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The Clean Hub
Title:
The Clean Hub
Authors:
John Elberson
Image:
Technology Summary:
Explain the technologyand your appraisal in less than 3 sentences.
Draft Text:
The Clean Hub is intended as a cheap, easily transportable structure that provides off-the-grid access to power, clean water, and sanitation in areas with little or no supporting infrastructure. Originally conceived as a method of improving life in urban slums, it has also been used as a tool for disaster relief. It has been associated with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, which call for improvements in the lives of at least 100 million of the worlds' 1 billion slum inhabitants by the year 2020, with emphasis on access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
The Concept
The idea came from Architecture for Humanity's Minnesota Branch member John Dwyer, of Shelter Architecture, and Tom Westbrook in 2006. While a number of architects were working with housing for the poor or disaster-stricken, they felt that too few were considering the infrastructure necessary to stabilize these communities. What they came up with was essentially a “utility box,” a self-contained unit that could be dropped into a community to provide basic needs support without relying on existing utilities.
The original concept was a 10 foot by 20 foot prefabricated unit with stress-skin walls and secure doors supported by steel tubing and concrete. It used a V-shaped metal roof to collect rainwater, which was run through a reverse-osmosis system before settling into a below-ground tank. Waterless, self-composting toilets, as well as sinks and showers with gray-water recycling provided sanitation facilities. An array of 16 photovoltaic panels could generate up to 2,640 watts of electricity. This concept was intended to have a 30 year life span.
The First Prototype
The first real prototype was built in the first half of 2007 by the Studio 4284 class at the University of Minnesota, lead by Dwyer and Westbrook. Sixteen architecture and design students built it over a semester, and deployed it to New Orleans during the Summer of 2007, in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. This prototype incorporated a number of changes to the initial design.
The most obvious change was the use of a shipping container, suggested by Tom Westbrook. These 8 by 8 by 20 foot containers are relatively cheap and readily available. Such a recycled container was used to provide the base structure for the entire Clean Hub unit, coming close to the concept's 20 x 10 foot dimensions. The rest of the unit was packed into this standard container, making it inherently compatible with existing transport systems almost anywhere in the world.
The V-shaped metal roof of the early conceptual design was replaced with a fabric attachment for rainwater collection, which could also provide shade or shelter. Collected water, as well as recycled gray water, was run through ceramic and reverse osmosis filtration systems. It was then stored in a 4,400 gallon flexi-tank at the back of the shipping container. A flexi-tank is much like a large, specially designed plastic bag. It is used on its own to store or transport liquids, or as a liner in any stronger container, resulting in better space-efficiency and lower packing costs than drums or other containers. They have the advantage of “deflating” to save room when not at full capacity, and are available with a variety of fittings for filling and discharging the liquid. As an industry-standard shipping solution, the Flexi-tank in the Clean Hub prototype could be shipped full, or emptied to save space for shipping other supplies with the unit. Many flexi-tanks are designed to be disposable and recyclable, reducing the necessity for return shipping and associated costs.
The prototype also featured a small room which rolled out on a wooden platform deployed from the Clean Hub's container. This separate room contained a self-composting toilet, foot-pump-operated sink, and a shower. The toilet in the prototype was an Envirolet brand DC12 Composting System. This is a powered system that normally runs on a 12V battery and a small wind turbine, and was wired to the solar panels in the prototype Clean Hub. The DC12 is advertised as waterless and odorless, and operates by rapidly dehydrating the waste and ejecting the water vapor through an exhaust vent.
Though little waste material remains, it is suitable compost for a small garden when manually removed from the unit, providing synergy with subsistence farming and other small-scale agriculture.
The sixteen solar panels of the initial concept were reduced to just two for the prototype, which were installed on the roof of the sanitation sub-structure. These were connected to a 1500 watt battery, and powered outdoor lighting as well as the Clean Hub's various filtration and sanitation systems. They also provided enough extra power to operate a small appliance.
Deploying the Prototype
The student-built prototype lived on the University of Minnesota campus during development, and was deployed in June of 2007 to New Orlean's Lower 9th Ward. Greta Gladney is founder and executive director of the Renaissance Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving life in the Lower 9th Ward. She provided the empty lot where the Clean Hub was initially installed, the site of her family's home for six generations before hurricane Katrina. The Clean Hub was the only functioning sanitation infrastructure in the neighborhood when it was deployed, and the lot where it stands was turned into a community garden and “urban farmer's market.”
