The spring 2022 collaborative studio, the PCI Foundation Studio, worked this semester to develop a design for a Habitat for Humanity house that can be repeated on an existing site owned by the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity.
Sixteen teams each made up of two building construction science students and two or three architecture students developed designs for a three-bedroom house meeting all the Habitat for Humanity requirements using precast concrete as the primary architectural cladding material. Students were challenged to design exterior walls taking into account durability, tornado resistance, structural loading, thermal performance, cost, assembly by non-professional labor, time and aesthetics using precast concrete.Â
Each team developed three different house designs and three different construction systems for the house exterior walls as part of schematic design, then selected one house design and one construction system for the final presentation.
The students met twice during the semester with precast concrete industry partners – including PCI Gulf South, Jackson Precast and Tindall Precast – for feedback and advice for the design of the precast concrete architectural cladding.Â
The students also helped construct a Habitat for Humanity house using their current designs and met with the construction supervisor John Breazeale to learn more about their clients. (Read more).
Each team presented to a representative of the Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity and several precast concrete industry partners for the Schematic Design presentations.Â
Architecture faculty included Studio Assistant Ryan Ashford, Associate Professor Alexis Gregory and Professor John Poros; Building Construction Science faculty included Assistant Professor Mohsen Garshasby, Ph.D., and Instructor Briar Jones.
The top two teams (pictured below) were selected by the final presentation guest reviewers (also pictured). Both teams will each receive $500 to split equally among members.
Team 12
Team 3
Read the story about the PCI grant Associate Professor Alexis Gregory received in 2020.