richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy
image © miguel santa clara
all images courtesy of royal academy of arts

 

 

drawing from richard rogers’s pioneering building system for the oxley woods, a sustainable housing development near milton keyes in england, ‘houseshell’ has been installed in the courtyard of royal academy of arts in london.  although the flatpacked home will be on view during the architect’s retrospective ‘inside out’ at the school, the three-and-a-half storey building will be dismantled and re-used as part of a social housing project with the YMCA london south west, entitled ‘y:cube housing project.’ the highly adaptable home is posited as a possible solution to the UK housing crisis, in particular for urban infill or small sites wherein the logistics of construction greatly inflate home prices. the building requires a mere 24 hour assembly period and arrives on the site as flat-pack panels, both factors that make for a cleaner construction process and allow streamlined retrofitting and extension projects. the typology has further developed from the CMYK oxley woods scheme, namely with the adoption of insulshell, a fast-track closed frame timber system with robust insulation technology. the off-site fabrication process opens up cost-efficient possibilities for a variety of social objectives and will enable the development of some 32,400 hectares worth of vacant brownfield sites in england, many of which utilize existing transport and infrastructure links. visitors will have an opportunity to see houseshell against the palladian background of the burlington house through september 8th 2013.

 

 


a timelapse video shows the rapid, tilt-up construction
video © the guardian, UK

 

 

richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy

the vibrant home contrasts with the palladian burlington house
photo: ana au
image © rogers stirk harbor + partners

 

 

richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy

visitors will have an opportunity to see the robust building system and time-lapse construction video
photo: ana au
image © rogers stirk harbor + partners

 

 

richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy

the closed timber frame system touts low environmental impact
photo: ana au
image © rogers stirk harbor + partners

 

 

richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy
photo: ana au
image © rogers stirk harbor + partners

 

 

richard rogers builds low-cost houseshell at royal academy

elevation view
photo: ana au
image © rogers stirk harbor + partners