The initial deployment demonstrated one of the most subtle strengths of the Clean Hub and its shipping container skeleton. Gladney was not allowed to build on her land, but the Clean Hub's portability allowed it to bypass the bureaucracy by qualifying as a temporary structure, similar to a prefabricated tool shed. Despite its transitory nature, the self-sustainability of this prototype would ideally allow it to function for as long as necessary with light maintenance.
The Future of the Clean Hub
Though the first prototype was used for disaster response, the developers envision the Clean Hub reaching all parts of the world that are without adequate water, sanitation, or power. They also hope that it will be achievable using a range of techniques and budgets, from entirely prefabricated units to units that are built from the ground up on-site by the people who will use them. It has been said that the existing prototype could be fabricated and shipped anywhere in the world in a matter of days, and could be deployed at its destination in less than an hour. The current design is intended to allow for re-shipping, so that it can be moved to new sites as easily as it was initially deployed. The Clean Hub is currently under a Creative Commons Developing Nations License, which permits the sharing and adaptation of the work in developing nations, provided it is attributed to its authors (presumably Shelter Architecture).
The World Bank and the The Federal Emergency Management Agency expressed interest in the project, but no public statement has been made about possible use by these organizations. The infamous “FEMA Trailer” has been strongly criticized for its high cost and lack of sustainability, and some have pointed out that the Clean Hub presents a more practical approach. A modified version of the Clean Hub could provide relatively cheap housing with self-sustaining utilities. The developers have considered a number of variations designed for more specialized support, including a housing model, as well as a mobile immunization center, a maternity clinic, a mobile theater, a “sanitation block” model, and a more general community center. All of these would operate without relying on existing utilities infrastructure.
Cost and Efficiency
The student-built Clean Hub prototype was aided by donations including the shipping container itself, all the steel, the toilet, the solar panels, the water tank, filters, and sink. Almost everything else was recycled or built from everyday materials. The students learned the required construction skills as the project progressed, including welding and the routing of plumbing and electrical fixtures. Westbrook estimated the total cost of this model was under $5,000, which includes some materials that did not make it into the final design, but does not include labor. John Dwyer has said that a production model would probably be more expensive, but that the materials are common and cheap except for some of the technology.
Which technologies Dwyer was referring to is unclear. However, it is obvious that the included technologies are, for the most part, what makes the Clean Hub useful. The composting toilet system used in the prototype retails for $2,129, itself a little under half the estimated out-of-pocket cost for the entire prototype. The solar panels, flexi-tank, and filtration systems may also present considerable expenses and problems of supply when assembling in affected areas. Theoretically, some of these systems could be substituted, but may require specialized expertise. Basic compost toilet systems can be scratch-built fairly cheaply, for example, but require careful planning and additional maintenance to address both aesthetic and, more importantly, hygienic concerns.
Ultimately, the cost of the Clean Hub competes with the cost of developing infrastructure, which is largely a question of efficiency. The prototype model was said to be “scalable” up to 150 people, coinciding with Dunbar's number, which represents the theoretical number of people with which a single person can maintain a stable social relationship. How this is accomplished is left unclear, as the toilet system is rated for continuous use by only four people, and there was only enough surplus electricity for one external device. More recent estimates have listed the updated Clean Hub concepts at a capacity of 5 families per unit, providing clean water, electricity, and sanitation. Future concepts, more specialized than the prototype, may address cost and efficiency concerns with an economy of scale. It has been criticized for stepping around the problem of infrastructure, potentially delaying larger-scale, more centralized improvements. Potentially, the Clean Hub could address other problems of efficiency, such as bureaucratic roadblocks, monopolies, and corruption in utilities management.
Research Links:
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/456 http://www.shelterarchitecture.com/ http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/ http://www.cdes.umn.edu/ http://thecleanhub.blogspot.com/ http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/13/prefab-friday-clean-hub/ http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/456 http://flexitank.biz/ http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/04/27/cleanhub/ http://subtopia.blogspot.com/2006/05/diy-infrastructure.html http://www.utne.com/2006-05-01/InspiredInfrastructure.aspx http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Clean_Hub_travels_to_New_Orleans.html http://enviroletbuzz.com/archives/2007/06/000625.html http://www.envirolet.com/enviroletdc12.html http://www.envirolet.com/enbowtrapina.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eovZMtvZPlE http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/05/04/71846
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2007/10/gallery_instant_housing?slide=2&slideView=5
The Clean Hub
Authors:
John Elberson
Image:
Technology Summary:
Explain the technologyand your appraisal in less than 3 sentences.
