Repurposed tires
Concept
Every year over 290 million car tires are disposed and sent to landfills in the USA. Tires cannot be burnt because they emit toxic fumes, and the procedures to recover their raw materials are cumbersome and expensive.
The proposed garage prototype is a space completely covered by repurposed tires. "Repurposed" means that the original function of the tires (carrying cars), serves a new purpose (roofing).
Program
The garage has three areas: Online Maintenance, Diagnose and Repair (OMDR), parking area, and entertainment area.
The OMDR has a computer system connected 24/7 to the car manufacturer, and provides full remote assistance to the vehicles. This system will replace the current trends for maintenance, diagnose, and repair as we know them.
For Maintenance, the cars are connected overnight and have their batteries re-charged, their electrical systems checked, and their performance recorded for design purposes. The system downloads data such as GPS and software updates.
For Diagnose, the system checks all car functions and if anything is required (water, oil, brake fluid, etc.), the computer leaves a message available at ignition. The owner simply inserts a hose in the car, and all the necessary fluids are already prepared in the necessary amounts.
For Repairs, a monitor guides the owner with online tutorials and live feeds. If repairs are complicated, the car can be taken to the manufacturer or car shop.
The advantage of the system for owners is that it will reduce the visits to the mechanic, and that cars will be checked on a daily basis.
The advantage of the system for the manufacturer is that it will have more control and car performance feedback. This system will provide crucial data to design better cars in the future.
The parking area serves as parking at night and as a multipurpose space during the day. This area is equipped with a car lift.
The entertainment area can be dedicated to music or a gymnasium. When cars are not inside this area flows into the entire space.
Sustainability features
Energy
The garage has automated doors with individual mechanisms and manual overrides to save energy. By reducing the car shop visits, less driving and energy consumption will be required.
Water
The garage collects rain water in a dedicated tank for car washing and plant irrigation.
Air
The space has cross ventilation in both directions to enhance air quality.
Site
The garage is surrounded by permeable paving to minimize impervious areas and allow for water absorption.
Materials
The roof is made of repurposed tires. The tires are repurposed in a factory, where controlled cuts create curved or flat roofing panels with different patterns and textures.
The tires are interlocked with tongue and groove joints and reinforced with watertight plastic extrusions. The substrate is made of composite wood with thermal insulation.
In this case, the 1,500 SF garage roof requires around 500 tires.
The structure is made of ?glulam? arches. The horizontal reinforcements are made of recycled steel pipes. All windows are made of wood.
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