Modern Adobe Architecture

UNIVERSAL HOME™

1860 FM 1332 JOURDANTON, TEXAS 78026 | INFO@UDCINC.ORG | 830-200-1614

© 2024. SVM Universal Design Consortium LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Terms & Condoitions

BACK

It all started on May 2, 2006 with a simple question.


“Can a Low to Moderate Income house be created that uses less electrical energy while still costing less to build?”


After 15 years of scientific study, evaluation and development. The answer is an astounding “YES”.


GETTING BACK TO OUR ROOTS

Some say; that its the insulation that needs to be updated. Some say its the tightness of the package. Reduce the leaks and then increase efficiency. Some say its the windows, replace the windows with high performance glass or solar shaded and increase efficiency. Some say its the HVAC, higher SEER is the answer to better efficiency. Some say its the roof ventilation, that it must be vented to increase efficiency. Some say the answer is in Photovoltaic or Wind.


The truth. Well it depends. It depends on numerous variables indigenous to the specific site you are located. For instance a building built in Rapid City South Dakota has greatly different requirements than a building built in San Antonio, Texas. It ranges from simple seasonal ambient temperatures, prevailing winds, humidity, to shading coefficients based on the differences in declination of the sun. For most parts of Texas, the problem with achieving performance efficiency is not one system or another, but “Light Frame” construction itself. Upgrades to Insulation, higher SEER rated HVAC’s, Lighting, Windows are just mitigation for the selection of a building type not suited for the geographic region. Texas is hot. Some sub-regions of Texas have increases in relative humidity that directly relate to building performance. Cooling a home in Texas constitutes about 67% of your total electrical expenditure per year. The simple truth, its the building type that's the problem, not the systems.


RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Beginning in 2006, UDC launched a its Research & Development department. Specifically focused on solving these issues. Numerous building types were constructed and evaluated for performance and construction feasibility from Light frame (2x4, 2x6) and monolithic systems such as Insulated Concrete Form (ICF), Straw Bale, Rammed Earth and Compressed Earth Block (CEB). After 15 years of study, in 2021 it was clear the only building type that yielded the highest performance for the total cost was a hybrid configured CEB building. This Modern Adobe, Earth modular blocks generated by hydraulic manufacturing, allows for the increase/ decrease of essential earthen materials that will either increase moisture absorption rates or decrease them, allowing for the optimal balancing of thermal reactive materials that is climate and site specific, optimizing building performance.


Between 2007 and 2019 UDC explored the possibilities of high performance architectural design, starting in 2007 the first of seven (7) prototypes would be constructed, in corporation with several Community Development Department in numerous Texas cities, to explore the possibilities and document the performance results, ease of construction and total construction expenditures. These prototypes yielded the statistical Analysis necessary for the development of UDC’s Universal Home™ design standard used today.