The Evernest Dwellings

My tiny home proposal aims to establish a micro-community, addressing the housing shortage crisis for individuals experiencing homelessness in Anchorage, Alaska.

The capsule form of my tiny home is based upon an egg shaped design. An egg represents in many cultures new life and transformation.This renewal aligns with the home’s purpose of offering shelter to displaced and unhoused individuals in Alaska, who struggle to find or afford housing.

My egg-shaped houses would be situated in a cozy, private neighborhood inspired by the concept of a nest, thus aptly named “Evernest Dwellings.” A nest represents warmth and gathering. My vision for Evernest Dwellings is a close-knit neighborhood where the people are connected to their neighbors and collaborate on maintaining their shared space. It’s more than just a tiny home project, it’s about fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support for a community. 

With the usage of programs and sustainable design strategies, I plan to create an efficient, affordable, and cozy living space that people would call home. 

Supplies and tools I used to make the physical model includes:

1. White PLA filament
2. 3d Printer
3. Box Cutter
4. Xacto Knife
5. Tacky Glue 
6. Miniature Foliage 
7. Foamboard
8. Construction Paper
9. Gaming Laptop

1. I selected my site to be located at East 42nd Ave. and Piper St., Anchorage, Alaska. It's currently an empty plot of land with nothing currently planned to be built on the site.
2. Anchorage, Alaska, offers diverse transportation options, including air travel through Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, a well-connected road and highway system: Alaska Route One, the People Mover bus system for public transit, and scenic train rides via the Alaska Railroad. Biking and walking are popular due to extensive trails, especially in summer. Additionally, hotel shuttles and taxis provide convenient travel within the city.
3. In Anchorage, Alaska, you can enjoy a variety of activities including outdoor adventures in Chugach State Park, scenic trails like the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, wildlife viewing, and cultural experiences at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The city also offers museums, galleries, fishing, boating, and a range of winter sports such as dog sledding and snowmobiling.

1. In Anchorage, Alaska, the largest solar array, with a capacity of 17.28 kW, underscores the city's harnessing of its unique daylight patterns. During summer, from March 19 to September 23, Anchorage enjoys prolonged daylight, receiving more sunlight hours daily than any other state, peaking on June 21 with 22 hours of functional daylight. Even after sunset, the midnight sun hovers just below the horizon. In winter, Anchorage still fares better than most parts of the state, with nearly 5.5 hours of daylight on the shortest day and doubling that by February, thanks to low-angled winter light extending the evening hours. This exceptional light availability contributes significantly to the city's solar energy potential.
2. Anchorage's annual temperature range is less than 70°F, typically staying below the Comfort Zone. With a mean temperature around 40°F, temperatures can drop sharply to below 0°F, reflecting significant seasonal variation and challenging winter conditions.
3. Anchorage generally experiences a moderate amount of wind, with gusts exceeding 50 mph several times a year. Between 2019 and 2024, the average wind speed was 5.3 MPH, with a peak of 59.1 MPH. In 2024, the average wind speed dropped to 4 MPH. Winds typically come from the east-southeast between September and March, from the west in April, from the southwest from May to July, and from the south in August.
4. My climate analysis shown above was done through Cove Tool Software using the nearest weather station to Anchorage, Alaska.

1. A study by The Association of Alaska Housing Authorities (AAHA) highlights Alaska’s severe housing issues. The state’s housing is overcrowded, energy inefficient, and insufficient for everyone, including seniors, public safety officers, health care providers, and educators. Families migrate to urban areas seeking safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, and younger generations don’t return after school due to lack of housing. The housing crisis also hinders the attraction and retention of professionals who provide essential services. The shortage stems from a lack of new housing construction to match population growth and the deterioration of existing units, or more likely, a combination of both.
2. In January 2023, homelessness in the U.S. soared to unprecedented levels, with over 653,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night. This marked a 12.1% rise from the previous year, underscoring the critical need for increased resources and systemic solutions. The shortage of affordable housing remains a significant challenge nationwide, with escalating rents and housing costs pushing more individuals and families into homelessness.
3. In 2023, 2,614 people experienced homelessness on any given night in Alaska, which translates to 36 people experiencing homelessness for every 10,000 individuals in the general population. Between 2007 and 2023, Alaska's total homeless population changed by 59%. Within this period, the sheltered population increased by 55%, while the unsheltered population saw a more significant rise of 84%.
4. 45% of the unhoused in Anchorage Alaska are Alaskan Native, 38% are white, 8% are African American, 5% are multiple ethnicities, 3% are Native Hawaiian, and 1% are Asian. 
5. In 2023, four unhoused individuals died, raising the total number of outdoor deaths in Anchorage of that year to 49. This record significantly surpasses the 24 deaths reported last year, according to the Anchorage Daily News. These deaths are attributed to a lack of housing, resources, and the severe cold weather during the winter months.

