Shambhala Village Art and Drafting Contest

Contact Doug Lacy at (505) 388-2150 email: douglacy77@hotmail.com

This art, drafting and technical description contest will provide an organized template for the continued modeling and evolving of a sustainable village design. The model will help people have a clear ‘how to’ example that they can follow, modify and even contribute to. The format for this modeling will be graphics and text that will be structured for direct use for a website presentation. The website or ‘html’ format is advantages for this modeling because of the graphic link layering capabilities. This will serve the purpose of keeping the many complex details of the individual components organized in a way that they can be directly referenced by the corresponding graphic and title button contained within the main Shambala Village graphic. Subsequent pages within each design subject will contain more refined details as needed. This easy-to-navigate model will function to keep the many projects and details contained, literally, in the bigger picture. The model will demonstrate efficient integration of sustainable technologies, developing technologies and sound cooperative living philosophies while detailing precise cost estimations, component descriptions, clear illustrations, where-to-buy component selection options, installation procedures, labor cost estimates and realistic full cost estimations.

The name ‘Shambala Village’ is chosen for this eco village model to challenge us to constantly expand sustainable design and harmonious living to include evolving, new and more encompassing, meaningful definitions. The name may also help connect us to our true creative passion and also help seed and build a sound foundation for a harmonious way of life based on principles of architectural design, community design and construction that are related to natural harmony, self empowerment, healing, self understanding, bounty, living art, compassion, cooperation and enlightened society.

Each entry will be one of seven design facets that will be described. Every one who enters and makes a serious attempt at fulfilling the specified design criteria will win something in this contest. The graphics and technical descriptions that are not the top winners will be published on a website where the Shambala Village Model will be continually evolved. The winners that are more successful at meeting the design criteria in the contest and are chosen as top winners will have their graphics and descriptions represented as direct links contained in the corresponding graphical components of the main Shambala Village Graphic Model. The winners will be allowed to own a designated amount of advertising areas on their graphical pages for ads or information. These ads can generate revenue for the winners. It is not required that serious entrees have the sponsorship of potential advertisers but it is encouraged that contestants take advantage of what resources they have to ensure the highest quality possible of their graphical and technical presentation.

Design Criteria for Graphic Models and Technical Descriptions:

Readiness for Uploading onto Website: If the graphics are hand drawn or painted then they must be scanned into a jpeg format. The text may be included into the graphic but the text must be able to be accessed as a text box to make editing easier. If the text is included as part of the scanned jpeg graphic then a separate graphic must be submitted that has no text on the graphic so the text can be added in an inserted text box. If the graphic and text are created as an html web page that is ready with consideration for the room needed for a small menu bar on the left side of the web page, then it will be considered in the most ready format and score well in this category. Other creative methods that may expedite the uploading and integration of your presentation and others are encouraged.
Clarity and Simplicity: There is no limit on the number of subsequent graphics and text based web pages used for greater detail. Although a large volume of information will provide clarity, simplicity will be lost if there are too many close-up detail graphics. It will be better to balance the two to achieve the desired result which is to make most anyone feel confident in their ability to have constructed or construct themselves the design detail you are illustrating and describing. The drawings should illustrate the components in size and shape to a degree of accuracy that is practical. A component list must accompany the drawings. This list will have more descriptions of the product, prices and have part numbers and purchase source contact information. The graphics may show equipment needed for installation and recommendations for installations. Smaller details such as conduit assembly and pipe assembly should include clear descriptions of all the parts needed such as cup links, wire ties, mounting bolts. The presentation need not go into details about more general information, such as, how to pull wire through a conduit or how to apply plaster. The target audience for this publication is creative driven, non-professional construction capable and construction interested individuals with at least a high school education. All material should be titled, numbered and dated and have the name and contact information of the artist on each page. In the cover pages a table, of contents should be included. There should be a page that tallies the component costs, material costs, delivery costs and labor costs of the design detail. The design criteria rules may be broken in favor of a new way but it will only have a positive effect on the evaluation of your presentation if cost and feasibility can be successfully defended.
Beauty: Many of the drawings are relegated to being dry technical presentations because they have to do with plumbing circuits and air conduit descriptions but many will provide an opportunity to inspire a new way of life by creating a feel of beauty with color and creative details. These graphics and descriptions along with even some of the technical presentations will have an opportunity to have a stylized approach based on these village themes: natural harmony, self empowerment, healing, self understanding, bounty, living art, compassion, cooperation, enlightened society and interactive art.

