ProtoHaus: A prototype for sustainable living
Most students have noticed the new environmentally friendly addition to AU’s campus this year, and no, it’s not Ann’s House.
Students strolling down Park street will come across the “ProtoHaus,” a tiny solar and propane powered house on wheels. This 8.5-by-22 foot home was built over the past summer in just seven weeks by second-year Sculpture and Dimensional Studies graduate student Ann Holley, alongside her fiancé, Industrial Designer Darren Macca.
The motivation behind taking on the ambitious act of building their own home stemmed from the couple’s desire to limit their personal consumption.
“We have so much stuff in our lives, and people live in such big houses,” Anne explained. “All our collected stuff distracts us from enjoying our lives.”
The house itself consists simply of a small entryway and living area, a modest kitchen, shower, toilet and a loft bed. There are no doors or walls inside the space other than the ones framing the house. Anne explained out the restrictions placed on homeowners discouraging smaller houses; there are places in the United States that prohibit building homes under 700 square feet. In addition to consuming less material goods, there is also a decrease in Anne and Darren’s consumption of energy.
The ProtoHaus receives reusable energy from the sun through solar panels that collect and send the energy to a rechargeable battery, which stores and releases the energy as needed, while their refrigerator and other household appliances run on propane. Most of the materials used for building their house were natural or recycled; even the insulation for their home is soy-based. Water is also saved by only having one handle for faucets, making it easier and faster to reach a desirable temperature instead of fiddling with two handles each releasing more water than necessary.
Of course, life in a self-sufficient home isn’t as convenient as living in the average American home. Anne and her fiancé are responsible for maintaining a fresh water tank, and a non-flushable toilet. Yep, the toilet doesn’t flush! Instead waste is collected in two separate tanks, one for liquids and the other for solids which is discarded at a nearby waste treatment facility.
While it may take a few extra steps to maintain the lifestyle they have chosen to live, Anne and Darren speak of these changes effortlessly, as if anyone could do it; and really, anyone can. As far as the future of the ProtoHaus, Darren explained the possibility of building more and selling them to people who want to live a less consumptive lifestyle. With increased worldly awareness about our environment and the ecological footprint we all leave behind, there couldn’t be a more perfect time for such a progressive idea to hit the housing market.
When asked how long they planned to live in the ProtoHaus, both agreed that they would like to sustain their current lifestyle as long as possible. “We like to think of it as good preparation for the apocalypse,” joked Anne.
Keep an eye open this May for Anne Holley’s graduate thesis exhibition, which is in some way related to the ProtoHaus (you’ll have to wait and see how). Until then, you can find out more information about the ProtoHaus through their website:
http://www.protohaus.moonfruit.com.
