unnecessary water use.
garden integrated into
the entertainment deck
winter patio
located outside the kitchen
this deck makes it easy to pick
fresh vegetables and incorporate
them into your cooking
this patio blocks the
winter winds
front porch
this porch functions
as a public front
maintaining a
connection to the
neighborhood
By connecting to the outdoors the residents of The Settlement House
position themselves to engage with the community and are constantly
reminded of the wonders of nature and our goal of protecting those
wonders.
University of Colorado at Denver
College of Architecture and Planning | Department of Architecture
Greensburg, Greentown | Spring 2009 Studio
Instructors Rick Sommerfeld and Rob Pyatt
Students Aris Garrison, Kristin McCartney Mann, Emili McMakin & Britta Moline-Ayars
ars