Presentation Objectives
1. Introduce Evolve
2. mobEE – a brief history
3. Challenges and opportunities
4. Potential systems and
designs
About Evolve
We are pioneers in the world of green construction.
We are managers, planners, educators,
researchers, artisans and craftspeople.
• Sustainable design & build
services
• >15 years in business, 20 staff
• Award winning projects:
Homes, schools, portable
facilities
• Based in Guelph, ON
• Applied research for CMHC,
UofG, UofW, Canplas
• Home Alive: The House that
Thinks, Drinks & Breathes™
• UGDSB Eco-paks
• mobEE naturally built modular
classrooms
mobEE – A Brief History
• 2008 -Ben Polley from Evolve sells the concept
of a two classroom schoolhouse to UGDSB – a
public school board!
• David McAuley Architects develop an
architectural design
2009/10 –Construction of Island Lake
Public School Eco-Pod in Orangeville
• 2+ permanent classrooms
• Integrated control & monitoring
• Passive solar design
• Active solar heating
• Rainwater harvesting
• Renewable energy
– Wind and Photovoltaic
• SIP roof
Evolve Energy Performance
• Immensely Improved Energy Intensity
• Island Lake Eco-pak permanent 2+ classroom school
– Avg all UGDSB schools: 2.85 kg/sqft or 19.02 ekWh/sqft
– Best performing school: 1.53 kg/sqft or 10.74 ekWh/sqft
– Least performing school: 4.98 kg/sqft or 32.18 ekWh/sqft
– Island Lake Eco-pak: 0.43 kg/sqft or 4.47 ekWh/sqft
– Four to six times better performing than average
– Two-and-a-half to three times better than next best school
2010- UGDSB hires Evolve to Plaster a
similar design with Durisol Block walls at
Minto Clifford Public School
2010- Through a developed trusting relationship,
UGDSB requests Evolve to design a portable
classroom with straw bale walls
2011- Evolve constructs and delivers the first
straw bale classroom to Rockwood Centential
School – mobEE is born
“After three years of use, our portable looks
the same as it did the day it was built…
Parents and school board officials are
impressed every time they visit. We’ve even
had local politicians come to see it”
Meghan Mintz, Grade 6 Teacher, Rockwood Centennial
Public School, Rockwood, ON, Canada
“I think the mobEE portable really
helped ignite the class’s passion
for the environment”
Paul Scinocca, Operations Officer, Upper
Grand District School Board
Steel Undercarriage
• Immensely strong
– Permanent quality
– Relocatable
– Move as one piece
– Lift to difficult
locations
Structural Insulated Panel Floor
• Condensation-free
– EPS vs XPS or SPF
– Low GWP Potential
– Warm & comfortable
Structural Insulated Panel Roof
• Thermal bridge-free
– Cathedral ceiling feels
spacious
– Replaceable
independent of walls
– No mould or mildew
Larsen Column Wall Assembly
• Large spans b/w columns
• Thermally broken
framing
– Flexible design
options
Straw Bale Wall System
• Continuous insulation
– Highly hygroscopic
– Non-mechanical humidifier/
dehumidifier
– Ideal substrate for
plaster
– Stressed-skin panel
Straw Bale Wall System
• Air barrier, sheathing
& cladding
– Stressed skin panel
– Water & air tight
– Vapour permeable
– 2 hour fire rating
– 4X load capacity
– 10X shear strength
mobEE Features & Options
• Fibreglass framed windows
• Low-E selected appropriate to
orientation
• Thermal glazing spacers
• Triple pane (option)
• Cool white TPO roof or
durable steel
• Reinforced gutter guards
• Custom colours
• Solar pre-heater (option)
• PV off-grid or grid-intertie (option)
mobEE Features & Options
• Exposed structure &
services
• Natural mineral wall
paint
• Natural wood finish
• PVC-free wall base
• Linoleum flooring
• Custom wall & floor colours
• LED lighting (option)
• Hi-efficiency ERV (option)
• Hi-efficiency heat pump & AC (option)
2013 -After success in Rockwood, UGDSB requests a
second “mobEE” for Westwood School in Guelph. This
building to have a mono pitched roof
Spring 2015 – Pomo Nation Native Head Start
School in California searches out Evolve to
construct 6 section modular classroom with Straw
Bale wall system
Ottawa proves to be strict in code requirements and does not recognize
or accept any structural capacity of straw bale wall systems. Design
required SB10 building code compliance. SIPs panels not accepted.
Ottawa mobEE had to be re-engineered to allow wood framing members and
metal bracing within bale walls to provide all lateral and compressive strength,
as well as meet seismic requirements for that area.
Evolve partners with Workshop Architecture to
provide design options
• Student-first design
• Indoor & outdoor
teaching spaces
• More natural light
while preserving
teaching walls
• Visually appealing
• Added options
Green Learning Opportunities
We saw a straw bale insulated portable as a natural extension to
our series of Environmental Learning Centres. ... I think the
mobEE portable really helped ignite the class’s
passion for the environment.
Paul Scinocca, Operations Officer, Upper Grand District School Board
Evolve delivers educational presentations on Green
Construction in all UGDSB “Environmental
Learning Centres”
2016 -Evolve sells residential mobEE to clients in
Novar Ontario. This model to be same width as
portable classroom with length extended to 36’
Evolve employs Building Alternatives to design web joist floor
system to replace metal undercarriage. Floor system to be set
onto poured concrete foundation.
Modular construction Benefits:
• Construction can happen in controlled
environment
• Building materials remain dry during
assembly
• Workers stay out of poor weather conditions-
heat, cold, sun, rain, snow
• No bad weather days= easier scheduling
• Potential for construction staging/ assembly
building
• Potential for repeatability of processes
• Construct buildings where there is good access
to labour
Modular construction challenges:
• COST of Factory needs to be offset by increased
performance: controlled environment may only
result in some savings
• Factory facility has to have layout to allow for
movement of buildings, and doorways large
enough for easy removal
• Modules must be constructed accurately for
proper assembly
• Factory space requires a commitment of time and
known sales for that investment- have a business
plan dedicated to developing a market
Potential systems and designs:
Panelization
Pre-engineered panels to:
• allow for quick semi-custom configurations
during the sales process
• ability to pre-manufacture the most
common/standard panels concurrently with other
components to reduce net construction time
• ease of fabrication to allow for lower cost
labour/less specialized labour and less person-
hours to manufacture
• provide potential secondary market through
sales of pre-fab panelized walls
Potential systems and designs:
Material selections
• materials other than straw can be substituted into
the system (ie blown cellulose, hempcrete, light-
claystraw, aerated concrete, blown mineral wool)
• cladding other than hand-troweled cementitious
plaster as the finish (ie. possibly site-finishing
interior or exterior, or prefinished
boarding/siding, earthen plaster)
• Potential market for ultra-high efficiency building
envelopes, such as Passive House or like
standard
Potential systems and designs:
Straw bale block engineering
• Develop a straw bale building block in standard
sizes to fit modular and panelized systems
Efficient. Ecological. Elegant.
Thank You!
Chris Vander Hout Co-owner, Evolve Builders Group
T: 519.369.4661
www.evolvebuilders.ca
http://mobee.evolvebuilders.ca
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