Residential+Structures

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**Residential Structures:** One of the main structures that have to be built in a new city is the residential structures. Different residential structures include but are not limited to the following:
 * Single-detached houses
 * Duplex
 * Bungalows
 * Townhouses
 * Condominiums

Each of the structures listed above has their own pros and cons as listed in table 1 below. Table 1 Pros and Cons of Common Residential Structures  · More sense of freedom for the residents to modify their house  · More sense of privacy ||  · Needs more maintenance  · Usually costs more ||  · Good for rentals ||  · Shared wall and yard with 1 other neighbour so less sense of privacy and freedom ||  · Less space ||  · Space can be big or small depending on the builder ||  · Shared wall with 1 or more neighbours depending on type and size so even less sense of privacy and freedom compared to duplex  · Cannot modify house too much ||  · More security  · Usually have other amenities (pool, gym and etc.)  · Usually more costly compared to other structures given a similar size ||  · Elevators can be crowded during rush hours  · Usually smaller spaces  · Shared walls so much less sense of freedom and privacy compared to duplex and townhouses || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Similar to cons of condominium || Having chosen an island for the creation of a new city, various factors should be considered while choosing the type of structure such as: · Size of the island <span style="display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-left: 72pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">o The island size is already pre-set once the island location is chosen. This means that for the most part, there is limited expansion in the city after a few years. · Environmental factors (i.e. earthquakes, weather conditions, soil condition and etc.) · Target population size · Target population class · Ease of building · Location where residential structures would be created in relation to industries and other structures.
 * Type || Pros || Cons ||
 * Single-detached houses || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · More space
 * Duplex (semi-detached) || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Less costly compared to single-detached
 * Bungalows || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Similar sense of freedom and privacy to single-detached family house || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Needs more maintenance
 * Townhouses || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Maintenance is usually included
 * Condominiums || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Maintenance is included
 * High-rise and low-rise apartments || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · More affordable to most people || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"> · Cannot modify house

What we want the residential structures to have or to be like (Initial requirements): · Should be flexible for different sizes and types of family structure (i.e. singles, family with children, elderly, couples, students and etc.) · Should have enough space to have all day-to-day necessities · Should be situated conveniently to workplace, supermarket, and other necessary locations · Should be a comfortable place to live in · Should fit the city design

The residential structures in the island do not necessarily have to be chosen from the list in table 1. A new structure can be built so that it can meet the requirements listed above. Ideally, the structure should have a combination of the advantages of each of the residential structures listed in table 1. From our initial brainstorming, we came up with the idea of having an expandable residential structure that would allow addition of space as the population of the city grows. Expansion of the structure should have flexibility to go upwards since width-wise, the island size is already defined and constant. Since the structures listed in table 1 above is common and straight-forward, more focus will be given on the design of an expandable residential structure. Such structures can be comparable to the concept of LEGOS.

**LEGO-like Modular Residential Structures** Modular construction is a modern way of constructing residential and other building structures wherein the process is divided into several steps (figure 1). Some TRIZ contradictions apply to the concept of modular construction such as Versatility vs. Durability of Non-Moving Substance [1]. Durability might be a concern since modular components of the buildings or the houses might be from different manufacturers and durability might also depend on the compatibility of different components. The TRIZ principle of Segmentation applies to modular construction to maximize the combined benefits from different types of residential structures as listed from table 1 above [1]. Furthermore, by using the modular construction concept, each part of the house can be easily assembled, disassembled and transported. The segmentation principle supports the versatility of the modular construction. The durability contradiction can be overcome by regulating requirements of each component of the modular construction to ensure maximum compatibility. Standards should also be set to ensure a standardized method of manufacturing. Although the durability of modular construction is often a concern, in reality, modular construction is made just as carefully as regular structures [2].



Figure 1 Modular construction [3] The concept of modular construction is not uniquely new. Various companies around the world already provide the services for such construction [4, 5]. Some advantages of current modular construction are as follows [6]: · Manufacturing time is significantly reduced to about 30-50% · Site preparation and modular construction of each component can be done in parallel · Each component can be easily transported · Construction is typically designed with more rigidity to ensure durability and reliability of each component.



Figure 2 An example of modular construction that shows flexibility in geometry and positioning of each component [7] Some disadvantages of current modular construction are [2]: · Cost is not straightforward since price of structure is typically different from price of land · Often seen as inferior to regular homes (although not necessarily true) · Aesthetics - each component usually squares and rectangles.

Majority of the structures in our city will be made using modular construction. A modified modular construction concept will be used to address some of the concerns with regular modular construction. A different kind of construction will be done for residential buildings and corporate/industrial buildings. **Eutopia's Modular Housing** Each family/resident of Eutopia will have to buy their own modular home and apply to pick the location (base building) where they want to place their modular home. Each unit will be sold complete with bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, living room space and a balcony. The sewage system of each unit can be easily connected to the base of the modular building as a whole. The stairs are the same way. The size of each unit ranges from 300-800 sq. m. Each unit will be designed similar to the concept of transforming apartment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9qnWg9kak). A transforming concept allows every space to be utilized. Materials that are used from construction are made from recycled and reusable materials. The windows are designed to have daylight for most parts of the day while the sun is out. A sketch of the modular home's exterior is provided below as drawn from Google SketchUp (figure 3 and 4). Figure 3 Side view of home's exterior Figure 4 Frontal view of home's exterior Figure 5 Top View

[1] triz40.com [2] http://www.ehow.com/list_6154782_disadvantages-modular-home.html [3] http://www.office-modular.net/tag/modular-homes-manufacturers/ [4] http://www.modulargenius.com/modular-construction.html [5] http://modularquarters.com/ [6] http://www.bctstructures.com/modular_structures/advantages/ [7] http://www.moonsociety.org/blog/index.php/2006/08/30/modular_construction_within_shielded_meg