2008 NCARB Grand Prize Winner:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
“Low Cost Sustainable Housing for Tijuana, Mexico”

This project explores the development and integration of sustainable technologies for low-cost housing in Tijuana. This courses integrate design, construction and research in one project. Over the course of two academic years undergraduate and graduate students from five departments and two universities have worked together to develop and test a very low cost sustainable housing prototype for the people of Tijuana, Mexico. Students of all levels have participated in the design, construction or evaluation of the houses or its components. This process has been enriched by interactions with the community of Tijuana, the aid agency and reviewers from different universities and architecture and engineering firms that have provided input to the students.

The project emphasizes readily available materials and technologies that are appropriate for the cultural and economic conditions of Tijuana. These technologies include very inexpensive home-made systems that minimize the use of energy, water and materials to achieve human comfort with little energy consumption. The whole house has been built with less than $1500 in materials. Affordable food production alternatives, and water and waste systems to protect public health are also incorporated in the design. The project explores the integration of specific technologies to examine their interdependency and reciprocal contributions. The project is ongoing and students are finishing a full-scale prototype of a house in which several low-cost sustainable systems are being monitored and tested.

Project Abstract

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