Hex House; A Rapidly Deployable, Dignified Home

PrizeBronze in Architectural Design / Social Housing
Firm LocationMinneapolis, United States
CompanyArchitects For Society, Psc
Lead ArchitectAmro Sallam
Design TeamYousef Oqleh, David Dwars, altaf Engineer, Mourad Bendjennet, David Koch, Steve Mellema, Adam Whipple, Dan Clark, Stephan Wedrich, Sonal Mithal, Taru Niskanen
Project Videohttp://

The house is conceived as a low cost, off- grid, rapidly deployable, long stay and dignified home which is shipped in pieces and assembled by the end users. Three home kits fit inside a typical transport trailer. The basic building components are galvanized tube steel for the base, Structural Insulated Metal Panels for walls, floor and roof and can be customized with conventional interior and exterior finishes. The inherent structural stability of the hexagonal form and the rigid construction of Structural Insulated Metal Panels preclude the use of added structure. The wall & roof panels are designed to be self-supporting and when locked together with integral locking joints, form a rigid structural shell. The hexagonal plan can be configured into various combinations of clusters that enclose shared exterior gardens. Whether linear or radial, these clusters can be oriented to allow for accessible drives and pedestrian walkways. Units can be arranged next to one another or can be joined and share walls for enhanced thermal performance. The single 40 SM (431 SF) unit is a compact two bedroom home with all the amenities intended for small families. Interior walls are not attached to the ceiling to accommodate customization of layout and provide natural ventilation. The home utilizes passive cooling, solar panels & rainwater harvesting. Two single units can be combined into one larger ‘double’ unit of 80 SM (862 SF) with three or four bedrooms for larger families. With an emphasis on flexibility and customization, there are many interior planning possibilities.