1. Knowing I was going to use 3d concrete printing to develop my home, I wanted to celebrate the capabilities of what 3d printing does best. It's great at making complex, parametric forms. 
2. I started to sketch a curving shape, which eventually drew me to an oval shape. I also started to think about what a unique tiny home would look like, and thought of an egg form to apply for the house.
3. I went through a couple iterations, but then I landed on an egg form on its side, which would be cut into half. 
4. I also nested the egg form within a box volume, with the egg form used as a literal shell within a box volume, creating a practical living space. 
5. In addition, I also carved an opening for the doors and windows from the shell.

1. Because I had a corner site on a busy street corner, I wanted to incorporate native trees and plants to surround the existing site to give a higher level of privacy and sound insulation to the home owners. I also made the buildings grouped together in a circular layout to hone a sense of community between neighbors, activating a gathering space at the center. This layout provides residents with a comfortable outdoor space that allows sun to pass through for daylighting. The curved surfaces on the buildings ensure that wind flows smoothly around the structures for wind capture and ventilation.
2. Using AutoCAD, I drafted a floor plan, placing furniture, cleaning up line weights, and placing dimensions. The square footage for this one story, tiny home is roughly 740 sqft, creating plenty of space for the tiny home. The program within the project is the Living Room, Pantry/storage Room, Kitchen/Dining, Bedroom, Bedroom Walk-In Closet, Bathroom, and Utilities Room, providing enough spaces for the resident.

The elevation and section I also accomplished using AutoCAD, I drafted the lines, placing furniture, cleaning up line weights, and placing dimensions. I wanted to showcase the height, depth, and materiality of the tiny home. 

1. Water Harvesting - As the main source we have well water pumps to extract groundwater for the residents which will be pumped into the house. In addition, residents will utilize a tarp and rain barrel to capture rain and moisture for additional water supply during the stormy months. 
2. Energy Harvesting - Micro wind turbines are often used to pump water, charge batteries, and provide electrification for everyday household objects. Wind Capture will be used as a supplemental energy source to the already established Anchorage Electrical Grid. 
3. Rocket Stove - A rocket stove can be used for cooking, heating spaces, heating water, and emergency preparedness. Its high efficiency and ability to quickly reach high temperatures make it an effective, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for various domestic needs.
4. Passive Design Strategies - For optimal energy efficiency and comfort in building design, it's crucial to include solar shading with windows to control natural daylight, regulate indoor temperature, and reduce glare. Cross ventilation can be achieved by having openings on two sides of spaces, ensuring effective natural air flow to create the best indoor comfort. Incorporating thermal mass concrete flooring allows buildings to store heat when it's hot and release it when it's cold, aiding in temperature regulation. Additionally, using Celium Insulation helps control interior temperatures, contributing to a more comfortable and efficient living environment.
5. 3d Printed Concrete Structure - I am utilizing 3d printed technology to print the tiny home. Using a 3D concrete printer significantly lowers construction costs for house foundations, walls, and roofs by reducing material expenses, formwork, and labor needs, as only two to four people are required to operate the equipment. It also shortens the supply chain and reduces logistics costs, as the printer can be easily transported between sites. Additionally, the technology offers design flexibility, enabling the construction of both curved and straight walls. With faster construction times and minimal material waste, the 3D printer can efficiently build multiple houses in a limited construction season, providing significant economies of scale.A feasibility study in rural Alaska found that 3D printer construction was effective and cost-efficient for the area. The concrete used in the construction fully hardened in 28 days and achieved a compressive strength of 6000 PSI.
6. Native Trees and Plants - Trees in Anchorage play a vital role in removing significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through growth and the sequestration of carbon in their woody and foliar biomass. The native broadleaf species in the area include black cottonwood, willows, alders, and paper birch. 

I was able to build the 3d model in Rhino software, brushing up my skills in this software which I haven’t used for a while. Also, I used a new software program I wasn’t familiar with, D5 render. I wanted to experiment and try something new to create a realistic render to capture my tiny home and the community. I tried out the texture, 3d assets, lighting, sun, and filter features to capture exterior and interior views of my project. 

I wanted to 3D print with PLA my physical model because I wanted to showcase the feasibility if It were printed at the real life scale with concrete.

1. I set up my file for 3D print in Rhino, by setting up the 3D geometry and scaling it down to 1/16th scale for 3d print. 
2. Using my Creality 3D printer, I printed the building and glued it together to make it a clean model. I used Ultimaker software to print. 
3. I wanted to add some site context, so I added miniature shrubbery to showcase the native plants and trees that surround my tiny home. Foamboard was used as the base of my project. Construction paper was added for more color.
4. I let everything dry from the glue, cleaned up my workspace, all done! 

This project was an excellent exercise and I had a blast working on the tiny home. I had the chance to apply my class knowledge effectively, refine my skills in software like AutoCAD, and learn new tools such as D5 Render. It provided a valuable addition to my portfolio while also offering a learning experience to improve my work ethic and efficiency in completing a project within a limited timeframe.

Thank you for reviewing my project. I hope you enjoyed seeing my tiny home and the journey I undertook to bring it to completion.