[January Thematic Report] Youth for Green Buildingsby Elina Haber | 29-02-2024 23:01 |
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 Adopting green building standards can significantly reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Architects, interior designers, and construction companies can contribute to a better, more sustainable future by creating sustainable buildings. Renee Wang, a 16-year-old from California, has come up with a cool idea for a sustainable tiny home called RUBIX. It's kind of like a Rubik¡¯s Cube because it's modular and can be rearranged. She got into this because she really cares about helping homeless people, which she started thinking about a lot during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her family even started a blog called ¡°Stories of the Streets¡± to share stories about people without homes. So, this RUBIX home is made from bamboo and recycled plastics, and it's got these ten pieces that snap together like a big puzzle. Each piece is for something different, like one for the bathroom and another for the kitchen. It's super eco-friendly because it's all prefabricated, which means there's no waste from building it, and it uses recycled stuff to keep the carbon footprint small. Plus, it's got solar panels and off-grid plumbing to save on energy and water. The cool part is that it's not just good for the environment; it's also supposed to be cheaper than what we usually spend on shelters and other tiny homes. Renee's got big dreams for RUBIX, like helping people all over the world who don't have homes and using it for disaster relief, like when she went to help in Puerto Rico. Compared to other tiny homes, RUBIX is pretty unique because it gives you your own space with a kitchen and bathroom. It's kind of inspired by those little sleeping pods at airports and those foldable Boxabl homes. And for power? It runs totally on solar energy, which can give you at least 13 kilowatts every day. There's this one solar panel that you can move around to catch the most sun, and a battery box that runs your heating, cooling, and cooking stuff. Now, building a full-size model of RUBIX is going to cost about $50,000, but if Renee can get it mass-produced, the price for each one will go down a lot. She's really hoping to make it more affordable than what we're used to paying for shelters and tiny homes. So that's the story of Renee and her RUBIX project – it's all about making a difference and building a future where everyone has a place to call home. Renee's personal experiences with homelessness and natural disasters have significantly influenced her architectural ambitions. She values the opportunity to serve communities through her design work, prioritizing this over the pursuit of luxury architectural projects. Her commitment to community service is evident in her aspirations to use RUBIX as a solution for the unhoused population worldwide and in disaster relief efforts, as demonstrated by her service trip to Puerto Rico. In terms of her work on the RUBIX project, Renee has completed physical sketches, digital drafts, and developed a 3D model and animated version of the tiny home. She is currently working towards building a life-size prototype, which is estimated to cost about $50,000. Renee is also collaborating with local college professors to refine the design and is seeking resources and support for design improvement through Rise, a platform for project development. Renee's future goals include exploring the feasibility of RUBIX for natural disaster relief and pursuing architectural studies and a career with a focus on community service. Her dedication to creating affordable, sustainable, and accessible housing solutions is at the core of her work, and she aims to make a significant impact on the lives of those in need through her innovative designs. In conclusion, Renee Wang's RUBIX project is a testament to her innovative spirit and dedication to social and environmental causes. With its unique design and sustainable features, RUBIX has the potential to offer affordable and eco-friendly housing solutions for those in need, reflecting a bright future for both architecture and humanitarian efforts. Meet the teenagers making tiny homes and green roofs to protect communities from climate change |