Draft Text:
The Clean Hub is intended as a cheap, easily transportable structure that provides off-the-grid access to power, clean water, and sanitation in areas with little or no supporting infrastructure. Originally conceived as a method of improving life in urban slums, it has also been used as a tool for disaster relief. It has been associated with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, which call for improvements in the lives of at least 100 million of the worlds' 1 billion slum inhabitants by the year 2020, with emphasis on access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
The Concept
The idea came from Architecture for Humanity's Minnesota Branch member John Dwyer, of Shelter Architecture, and Tom Westbrook in 2006. While a number of architects were working with housing for the poor or disaster-stricken, they felt that too few were considering the infrastructure necessary to stabilize these communities. What they came up with was essentially a “utility box,” a self-contained unit that could be dropped into a community to provide basic needs support without relying on existing utilities.
The original concept was a 10 foot by 20 foot prefabricated unit with stress-skin walls and secure doors supported by steel tubing and concrete. It used a V-shaped metal roof to collect rainwater, which was run through a reverse-osmosis system before settling into a below-ground tank. Waterless, self-composting toilets, as well as sinks and showers with gray-water recycling provided sanitation facilities. An array of 16 photovoltaic panels could generate up to 2,640 watts of electricity. This concept was intended to have a 30 year life span.
The First Prototype
The first real prototype was built in the first half of 2007 by the Studio 4284 class at the University of Minnesota, lead by Dwyer and Westbrook. Sixteen architecture and design students built it over a semester, and deployed it to New Orleans during the Summer of 2007, in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. This prototype incorporated a number of changes to the initial design.
The most obvious change was the use of a shipping container, suggested by Tom Westbrook. These 8 by 8 by 20 foot containers are relatively cheap and readily available. Such a recycled container was used to provide the base structure for the entire Clean Hub unit, coming close to the concept's 20 x 10 foot dimensions. The rest of the unit was packed into this standard container, making it inherently compatible with existing transport systems almost anywhere in the world. The V-shaped metal roof of the early conceptual design was replaced with a fabric attachment for rainwater collection, which could also provide shade or shelter. Collected water, as well as recycled gray water, was run through ceramic and reverse osmosis filtration systems. It was then stored in a 4,400 gallon flexi-tank at the back of the shipping container. A flexi-tank is much like a large, specially designed plastic bag. It is used on its own to store or transport liquids, or as a liner in any stronger container, resulting in better space-efficiency and lower packing costs than drums or other containers. They have the advantage of “deflating” to save room when not at full capacity, and are available with a variety of fittings for filling and discharging the liquid. As an industry-standard shipping solution, the Flexi-tank in the Clean Hub prototype could be shipped full, or emptied to save space for shipping other supplies with the unit. Many flexi-tanks are designed to be disposable and recyclable, reducing the necessity for return shipping and associated costs. The prototype also featured a small room which rolled out on a wooden platform deployed from the Clean Hub's container. This separate room contained a self-composting toilet, foot-pump-operated sink, and a shower. The toilet in the prototype was an Envirolet brand DC12 Composting System. This is a powered system that normally runs on a 12V battery and a small wind turbine, and was wired to the solar panels in the prototype Clean Hub. The DC12 is advertised as waterless and odorless, and operates by rapidly dehydrating the waste and ejecting the water vapor through an exhaust vent. Though little waste material remains, it is suitable compost for a small garden when manually removed from the unit, providing synergy with subsistence farming and other small-scale agriculture.The sixteen solar panels of the initial concept were reduced to just two for the prototype, which were installed on the roof of the sanitation sub-structure. These were connected to a 1500 watt battery, and powered outdoor lighting as well as the Clean Hub's various filtration and sanitation systems. They also provided enough extra power to operate a small appliance.
Deploying the Prototype The student-built prototype lived on the University of Minnesota campus during development, and was deployed in June of 2007 to New Orlean's Lower 9th Ward. Greta Gladney is founder and executive director of the Renaissance Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving life in the Lower 9th Ward. She provided the empty lot where the Clean Hub was initially installed, the site of her family's home for six generations before hurricane Katrina. The Clean Hub was the only functioning sanitation infrastructure in the neighborhood when it was deployed, and the lot where it stands was turned into a community garden and “urban farmer's market.”
