Meet the NeighborHub: the transformable, shared space packed with ‘green’ characteristics

The prefabricated structure can adapt to different needs

The prefabricated structure can adapt to different needs

The NeighborHub, designed by architecture students, is a transformable community space. The modular, prefabricated building envelope, made of laminated veneer lumber, can be transformed from a private bedroom to a bicycle repair shop, and even expand outdoors thanks to movable walls and convertible furniture. “The house is divided into two main spaces,” said the designers. “The center of the NeighborHub, the core, is a thermally controlled space. It is surrounded by the extended skin which is controlled by passive strategies.”

The structure also provides innovative solutions to the problems of climate change and resource depletion, as renewable energy, water management, waste management, mobility, food, material choices, and biodiversity have been taken into account during its design. Its movable facade is covered with solar panels on the east, south, and west sides. Two vertical greenhouses are installed to allow space-saving year-round farming techniques such as aquaponics, while an edible garden grows atop the rainwater-harvesting roof. The excess rainwater collected from the roof is treated with an on-site phytopurication system and reused for non-potable uses, such as laundry and irrigation. A zero-water “dry” toilet recycles waste and produces compost that can be used as fertilizer.

The NeighborHub was designed and constructed by Swiss Team, a team of students from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR), the Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD) and the University of Fribourg (UNIFR). The team’s solar prototype was this year’s winner of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, an academic competition that challenges student teams to design and build full-size solar-powered homes. Currently, the NeighborHub is brought back to Fribourg, Switzerland for further research and development.

Source: Eco techtube