Beat the Heat

by Jonathan McGaha | 6 December 2011 12:00 am

Using metal to build a home in a hot desert location is risky. Even more so when the home is made up of unorthodox building materials.

Located in the Mojave Desert, this building is unique due to the main building material, ISO corrugated metal cargo shipping containers. Five cargo containers make up the main living area including the kitchen, living room, a half bath on the first floor, and a full bath on the second floor. The sixth cargo container is used for equipment and material storage. The stairwell is covered with corrugated metal siding and the residence also features a private photography studio made out of a 21-foot-high pre-engineered steel building from Kansas City, Mo.-based Butler Manufacturing.

Keeping cool in a desert climate proved to be a design challenge. However, Walter Scott Perry, AIA, of Los Angeles-based Ecotechdesign, was inspired by a lightweight perforated panel. The custom-built, 2,400-square-foot private residence features 1,800 square feet of 16-gauge Designer Perforated Aluminum Metal with 3/16-inch round holes on a 1/4-inch staggered pattern from McNICHOLS Co., Tampa, Fla. The panels were secured onto 12-gauge Unistrut T1001 steel framing from Atkore International Inc., Harvey, Ill. The steel framing is bolted together on 4-foot centers, and sits 8 inches off the exterior wall and 4 to 6 inches above the roof.

Initially, the planning team wanted to use the perforated aluminum to create a shade canopy for a 500-square-foot outdoor living and recreational area, but the concept soon gave way to an exoskeleton covering the two roofs along with the south and west exterior walls. The space and position of the metal was extremely important in creating a building envelope that would diffuse light and give the residents stunning visuals of the outlying desert landscape. Additionally, the perforated metal panels decrease the home’s solar and wind impact by 50 percent.

“Another advantage of the perforated metal is its transparency which changes during the day, based on the sun’s relative position,” explains Perry. “During the late afternoon, it becomes more reflective due to the lower sun angle, thereby reducing glare. In the morning, it’s transparent from the inside, thereby enhancing the views out over the desert landscape.”

Inside the photography studio, Greenwood, S.C.-based VELUX America Inc.’s Velux Sun Tunnels help control the build-up of heat and daylight from the desert’s arid climate. Additionally, a cool roof and reflective cool white paint along the body of the house help regulate temperature in the residence. The residence also accommodates photovoltaic, hot water solar panels and green roof modules that along with the perforated metal skin, make this home unique and sustainable.

Private Residence, Joshua Tree, Calif.
Completed: 2011

Total Square Feet: 2,400 square feet

General Contractor: 44 West Construction Inc., Topanga, Calif., www.44west.net[1]

Architect: Ecotechdesign, Los Angeles, ecotechdesign.com[2]

Metal Building: Butler Manufacturing, Kansas City, Mo.,
www.butlermfg.com[3]

Metal Framing System: Atkore International Inc., Harvey, Ill., www.unitstrut.us[4]

Perforated Metal Panels: McNICHOLS Co., Tampa, Fla., www.mcnichols.com[5]

Skylights: VELUX America Inc., Greenwood, S.C., www.veluxusa.com[6]

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/2011-mcn-awards-honorable-mention/

---