Designing an Off Grid House Project

My name is Delain Orth and I teach Engineering, Robotics, Drones, Manufacturing and Drafting. This lesson is used during my 9th grade Engineering Technology class at Central Davis Jr in Layton, Utah. I use this project to teach my students about sustainability in civil engineering. Students follow the Engineering Design Process as they work to develop an engineering mindset. During this lesson students will be given the challenge to design a home for a family of four in a country that is considered economically developing. The activity is set for four-six class periods depending on the skill level of students on the Revit software. Much of the project is researching topics to give students background knowledge of the country and building practices. The 1st class period gives an introduction of the project, then has students create problem and design statements, and research what it means to live off the grid. In the second class period they research countries that are considered economically challenged, and choose the country for thier Off the Grid location. They then learn how the poor live in those countries, and how houses are built in that country. Students will need to determine how they will have power, how they will get water into and out of the home. What will they do with the wastewater, either brown or black water? (Could they recycle any water for other purposes?) How will they heat and cool the home? (Passive heating?) There will also be one challenge added to the research, like adding a living plant wall, or food generation site, followed by solving one problem that is unique to that country. After students research the best way for the family to live off grid, they will design the house and draw it using Autodesk Revit.

Supplies for this project are minimal.

• Engineering Notebook
• Computer
• Autodesk Revit

Off the Grid Assignment

GOALS

• Explain that engineers have a responsibility to serve the public interest, their clients, and the profession with a high degree of honesty, integrity and accountability.
• Develop ideas and create products through positive, mutual dependence among all teammates.
• Describe the purposes and positive outcomes of a peer review process.

The Role of Research

To help professionals fully understand a problem and how to approach possible solutions, they spend time researching work being done by others in the field. Before you decide on how you want to solve your prioritized challenge or goal, you need to understand what solutions have already been tried. Knowledge of solutions in progress can help you decide whether you want to iterate or optimize off a current idea or design something completely original.

During this activity you are asked to design a home in an economically developing country. Working in groups of 4-5 you will follow the design cycle through the prototype stage to research and design a prototype report for an Off the Grid home. You will present your designs to the class.

Background

• You and your team are tasked to Design a home in an economically developing country for a family of four (4) with three (3) generations living in the home. The country can be any country of your choice but must be on the UN list for economically developing. The house must be designed for an area that does not have access to a power grid. In addition, the house must include a renewable energy source, a water collection system, and solve one (1) problem that is specific to the area that the house is being built other than no power grid access. 

Research current solutions to solve the problem. Locate an article or website (credible) that outlines current work or example solutions. 

Standards

• 4.6 Understand the concept of a problem statement and design requirements.
• 4.7 Create design specifications considering such factors as:
• Performance, Time and financial constraints, Ergonomics, Safety, The state-of-the-art

Activity

During this activity you need to design a home in an economically developing country. Individual groups of 4-5 will follow the design cycle through the prototype stage using the problem(s) that the class selects.

Notebook entries

• List the general problem you are working on, what is the background of the problem (2 pts)
• List the members of your team (2 pts)
• In your notebook record the problem statement that your team has chosen for the Engineering Design Project. (3 pts)
• 3 pts: Addresses important aspects of the problem without biasing the solution
• 2 pts: Addresses the problem, but with a specific solution
• 1 pts: Does not address the problem
• In your notebook record the design requirements/scope statement that your team has chosen for the Engineering Design Project. (3 pts)
• 3 pts: Considers stakeholders in addressing how a range of solutions to the problem will be explored
• 2 pts: Suggests a specific solution rather than discussing how a range of solutions will be explored
• 1 pts: Does not address the problem

Key points

• Have students share their problem and scope statements. Suggest ways they could be improved.
• Expect different problem and scope statements even though groups are addressing the same general problem.
• Think big. These homes can be built in the desired countries.

Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines Off-Grid to be not connected to or served by publicly or privately managed utilities (such as electricity, gas, or water)

Students will read articles or watch a video about living off grid.

Green Building Advisors article: How to Design an Off-Grid House - GreenBuildingAdvisor

Research on building Off the Grid: Building an Off-Grid House: What You Need to Know (theplancollection.com)

Videos can be found on YouTube, Nexflix, or Amazon Prime.

Standards

• 4.1 Identify the qualities of good design and their relationship to the design's user. 
• 4.2 Recognize and identify the role of engineering and engineered products in society.
• 4.3 Identify the requirements for and role of intellectual property in design.

