The
Biloxi Model Homes are affordable prototype houses designed for the
Architecture for Humanity Model Home Program.
The program provides design services and financial assistance for
families in East Biloxi whose houses were
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The
proposition of raising a home up to 11 feet above the ground introduces several
issues that challenge the traditional notion of the GulfCoast
streetscape and affiliated porch culture.
Among these is the very concept of having a porch that is an extension
of the interior space. In addition, the
massing of a proportionally tall house speaks more of isolation than of the
construct of meaningful social spaces through a series of houses enclosing the
street. The PorchDog addresses these
challenges while complying with new environmental, structural, and FEMA
regulations.The
Porchdog house is raised above the ground and essentially open at the ground
level, but still incorporates a stoop that serves as a street level porch. The
only other ground-level elements are an entry stair, enclosed storage volume, a
parking area and a stair descending from the rear deck. The concrete block
storage volume is separated from the entry stair to facilitate a transparent
reading of the ground plane and developed landscape elements in the rear yard.
The Porchdog house is a refuge that still opens itself to the social structure
of the city, addressing the challenges of retaining a porch that is an
extension of the interior space and overcoming the massing of a proportionally
tall house, while providing the requisite protection from a potential Category
4 storm surge event. Primary materials
include all steel construction with exterior metal cladding, and bamboo
flooring at the interior. Operable perforated
metal shutters provide light control and storm security for aluminum framed
window walls at East and West elevations.
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