Development of sustainable hotel cabins for different climate zones
In this project, researchers developed modular ‘hotel cabins’ that can be adapted to different climate zones. Eco-design planning significantly reduces their environmental footprint.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering
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Institute(s)
Institute for Timber Construction IHB
Institute for Building Materials and Biobased Products IBBM -
Research unit(s)
Integral Construction and Planning Processes group FGIBP
Timber Structures group FGH
Building Envelope and Building Physics group FGGB
Materials and Life Cycle Assessment group FGWO - Funding organisation Innosuisse
- Duration (planned) 01.10.2022 - 31.03.2025
- Head of project Christof Tschannen
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Project staff
Prof. Dr. Heiko Thömen
Prof. Christoph Renfer
Jeremias Bohl
Dr. Christelle Ganne-Chédeville
Guillaume André -
Partner
Cielo Azzuro SA
Heima SAGL - Keywords Hospitality, cabins, modular building, sustainability
Situation
The tiny house market is booming. The idea of living in a compact space with a minimal environmental footprint inspires more and more people. The small individual cabins are also a popular choice for tourists. The objective of the project was to develop the cabins into a high-quality product that can be easily erected and later dismantled without causing significant environmental damage. The cabins were also to be designed according to the principles of eco-design. Consequently, each component was evaluated from the end of its life cycle, taking into account recycling and disposal. In addition, the cabins had to be adaptable to any possible climate, whether cool, dry or tropical. The very distinct climatic conditions and the availability of materials necessitated thorough investigations in order to develop a concept that could withstand the various conditions.
Course of action
The project employs a transdisciplinary research approach to accommodate the wide-ranging interests of the extensive stakeholder group. This approach makes it possible to address research questions from different fields and scientific disciplines. Within the project, a concept for the modular construction of the hotel cabins was developed that can be used in different climate zones and leaves virtually no traces in nature after dismantling. Given the emphasis on sustainability, related criteria were consistently considered during the planning, construction and operation phases. An eco-design approach was followed for the development process, including several analyses of the environmental impact and costs. The technical aspects of the project entailed the formulation of a construction principle for the efficient assembly and dismantling of the hotel cabins, the creation of a BIM model and the development of wall and roof structures that meet the requirements of the climate zones.
Result
The transdisciplinary collaboration proved very successful. It involved a total of seven disciplines, including architecture, hospitality, materials science, building physics, CAD and life cycle analysis. The findings were then integrated into the business strategy and the design of cabins and resorts of the implementation partner Heima. The results of the project include a manual for sustainability indicators, a fully developed construction concept taking into account the different climate zones, the design of a dismantlable foundation, an analysis of the fasteners, and concepts for materialisation and segmentation for an optimised transport solution for the components. The space-optimised planning facilitates the transport all the components for a cabin in two shipping containers. In addition, a comprehensive energy concept was developed to ensure a minimal environmental footprint while operating the cabins. The energy concept compares the energy from the grid with locally generated solar power for each location.
Looking ahead
The design of the cabins reflects modern timber construction. But by optimising materials in terms of cost, availability and sustainability criteria, the design relies on beyond cutting-edge technology. It can be flexibly adapted to different climate zones, uses environmentally friendly materials and is easy to install with minimal impact on nature. The construction of a first prototype is planned in Italy. The hotel cabins and the analysis of energy requirements have therefore been adapted and optimised for the Mediterranean climate.
