What a week! We started on Monday with individual concepts for this year’s build. Designs focused on a variety of features and strategies for making this small footprint feel spacious and light including moving walls, dynamic ceilings, and multi-use furniture. Students will now work in teams of three to develop ideas further and ultimately determine what we will build this summer.

During the second studio of the week, we dove into the technical side of the designs. Starting with a window presentation on the stunning variety of options offered by Pella Windows, our donor of windows and doors for this year’s build. A big thank you to David Wallace, our Trade Rep, for showing us the latest and greatest of Pellagra technology!

Following the window presentation, Prof. Rob Williams discussed wall assemblies – both old and new- and highlighted key features of the materials used. We looked at many examples of eco-friendly insulations and low carbon assemblies to gain an understanding of the decisions behind our wall configuration this year.

We will continue to hone our designs as Teams and present round two of concept design
next week!

This week, each student presented their information gathered from their site research about Holyoke with the purpose of gaining an in-depth familiarization of Holyoke, the future home for the small residence we are beginning to conceptualize.

We were also introduced to the computer-aided design software, AutoCAD. This was under the guidance of Professor Rob Williams. AutoCAD is the software we will be using because it will provide a common ground for our project documentation. This common platform is both desirable and necessary as the Architecture students and Building and Construction Technology students bring different experiences to the table, especially in terms of CAD platforms. The sharing of our varied skill sets enriches our understanding of the design-build process and we are eager to begin piecing our ideas together to get this project designed and built.

Our Holyoke site research journey began with a deep dive into the history and culture of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Nestled along the banks of the Connecticut River, Holyoke boasts a rich tapestry of industrial heritage and natural beauty. As we gathered past and current documents and maps of the city, we gained an appreciation for the growth and heritage that Holyoke encapsulates. One of the highlights of our site research was the focus on the extensive and iconic Holyoke Canal System, built in the 19th century to harness the power of the Connecticut River for industrial purposes. These canals stand as a testament to the industry of the city’s early inhabitants. We learned how they connected and correlated to so many aspects of the current state of the city such as demographics and zoning.

While our site research provided a foundation for our design exploration, we were also beginning to conceptualize designs for the project we will be contributing to Holyoke. The CAD software was not only introduced to us, but we were taught how to use standardized templates, created by Professor Naomi Darling, for communicating our ideas. Professor Williams demonstrated how to leverage the capabilities of the CAD template effectively as well as inspiring us to adopt a culture of innovation and experimentation within our team. Additionally, Professor Williams helped to relieve any anxiety we felt as the software and processes we have been introduced to can be complex, but we felt encouraged to use the media and resources and felt comfortable feeling we would be supported as we transferred those design geometries into the software.

Looking ahead, we are excited to apply the insights and skills gained from this week’s experiences to our ongoing project. With a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of our surroundings, we are confident that we can create meaningful and impactful designs that resonate with the community of Holyoke.

Before we begin the recap, we had some terrific publicity with an article in the Amherst Current, UMass DesignBuild Prototypes ADUs for Western Mass by our DesignBuild professor, Rob Williams, AIA.

Week Three was full of exploration and analysis. During the first studio of the week students presented their precedent analyses of existing small houses. Working in pairs, on a selected precedent each pair identified three key objectives: the goals and values of the project, spatial organization of both the interior and site, and an in-depth understanding of the building envelope and technical systems. Students diagrammed relationships essential to their given precedent, such as program, circulation, and sunlight interaction. In addition to this, each pair constructed ¼ scale model that conveyed other key ideas of the structure.

Matthew Kadzis and Isobel Healy presented their precedent analysis on the 1941 Chamberlain Cottage in Wayland, Massachusetts by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. One key analysis of the getaway cottage was of the massive chimney stack and fireplace, located in the heart of the living and dining room space. Renderings were done to understand its implementation, both with and without the fireplace, finding although it was a cozy element, it did restrict space and circulation.

Josey Wermuth and Asher Thomas included a light study in their precedent study of Kieran Timberlake and Bensonwood’s 2020 Open Home. Through daylight studies, they learned how natural light would interact within the spaces, finding the window placement rather limiting with many spaces not receiving enough natural light.

Each presentation taught us about the advantages and disadvantages of a given house, serving as an inspiration for the next conceptual design phase.

During the second studio of the week, students visited the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, Massachusetts. They attended a presentation led by several members of notable Holyoke organizations. Aaron Vega, director of the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, spoke about both the historic accomplishments and the current goals of the office. Students learned how Holyoke’s industrial expansion was fostered by the implementation and ready availability of the city’s access to hydro-power.

We also learned that High Street and related areas of Holyoke originally consisted of principally mixed-use buildings, with businesses on the ground floor and residential apartments on the upper floors. Vega noted that the city wished to revive its former mixed-use buildings, many of which are abandoned. All of this while maintaining focus on affordable housing for its underserved community.

