For architects like
Jibe Design Principal Juliet Whelan, sometimes the
most innovative work is better enjoyed as a work of art. So for her
most recent design--a completely energy independent house retrofitted
into recycled shipping containers--she made artistry the focus,
enlisting photographer Stu Goldenberg of
Goldenberg Photography and
frequent collaborator Naquib Hossain to design a model for a photo
retrospective.
After buying a Fishtown lot at an auction, craftsman Martin Lautz enlisted Jibe to design a sustainable, off-the-
grid
oasis built out of shipping containers. The house, Lautz said, would
test the limits of sustainable living in a modern, urban setting.
Meanwhile, Goldenberg was looking for his latest muse. When Whelan
brought them all together with builders Allison Carafa and Jason Flax, the team created a scaled model called
Free Agent House, a test
center for sustainable design elements and the subject of a unique photo collection.
"Most un-built architecture projects are only viewed as two-dimensional
computer renderings and many iconic completed buildings are only seen by
the masses as photos," says Whelan. "I liked the idea of Stu playing
with the intersection of a real photo of a real model and a rendered
image of an un-built project."
Complete with solar panels, vacuum-insulated wall panels, efficient
natural lighting design, passive heating and cooling systems and a
solar-thermal water heater, the model creates a complete home without the aid of outside energy producers--a model
that may become popular as Pennsylvania rate caps expire at the end of
this year. Lautz recently requested a larger home design and Jibe is
working to keep the efficiency measures in tact for a larger structure.
"Every project I design belongs on a continuum of my development as an
architect," says Whelan. "The
Free Agent House fixes some mistakes I've
made on other projects, particularly in regards to separating floors
vertically for heating efficiency. The innovations in this home will
certainly inform my future work."
Source: Juliet Whelan, Jibe Design
Writer: John Steele