For many centuries paper and cardboard have been used to construct domestic housing in Japan. The rice paper (shoji) that was used was both cheap and provided a safe building material for the regions of Japan that were prone to earthquakes. (Although cardboard is not used as a traditional building material in the Western World). However, the introduction of new cutting, bonding and structural techniques has led to an opportunity for architects, builders and developers to consider this lightweight and recyclable building medium in a more creative way.

First unveiled at the NBC New Inventors Show in Austrailia and utilising this new and exciting medium, the Cardboard House, also known as The Halo Home (High Amenity Low-cost Home Ownership), was designed by Peter Stutchbury and Richard Smith. The Cardboard house was erected at the New Inventors Show by a core group of 20 senior architecture students from the University of Sydney.

The Halo Home starts its life as a prefabricated pack. This enables easy transport to almost any location. The prefabricated pack consists of two layers of tri-wall sheet laminated to four layers of twin-wall sheet with water-based glue to become the main floor beams, wall columns and roof crowns, all interlocking to form a stiff A-frame structure. All of the structural members are then edged with tough paper and finished with waterproof coatings. Floor panels are constructed out of cardboard sheets
enclosing laminated cardboard joists and corrugated cardboard infill, and then covered with Marmoleum made from recycled PVC. Fixed and moveable wall panels and kitchen, wash and WC rooms are formed using HDPE.

To ensure that the house is water-proof and has a suitable wind-loading capability, a sail-like skin of HDPE is added to the structure. The skin provides both light and ventilation by making use of tent-fixing technology. As a result of applying the skin the house was able to withstand two severe storms during its time at the exhibition when it was battered by winds over 100km/h.

Sustainability
One of the main issues that The Halo House addresses and that many other houses do not is its overall sustainability at a low cost. With the Government and other agencies constantly pushing for greener housing, cardboard housing could prove an inviting idea to many builders and developers.

In fact, the Government has invited local authorities and developers across Britain to propose their ideas for five new ecotown schemes. The aim of these ecotowns is for each of the communities to be able to reach zero carbon standards. The final decision on these proposed schemes will be based upon the strength, costs and sustainability of the bids received. Could cardboard housing be put forward as a basis for one of these ecotowns?

The concept of this moveable and lightweight dwelling suggests a short term leasing of land rather than purchase, as many households move at least every three years and costs escalate with each relocation. Therefore the cost of housing is significantly reduced by the leasing of land.

Another cost-cutting sustainable solution is ‘autonomous servicing’ which requires people to make use of: rainwater collection and re-circulation of grey water, on-site sewage and organic waste treatment and the use of solar panelling. The use of only 12-volt batteries or small photovoltaic cells for power generation is all that is needed for autonomous servicing. The on-site sewage and organic waste treatment can be achieved through the use of a Biolytix waste treatment system where colonies of worms and beetles are used to convert all waste into nutrient rich water for gardening purposes. Four BP solar panels would be used in conjuction with an LP gas store to run all of the necessary servicing, such as, lighting, smoke detectors, refrigeration and electronic devices.

Eighty-five percent of the building materials for the Cardboard House are produced from recycled products. In addition to this all of the materials used within the construction of the house are recyclable. Recycling the house at the end of its period of use would save 12m3 of landfill, 39 trees and 30,000L of water.

Affordability
One of the integral ideas behind The Halo House was for householders to be involved in the building, maintenance alterations and repairs to the house. The householder would also control all the utilities within the house enabling them to create the maximum savings on capital and running costs.

The prototype of The Halo House displayed at The New Inventors Show cost just under £22,000. However, the designers believe that the materials for a five bed student housing co-op on University land would cost just over £13,000. This would make the construction of cardboard housing a very cheap option for developers.

Applications
The housing stock in Britain is growing by 185,000 a year. However, the number of households is projected to grow at 223,000 a year. This means that Britain is heading for an even greater housing shortage. As a result, the Government is proposing that two million affordable homes are to be built by 2016, with three million homes having been completed by 2020. “We need a new national drive to support more affordable housing and we need it now,” Yvette Cooper MP comments in a Government green paper on affordable and sustainable housing. Cardboard housing could provide a costeffective solution to this problem and could provide the drive that the British
housing system needs.

Other applications where cardboard housing could be used are moveable student housing, temporary housing during renovations, for housing refugees and as a response to disaster housing. The system would be flexible enough for universities to create accommodation for the fluctuating student housing market, without creating buildings that are difficult to update or expensive to take down. It would create a quick solution to accommodation for people who are renovating their homes and refugees. It would also create a larger and more user-friendly living space for people who have had to leave their homes due to natural disasters.

By purchasing a fully recyclable house like this, collecting your own water, running a composting system and generating your own electricity, you would be able to visibly demonstrate your overall concern for the environment. You would also be able to enjoy the benefits of low capital costs and minimal running costs. You would also have the opportunity to repair or renew your home depending upon your own individual needs, quickly and at a low cost.

In the future we may all be used to living in cardboard accommodation, with this and other material housing having had a significant impact on reducing environmental damage. It is hoped that it could also be a chance to broaden the housing market for low-income families, and challenge the ever-growing housing market.

For more infomation visit www.housesofthefuture.com.au/hot_houses04

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