by Jenn Burke
teamMADE Monthly Newsletter, April 2023
“We want to make Orange County the sustainability capital of the world,” says Fred Smoller, CEO of the Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. He envisions bringing innovative sustainable solutions to market for solving climate change and housing affordability.
The OCSD is a competition slated for October 5th through 15th at the Orange County Fairgrounds, which will feature houses built by sixteen universities from across the United States. It aims to showcase the best in sustainable living that when paired with technology does not compromise quality of life. The teams will compete in ten categories including architecture, engineering, sustainability, as well as innovation, marketing and business potential.
One of the first teams selected to compete is a joint venture between the students and faculty of University of California, Irvine and Orange Coast College. Collectively known as teamMADE, UCI and OCC is focusing on affordability in order to address housing insecurity and homelessness in Orange County.
By leveraging the California Assembly Bill 345, which encourages the development of Accessory Dwelling Units, they are designing, engineering and building a modular home that fits into the average backyard. Small homes, such as ADUs, can increase and diversify housing supply in California, giving homeowners and renters more affordable options.
The ADU features numerous sustainable features that contribute to the long term low cost of home ownership. All power will be provided by a 8.4kW solar array. Numerous water conservation techniques will be implemented to protect California’s most precious resource. And the structure itself will be fabricated on site at OCC with FrameCAD, a cold steel framing system. With computer aided design, the recycled steel members can be “printed” to exact measurements, preventing waste. The framing is mold proof, pest proof, and highly resistant to fire and earthquakes, offering long term resilience and cost savings.
Following the competition, the ADU will find its final destination with Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County, which has helped thousands of people and families with housing insecurity. HIS-OC operates an existing home for young men transitioning from foster care into adulthood in Placentia, CA.. The current house provides the 18-25 year olds a place to stay as they finish school and move out on their own. The ADU will add much needed space and open opportunities to additional residents. Rose Anne Kings, one of teamMADE’s faculty leads, describes the ADU’s impact. “We are excited this is not just a theoretical project. It is going to a real site for a real client, so that we can make a real difference in Orange County.”
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If you are a student of UCI or OCC and would like to be a part of this special project, please join our team. We will be constructing the house over the summer as well as providing opportunities in other fields such as horticulture, interior design, marketing and business development.
If you would like to support our project financially or with in-kind donations, we appreciate your contribution. Be a partner by contacting Jennifer Wilkens or Mark Walter. Thank you for joining us in embracing our community and our environment. The future is in our hands. Build it with us.