Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation

Kentucky Highlands is involved in the development of a prototype housing unit to be manufactured in existing houseboat factories.  

Photo credit:  UK/CoD

With the University of Kentucky and Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, Kentucky Highlands created a vision combining under-utilized manufacturing and material resources, the growing pressure to conserve energy and a desperate need for affordable housing.  In doing so, struggling families will be given hope, devastated industries will be revitalized, and new ideas will be deployed that will preserve precious energy resources.

Using the resources of the University of Kentucky College of Design (UK/CoD) and its Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), the partners initially created design specifications for an affordable, energy efficient, single-family home – a home that will sell for less than $100,000 and cost $1.65 per day to power.  This home design incorporates processes that will allow it to be manufactured in existing houseboat factories with minimal retooling.

The designs delivered by the UK/CoD capitalize on the cost efficiency of a modular, factory-built home, while retaining the quality workmanship of a home that will appreciate in value.  The ability to control the quality of the home in the factory setting is also critical to several of the energy efficiency attributes of the design.  Upon completion of the home, the same transportation methods used to deliver the houseboats will be used to deliver the home to its site. The prototype home design includes two bedrooms, one bathroom, laundry, living space, and a fully-equipped kitchen.  The home is approximately 1,000 square feet, and contains extensive casework to maximize the storage opportunities of the space.

Modular home in transit.  Photos credit: UK/CoD

Several grants have been received in support of building the Houseboat to Energy Efficient Residence (HBEER) prototypes to test the manufacturing techniques and energy-efficiency concepts of the designs.  As the developer for the two units being built with on of the grant funds, Kentucky Highlands was responsible for identifying and acquiring the land on which the units will be placed. One site was identified in the City of Monticello and one was located in Whitley County. 

Stardust Cruisers, a houseboat manufacturer located in Monticello, Kentucky, will manufacture the HBEER units.  Following preliminary energy efficiency modeling conducted for the Monticello HBEER unit, construction began in April 2011.  The crew is now moving quickly to completion and the Monticello HBEER unit is expected to be habitable by late October 2011.  Kentucky Highlands concentrated its efforts on the Monticello HBEER unit in order to be informed by lessons learned with the first unit so they can avoid delays, improve manufacturability, cut cost, and build more efficiently. Lessons learned from the first unit have provided valuable information for engineering changes to be used in the production of the second HBEER prototype, including a simpler, lighter, and more cost effective roof truss system.

This prototype energy efficient modular house was built at the Stardust Cruisers houseboat facility and assembled onsite in Monticello.  Photos credit: Stephen Taylor, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation

The foundation for the Whitley County HBEER unit was completed in June 2011 and floor framing for this second HBEER prototype has begun.

Two articles about the HBEER project were recently published.  One is on the University of Kentucky College of Designs website, here.  The second appeared in the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet's journal, Land, Air and Water, here.

Indirectly related to the HBEER prototype project are Kentucky Highlands' efforts to raise funds to cover design, certification, and permitting costs for a proposed HBEER classroom unit to be built and placed in time for the 2012-2013 school year. This application of HBEER was spawned by a suggestion from John Davies at the Kentucky Energy Cabinet in late January 2011 and the two graduate architecture students who pursued HBEER classroom design concepts for their graduate studio class. Their work caught the attention of the Wayne County School District assistant school superintendent. A meeting with Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet personnel, Department for Local Government, University of Kentucky, the Wayne County School District and their architect, Kentucky Highlands, and Stardust was held to discuss the application of the HBEER concept to energy-efficient classrooms as an alternative to temporary classroom trailers. 

The HBEER classroom concept was expanded to become an HBEER Modular building project, so with only slight variations the modules could be used for administrative offices for a private sector or government, medical clinics or dentist offices, classrooms, or other purposes where high quality, energy efficient, light-filled space at a competitive cost is desirable. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) board have together pledged toward the design and certification of this new commercial/institutional application of HBEER.

Special thanks to Brenda McDaniel of Kentucky Highlands Investment Corp. for information for this article.