Michael Moriarty, Executive Director of OneHolyoke, taught students more about Holyoke’s history. In the 1970s, the city demographics shifted away from blue collar jobs in the mills. Poverty and unemployment increased, while housing became more unavailable.

Juan Flores, a Latino Holyoke resident and OneHolyoke volunteer, gave more insight on the perspective of living in the city with a disability. He felt that the world has not accommodated individuals with disabilities —steps into buildings are often too high and intermediate spaces are too narrow. 

Nayroby Rosa, OneHolyoke Community Engagement Director, discussed her role communicating with Holyoke’s government and advocating for residents. Attempting to ensure that residents have all the information they need to successfully navigate housing issues.

José Maldonado Velez, the Neighbor-to-Neighbor community organizer for the Holyoke chapter, also acts as an advocate for the people. His discussion of “Door Knock” was helpful in understanding the needs of the community. Residents spoke of doors that would not open and holes within their residences due to rodent or cockroach infestation. The solution could come in better material choices as well as more efficient and affordable ways for the maintenance of these spaces. Holyoke has a current median income of $44,000, yet faces massive disparities, with some residents making below $10,000 a year. Listening to these speakers allowed students to gain perspective on the city demographics, needs, history, and resources as we further develop our design.

The final stop of the day was the Hygge House currently on display in Holyoke. It was insightful to see how such a small space (350 square feet) was able to comfortably accommodate a sleeping space, living room, kitchen, storage, and bathroom.

Our precedent research, exposure to the client, program, and the city of Holyoke will serve as tools for the design process ahead!

Our second week of studio was insightful and busy. We had a visit on Monday from Professor Vanessa Rosa to discuss the history of housing in Holyoke where our building will ultimately reside in collaboration with OneHolyoke. In working through the design process, site considerations are as important as any. Our round table talk with Vanessa helped to lay out the history of Holyoke within a broader context and the social and housing shortfalls as a result of urban disinvestment, the commodification of housing, and various zoning regulations. Getting this insight into Holyoke spurred further discussion on Wednesday helping to understand the challenges within the Flats and other Holyoke districts. As a team, everyone took away something valuable from these discussions and is thinking about how we can collectively make a change. Students are each looking into a different facet of present-day Holyoke’s socio-cultural and economic fabric. This research will provide a more involved understanding of Holyoke today.

Over the past week, students have been immersed in research to analyze a range of Small House Precedents to learn about spatial strategies for these homes for our upcoming design.  Groups are analyzing affordability, constructability, occupant comfort and strategies for low energy and low carbon buildings. This research will come to define the goals and help guide the DesignBuild team on our journey over the next several months. Model making of the precedents has begun!

Throughout the rest of our week the teams continued to work worked with together with Professor Darling to detail the precedent analysis projects. Learning from what others have done in the past, both good and bad, is the key to this project. Slowly breaking into our new studio, the whole team has found a common home, and we will be looking forward to collaborating here throughout the rest of the semester.  

Next week students will present their findings on Holyoke site research and the groups will present precedent analysis projects!!

Welcome back to UMass DesignBuild! The past week marked an exciting kickoff to the program. This year represents the fourth installment, with the third consecutive build, and the second summer dedicated to construction. Both the faculty and new participants took the opportunity to acquaint themselves with one another, sharing our backgrounds, interests, and reasons for joining DesignBuild. Our group is notably diverse, featuring students from various education levels, backgrounds, and educational focuses. What unites us is a shared interest in the holistic aspects of the project, encompassing design, construction, collaboration, and a commitment to aiding those in need. For faculty this year we have professors Naomi Darling, Carl Fiocchi, Kent Hicks, and Ben Leinfelder (a graduate student), who will be supporting us through different types of challenges through their diverse expertise in designing and building!

After our introductions and an overview of the program’s rich history, we embarked on a field trip to the UMass DOC Build Site just above Orchard Hill, where the previous Accessible Dwelling Unit (ADU), Paper House, stands. We delved into the logistics, learning how the larger unit will be transported with a detachable hinging roof that folds, to meet height requirements. Arriving at the build site, faculty guided us through the trials and successes encountered in constructing this unit, which comprises one larger structure and a smaller detached one. The large unit will house the living, kitchen, dining, and second bedroom spaces, along with the currently detached main bedroom, which will be connected to the other structure upon delivery to the Holyoke site. Following our introduction to the building site, we concluded our first meeting with a group photo.

During our second class, we began researching precedents of smaller houses or ADUs to gain insights into designing and building our project. For the remainder of the class, we engaged in brainstorming, voting, and rearranging the studio desks to create an open, collaborative space that will set the stage for a semester of collaboration and education in DesignBuild.

We are all looking forward to finding out what we are capable of!