For the "Off the Grid" problem chosen, do the following:

• Using the country classification from the UN, coordinate with your team members to determine what economically developing country you will be building your house. 

In a text box:

• List the country you will be building your Off the Grid house include a screen shot of the land you will build on (1 pt)

• Research the country of your choice. Include in your research the country's environment, climate (average temperature, rainfall, topography, etc.), natural resources, economy of the country, any other information about the country you will be building your Off the Grid house in. (3 pts)

3 pts: All information on the country is included

2 pts: Some country information is included

1 pts: Most of the country information is included

0 pts: No information is included

• Research the building practices in your country. Include how homes are normally built, what materials are used to build houses, both high end and low end.

Resources:

Country classifications as per UN/DESA 2014 2014wesp_country_classification.pdf

World Economic Situation and Prospects 2021 (un.org)

Standards

• 4.1 Identify the qualities of good design and their relationship to the design's user. 
• 4.2 Recognize and identify the role of engineering and engineered products in society.
• 4.3 Identify the requirements for and role of intellectual property in design.

Students should use an engineering notebook to save their research.

• Create a list of problems found in that country, that you can solve, other than the house being disconnected from the power grid.

In a text box: 

• List at least 3 problems that could be solved in this location that is relevant to your project.  For each reference list:
• a summary of what you found (1 pt x 3)
• how the team can solve to the problem. (1 pt x 3)
• Include:
• Things others have tried to solve the problem.
• 
  
• For each problem find at least 3 sources of information relevant to your project.  For each reference list:
• the web page that the information came from (1 pt x 3)
• a summary of what you found (1 pt x 3)
• how it applies to the problem. (1 pt x 3)
• Determine which problem your team will include in their design.(2 pt)

Standards

• 4.2 Recognize and identify the role of engineering and engineered products in society.
• 4.3 Identify the requirements for and role of intellectual property in design.

For the "Off the Grid" problem chosen, do the following:

• Coordinate with your team members to make sure that each of the following categories are considered
• How will the Passive Solar be connected to your house?
• How are you going to heat and cool the house?
• How will you collect and use the water at your house?
• What will be done with sewer?
• What will you do with waste water?
• What will the building materials of the house be?

In a text box:

• List which team member will be responsible of research for each area. (1 pt)
• For each question above you should include:
• a minimum of 5 sentences answering the question (1 pt x 5)
• how it applies to the problem. (2 pts)

Standards

·        3.3 Create a model and a prototype of the proposed design.

-   Create models & build a prototype

In my class, students have already been introduced to the Autodesk Revit software before beginning this project. If your student are not familiar with this program they can follow the lessons from Autodesk at this link: Introduction to 3D Modeling for Architectural Design | Autodesk

Students could also use TinkerCAD to draw the Off the Grid house.

During this activity you will be creating an architectural drawing for your Off the Grid project using Autodesk Revit. You will be drawing the floor plan of your Off the Grid house and placing it on 11x17 titleblock. You will use your design drawing as your guide. You should include walls, windows, and doors in your project, furniture in not necessary. Your final drawing should include:

·        A top view of the floor plan with title block (1)

·        A front view of the house

·        A rendering of the house from a 3D view

Standards

• 4.5 Identify and explain the elements of an engineering design process
• Create models & build a prototype

During this activity you will be finish the report for your Off the Grid project. You will be drawing the floor plan of your Off the Grid house that will be on an 11x17 inch paper drawn at a 1/4" scale. Your report should include the following:

• A Title Page (1)
• A Table of Content (1)
• A Problem Statement (1)
• A Design Statement (1)
• A map of the location of the house (1)
• A description of the country's environment, climate, natural resources, the economy of the country (what is the average temperature, rainfall, topography, etc.) (3)
• The problem in your area you will be solving and how will you solve this problem (3)
• A list of building materials that will be used in the construction of the home (how will you make the exterior and interior walls, roof and openings) (2)
• How will you heat and cool the house (1)
• How will you produce the electricity needed (2)
• How will you get water into the house (1)
• What will you do with the waste water in the house (2)
• How will you introduce passive solar in the house (2)
• How will you use a water collection system (2)
• An 1/4 inch scale drawing from Revit on an 11x17 in sheet of paper (1)
• A reference page with sources (1)