URBANbuild 11 or UB11 is the program’s third house by URBANbuild from Tulane University School of Architecture. It is a year’s house designed as a single-family dwelling or a duplex. There is one single-level unit inside, consists of a loft studio space and a kitchenette with a rear porch and garden.
Design
This program’s third house is located on Toledano Street in Central City. It is also the program’s first true infill site with its visible facade. Just like URBANbuild 10, this house is designed as a single-family dwelling or a duplex.
When this house is used as a duplex, each unit of the house can be accessed from a shared front porch. The public zones are situated downstairs in the primary two-bedroom unit with private zones on the second level of the house.
The stairwell that ascends through the building’s core can capture daylight from a clerestory window above. This light then filtered down through the house.
Structure
This house faces west and it needs a shading system to mitigate sun exposure and reduce heat gain. It is a requirement that provides the students with a great opportunity to play with shadow and light, resulting in a movable shutter system development. This shutter system is made from painted cedar, framed in aluminum then set on a rolling track system.
This shutter system also can be adjusted to control the traveling of light into the main dining space and across the front porch, featuring two modern walls with single lite glass doors. These doors can be opened easily to convert the house porch into a shaded outdoor or indoor space.
UB11 Gallery
Photography: URBANbuild