The initial deployment demonstrated one of the most subtle strengths of the Clean Hub and its shipping container skeleton. Gladney was not allowed to build on her land, but the Clean Hub's portability allowed it to bypass the bureaucracy by qualifying as a temporary structure, similar to a prefabricated tool shed. Despite its transitory nature, the self-sustainability of this prototype would ideally allow it to function for as long as necessary with light maintenance. The Future of the Clean HubThough the first prototype was used for disaster response, the developers envision the Clean Hub reaching all parts of the world that are without adequate water, sanitation, or power. They also hope that it will be achievable using a range of techniques and budgets, from entirely prefabricated units to units that are built from the ground up on-site by the people who will use them. It has been said that the existing prototype could be fabricated and shipped anywhere in the world in a matter of days, and could be deployed at its destination in less than an hour. The current design is intended to allow for re-shipping, so that it can be moved to new sites as easily as it was initially deployed. The Clean Hub is currently under a Creative Commons Developing Nations License, which permits the sharing and adaptation of the work in developing nations, provided it is attributed to its authors (presumably Shelter Architecture).
The World Bank and the The Federal Emergency Management Agency expressed interest in the project, but no public statement has been made about possible use by these organizations. The infamous “FEMA Trailer” has been strongly criticized for its high cost and lack of sustainability, and some have pointed out that the Clean Hub presents a more practical approach. A modified version of the Clean Hub could provide relatively cheap housing with self-sustaining utilities. The developers have considered a number of variations designed for more specialized support, including a housing model, as well as a mobile immunization center, a maternity clinic, a mobile theater, a “sanitation block” model, and a more general community center. All of these would operate without relying on existing utilities infrastructure. Cost and Efficiency
The student-built Clean Hub prototype was aided by donations including the shipping container itself, all the steel, the toilet, the solar panels, the water tank, filters, and sink. Almost everything else was recycled or built from everyday materials. The students learned the required construction skills as the project progressed, including welding and the routing of plumbing and electrical fixtures. Westbrook estimated the total cost of this model was under $5,000, which includes some materials that did not make it into the final design, but does not include labor. John Dwyer has said that a production model would probably be more expensive, but that the materials are common and cheap except for some of the technology.
Which technologies Dwyer was referring to is unclear. However, it is obvious that the included technologies are, for the most part, what makes the Clean Hub useful. The composting toilet system used in the prototype retails for $2,129, itself a little under half the estimated out-of-pocket cost for the entire prototype. The solar panels, flexi-tank, and filtration systems may also present considerable expenses and problems of supply when assembling in affected areas. Theoretically, some of these systems could be substituted, but may require specialized expertise. Basic compost toilet systems can be scratch-built fairly cheaply, for example, but require careful planning and additional maintenance to address both aesthetic and, more importantly, hygienic concerns.
Ultimately, the cost of the Clean Hub competes with the cost of developing infrastructure, which is largely a question of efficiency. The prototype model was said to be “scalable” up to 150 people, coinciding with Dunbar's number, which represents the theoretical number of people with which a single person can maintain a stable social relationship. How this is accomplished is left unclear, as the toilet system is rated for continuous use by only four people, and there was only enough surplus electricity for one external device. More recent estimates have listed the updated Clean Hub concepts at a capacity of 5 families per unit, providing clean water, electricity, and sanitation. Future concepts, more specialized than the prototype, may address cost and efficiency concerns with an economy of scale. It has been criticized for stepping around the problem of infrastructure, potentially delaying larger-scale, more centralized improvements. Potentially, the Clean Hub could address other problems of efficiency, such as bureaucratic roadblocks, monopolies, and corruption in utilities management.
Research Links:
http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/456 http://www.shelterarchitecture.com/ http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/ http://www.cdes.umn.edu/ http://thecleanhub.blogspot.com/ http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/13/prefab-friday-clean-hub/ http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/node/456 http://flexitank.biz/ http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/04/27/cleanhub/ http://subtopia.blogspot.com/2006/05/diy-infrastructure.html http://www.utne.com/2006-05-01/InspiredInfrastructure.aspx http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Clean_Hub_travels_to_New_Orleans.html http://enviroletbuzz.com/archives/2007/06/000625.html http://www.envirolet.com/enviroletdc12.html http://www.envirolet.com/enbowtrapina.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eovZMtvZPlE http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/05/04/71846
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2007/10/gallery_instant_housing?slide=2&slideView=5
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