Design Details

I. Home Design Criteria

The sustainable components and graphic representations must interface and be based on one of three home designs. The components that require a basic home design layout to properly represent the component graphically may use any of these 3 designs to the extent to which is practical for describing the component detail.

These 3 designs must be small homes that have three separate designated floor square footage areas that are around, within100 square feet, a pad that is 500 square feet, one that is 800 square feet and one that is 1200 square feet. Although these designs are smaller than conventional, they are all part of a staggered construction strategy. This staggered construction strategy anticipates later addition to these small homes. This lowers the initial costs of getting a functioning base home for survival to more easily expand upon. This is an important part of a low-cost housing strategy. Designs that anticipate additions well will score higher.

Also, the home designs need to have three separate maximum allowable shell areas or wall and roof areas. These allowable shell areas corresponding respectively to the smallest to largest floor areas are 1,050 feet squared, 1650 feet squared, and 2,400 feet squared. The dwelling walls and roofs will be made of a monolithic cast material of multiple possible materials based on a system called Free-Form Stress-Skin Parabolic Construction. In this system there is no separating mechanical detail between the wall and roof and there will be little if any transitional details between the wall and roof as they are likely to be one smooth geometric form. The dimensions of the shell will be 12 inches to 18 inches. Sculptural aspects of the design, such as window, door and balcony canopies and gutter details can taper to plates as thin as ½ inch in thickness.

Free-Form Parabolic Construction: In order to cover the floor square footage area of a structure with the minimum amount of shell area or wall and roof area needed, it is necessary to use free-form parabolic design to create curved shell forms. The base forms for these designs may primarily be variations of elliptical or elongated dome shapes much like a walnut half, turtle shell or a bread loaf shape. Structural parameters must be maintained, meaning structurally sound radiuses ranging from simple Nubian arch designs to partial geometric hemisphere arch sections for straight barrel vaults with a maximum span of 18 feet. When interfacing separate radiuses for overhead spans such as for a dome shape or an elongated ellipse, the maximum span for the shortest dimension is 26 feet. The maximum span for the longest dimension of the elliptical dome is 44 feet. When intersecting radiuses are used, such as this elongated dome described, there is a lot more freedom for sculptural design because a safe margin of structural integrity can be maintained with a large variety of shaping options. Sculptural creativity is encouraged. To gain an intuitive sense of the sound engineering or complex, yet safe, high strength to weight ratio shaping options available, consider aspects of shapes in nature that yield high strength to weight ratios such as natural shapes seen in sea shells, animal skulls and bones, plant forms, turtle shells, or any form that reveals an architectural formula of nature for stabilizing forms.

Another primary shape that allows for a good solar design and a lower floor area to shell area ratio is a taller bubble shape that has a portion of the top cut away for a sunny outdoor balcony and an indoor loft. The loft bedroom area will protect the lower living and kitchen area from direct sun while allowing the interior to warm the bedroom loft in daylight hours. Utilizing a loft area for a bedroom or bedrooms will enable a wide variety of possible shaping and designs for the home. Designing a loft and balcony will also create superior natural convection as compared to the lower and broader nut shell shape or turtle shell shape and may allow an array of interesting window designs that will better allow diffuse light into the dwelling instead of harsh direct light.

Head Clearance for Foot Traffic Areas: Foot traffic areas are defined as places on the floors that are 2.5 feet away from where the wall or parabolic shell meets the floor. At one foot from where the wall and the floor intersect the wall must have a clearance height of 6 feet. At 3 feet from where the wall and floor intersect, a head clearance height of 7.5 feet must be maintained. Places that do not qualify as foot traffic areas are those above cast-in furniture details, counters, desks, sink basins, toilets and shelf details. A point 6 inches into the standing area beyond the edge of these details, a head height of 7.5 feet must be maintained.

Interior Partition Walls must not exceed 20 percent of exterior square foot limits but can exceed those limits if the minimum square footage for the exterior is less than required and in that case, the area saved can be added to the interior walls.

