SURE HOUSE

Bearing the effects of Hurricane Sandy in mind, the Stevens SURE HOUSE has been designed with a durable and effective resiliency program. To protect the home during hurricanes and one hundred year floods, the home will incorporate a storm shutter system that will protect against typical loadings and additional loads that are experienced during intense storms. The storm shutter doors are multi-purposed, acting as a protection against storms, a shading system, and as solar collectors.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Stevens SURE HOUSE has been designed to withstand loadings typically associated with hurricanes. The bi-folding, dynamic storm shutters are designed to shade the glazing of a residential structure throughout the year and act as the primary defensive barrier to protect the home from debris and water during inclement weather. The shutters will be made with a composite foam core and wrapped with fiberglass.

For everyday use the shutters will be raised and act as an extended roof to shade the south facade of the SURE HOUSE. The shutters will be kept in place using a system of pulleys and cam cleats. In addition, hydraulic pistons will be added to make the raising and lowering of the system safer for the user. Similarly to a garage door system, the bi-fold shutters will run along aluminum tracks that are housed in the structural beams. A custom designed wheel, attached to the shutters, will slide in the track and guide the motion of the shutters.

When a storm hits the shutters will be lowered into a well that sits below the deck and locked into place using a series of latches attached to the shutters. The shutters will rest against weather-resistant EPDM seals and the latches will compress the shutters against the rubber. This will create a uniform water resistant seal that will block any storm surge that may hit the SURE HOUSE during a storm.

The upper half of the shutters will house thin and flexible photovoltaic panels that will assist the home in generating power when the shutters are raised. Due to their durability and flexibility they will be resistant to damage from debris when the storm shutters are lowered and the house is put into “resiliency” mode.