Prototype unveiled for sustainable, affordable living
The Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture and Gray Organschi Architecture unveiled the Ecological Living Module (ELM) at the United Nations this July, the outcome of a collaboration with UN Environment and UN Habitat. The ELM delivers affordable housing for up to four people while limiting the overuse of natural resources. The 236-square-foot house is equipped with solar power generation, light-to-heat systems, plant-based air- and water-filtration systems, a sustainably harvested timber structure, and a micro-farming wall. At a time when up to one billion people lack access to affordable permanent housing, the prototype will help address the challenges of rapid urbanization and climate-related migration. Future iterations of the project are planned for San Francisco, Quito, and Nairobi, with the hope that eventually it will lead to a mass-produced sustainable, affordable—and beautiful—housing alternative. (For a photo, see the last page of this issue.)
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