Multi-family courtyard homes

I'd like to build one of these someday.

Comments

[James Bowery]

A good rule of thumb is that temperate climate insolation supports about one adult per 50m^2 of algae photosynthesis (2.5% efficiency) stepped through one trophic loss before human consumption (say an algae grazer like tilapia). Add a garden of equal size and you have 100m^2 per adult of greenhouse area that includes heat buffering in the algae pond's water (high specific heat). Add another 50m^2 for living space per adult and you have 150m^2 budget per adult.

Now, divide into 4 houses, each 2 parents and 2 teenagers (metabolic adults), and you have a basic design for a 4 sided greenhouse kept at optimal temperature for habitation and adequate for fully self-sufficient food production.

[James Bowery]

The formula:

1600*PersonMonthFoodBudget

Gives the approximate capital made available from the quadraplex's future food, alone, if produced and consumed by its residents.

In other words, if a typical adult would spend $300 on food per month, around a half million of the quadraplex's cost could be paid for by food budget savings.

[Derek Curry]

Using shipping containers could bring down the cost. (Hot or cold, it would be hell to live in without insulation, though.)

http://www.quik-build.com/quikHouse/QH_video.htm

See also MOUT simulation structures built from shipping containers:

http://subtopia.blogspot.com/2009/03/galleries-for-art-of-war-play.html

[James Bowery]

I don't suppose shipping containers could be considered heavy armor, but what kinds of rounds could it stop?

[Derek Curry]

I don't have any authoritative information on bullet resistance, but based on this page it looks like shipping container walls are made from 14-gauge steel:
http://www.officecontainer.net/containers

The following article suggests that 14-gauge steel needs to be reinforced with 1/4" or 3/8" armor plate to make it resistant to small arms fire:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cold+steel+vs.+hot+lead:+taking+aim+at+the+growing+market+for...-a053288072

I think that article assumes flat armor plate welded to flat 14-gauge steel sheet. I don't know what is the difference in performance (if any) of welding flat armor plate to corrugated steel sheet.

Perhaps it would be useful to weld armor plate to both the inside and outside of the corrugated steel. This should act like spaced armor. Filling the resulting hollow columns with expanding foam would help with the thermal insulation issue.

[Seerov]

I was first exposed to these in Kosovo. The whole family (3 generations) living in a compound with cousins living in the next compound over. People would go out and tend to the ground in the day and the women would do housework. Kids would run loose and parents didn't worry too much (unless the towns were mixed ethnically, then it was very stressful). Overall it didn't seem that bad? Americans will have to learn to tolerate their families again.

[shane watson]

A good rule of thumb is that temperate climate insolation supports about one adult per 50m^2 of algae photosynthesis (2.5% efficiency) stepped through one trophic loss before human consumption (say an algae grazer like tilapia). Add a garden of equal size and you have 100m^2 per adult of greenhouse area that includes heat buffering in the algae pond's water (high specific heat),,,,,,,,,,,
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shane
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