Operable Glass Windows and Doors: 5 percent of the shell area may be standard operable windows and operable glass doors. There are no area constraints on standard doors that have no glass.

Inoperable Light Transmission Glass Features: An additional 12 percent of the shell area may be inoperable glass windows that are free form shapes of any kind but maintain a surface area of less than 5 ft^2 each. These free form windows can be of two styles: the first is a double glass that will fit into the 1 foot thick wall and trap 10 inches of air space in between, The glass consist of slump cast plates, (glass centered plates) that are ½ to1 inch thick and have slight parabolic shapes and uneven or wrinkled fired glass texture; the second style would just be one plate thick. These windows are used for light transmission and cause mild distortion of the view and are only inoperable features at this point. The heavy plates are simply plastered into place.

Composting Toilet – The designs will utilize a top-of-the-line composting toilet of your selection. Proper vents and access must be included in the design.

Design Details: Shambala Village Main Model Graphic: Examples:

This graphic will have an aerial view of five homes, a gray water purification and crop usage area for crop cultivation, Solar Concentrator (Glass manufacturing), Green House Aquaculture, Biodiesal production facility, and a PV array with battery storage unit.
Green House and Garden Design: Aqua Culture and medicinal herb production. Go wild!
Rain Catch Cistern, Components and Plumbing Schematics. www.thesolar.biz Tom has all the components for this one.
Solar Hot Water, Radiant Floor Plumbing and Cistern Interface components: Radiant Floor components, hot water exchanger and on-demand hot water heater back up
Solar and Wind Electric Generation and Storage System: Village combo design - 4000 – 5000 watt solar electric system – Outback Inverter, 30 panels, New 3,000 watt wind turbine generator, Top of the line battery bank appropriate for 5 small homes. Get with Tom Duffey of www.thesolar.biz Preassembled panel.
Home Designs: Described above. Examples of basic shaping opportunities: http://www.geocities.com/flyingconcrete/ http://www.ferrocement.com/europe/europe01.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/christina/ebenig5.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/christina/ebenig3.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/David/Gleason.03.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/gabriel/gutierrez.006.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/kornher/kornher.07.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/lovag/lovag1en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/milenko/milenko01.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/Jud/Morgan.6.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/Javier/Senosiain.06.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/Javier/Senosiain.09.en.html http://www.ferrocement.com/Javier/Senosiain.10.en.html
Earth Tube Design: The Earth Tube is a simple atmosphere conditioning air duct. Its purpose is to condition the air that travels through it at a rate not exceeding 300 cubic feet per minute, so that the temperature of the air may be changed in temperature so that it exactly or more closely matches the temperature of the pipe.

Example of Technical Description of Earth tube.

Earth Tube Notes:

This illustration will contain a 50 foot long section of 6 inch diameter PVC pipe.
The pipe will be burried12 feet deep.
The pipe will turn up towards the surface and interface with an air intake unit.
The air intake unit will be a triangular frame that is inches by 18 on three sidesinches by 8 feet. It will be based on a 1.5 inch angle iron frame that is in two separate pieces. One piece, referred to as the top frame, The bottom piece, referred to as the lower frame, is a more flat rectangular piece that the upper sets into with a snug fit. is that can be lifted from the lower frame, and the bottom frame being a flat rectangular frame that fits the top piece in snug. The frame will have ½ inch mesh hardware cloth on the surfaces and underneath, it will have aluminium window screen. Only the angle iron frame will be primer painted with rust proof primer and painted a second time with an enamel paint. Before painting the frame, 7/16 bolt holes will be cut at one foot intervals along the more accessible sides of each piece of angle iron that make up the corners. On the bottom flat frame and the portion of top flat frame that intersects the lower frame in way that the top frame sets inside with a snug fit, the top edge of angle iron on the top frame angle iron will have a, cut outs will be made so the bolts do not obstruct the top frame from fitting snug into the lower frame.

The PVC section will be perforated with one inch round holes along the bottom half at roughly two-inch centers. The pipe will be wrapped tightly with aluminum window screen secured into place with stainless steel wire wrapes.

In the center of the length of the pipe will contain a ‘T’ and the “T” will extend to the bottom of the cage where it will interface with the earthtube in a cup link that is not glued so the frame can be removed for service to the tunnel and air intake filter cage.