Backyard BI(h)OME
The Backyard BI(h)OME is an ultra-modern, lightweight accessory dwelling unit that has the potential to meet Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s call for 100,000 new housing units by 2021. The BI(h)OME demonstrates –in its design, fabrication, occupation, and recycling, what sustainability means at a personal level. The BI(h)OME was initiated by UCLA’s CityLAB and designed by Kevin Daly Architects.
Photography by © Nico Marques / Photekt
The low-cost, low-impact Bi(H)OME could serve as housing for an elderly parent, a returning college graduate, or a rental unit. It is easy to install, requiring no sewer hookup and just a hose for water supply, and easy to remove. It is almost entirely recyclable. Rather than requiring a mortgage, it could be leased, like a car, so it is semi-permanent, can flexibly serve the needs of homeowners for as long as they want, and then be recycled or reinstalled.
Photography by © Nico Marques / Photekt
The environmental impact of the structure over its entire life cycle is between 10 and 100 times less than a conventional auxiliary dwelling.Each 500-square foot backyard home contains a bedroom, living room, kitchen/dining room, and bathroom. The floor is mounted on a temporary low rock wall and posts that are screwed into the ground, so it does not require a foundation. The structure is covered with an innovative translucent skin consisting of two layers of ETFE, a tough, Teflon plastic, vacuum-sealed around a paper honeycomb creating a remarkably solid, yet light structure. Modular units contain the bathroom, shower, a closet, kitchen sink and counter. The structure can be configured in different ways to fit any backyard and to catch the sun on photovoltaic cells that can be printed on the outside layer of the Bi(H)OME’s skin, while LED lights can be built into the inner layer.
Photography by © Nico Marques / Photekt
Location: Los Angeles, United States
Photographs: Nico Marques
Structural Engineer: Workpoint Engineering, Ben Varela
Biodiversity and Habitat: UCLA Inst of the Environment and Sustainability Ursula Heise, Jon Christensen
Concept Development And Executive Producer: cityLAB, UCLA, Dana Cuff, Jonathan Crisman, Carla Salehian, Per-Johan Dahl
Industrial Design: Kody Kellogg
Landscape Design: Therese Kelly
Aud Student Team: Kara Moore, Ciro Dimson, Katie Chuh, Nawid Piracha, Mark Lagola, Sarah Sibohan Johnson, Garth Britzman, Andrew Akins, Dee Chang, Trenman Yao, Lyo Liu, Dami Olufoweshe, Adrien Forney
Project Fabricators: Julian Daly, Max Miller
Custom Carpentry And Woodwork: Carlos Grande, CA Construction
Envelope: Craig Keys, Shrink Wrap Pros
Aud Fabrication Manager: Philip Soderlind
Ucla Facilities Management Team: Leroy Sisneros, Erik Ulstrup
Pipe Bending Team: Blake Rainy, Carlos Rigual
Metal Fabrication: Lorenzo Villanueva
Architect In Charge: Kevin Daly, Peter Nguyen
Ruba Ahmed, a senior project editor at Arch2O and an Alexandria University graduate, has reviewed hundreds of architectural projects with precision and insight. Specializing in architecture and urban design, she excels in project curation, topic selection, and interdepartmental collaboration. Her dedication and expertise make her a pivotal asset to Arch2O.