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Project posted by Coates Design

ReHOME: Resilience + Regeneration

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Location
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Year
2022
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Modern
With a solution that solution that marries sustainability with generosity, the project addresses two pressing social and environmental issues: the vast amount of waste produced during construction and the lack of affordable housing for underprivileged populations.
With a solution that solution that marries sustainability with generosity, the project addresses two pressing social and environmental issues: the vast amount of waste produced during construction and the lack of affordable housing for underprivileged populations.
Presenting the AIA Merit Award, Billie Faircloth, Partner at Kieran Timberlake, states, “this project challenges the Architecture-Engineering-Construction community to establish new practices for demolition, deconstruction, material salvage and constructing shelter.”
Presenting the AIA Merit Award, Billie Faircloth, Partner at Kieran Timberlake, states, “this project challenges the Architecture-Engineering-Construction community to establish new practices for demolition, deconstruction, material salvage and constructing shelter.”
Community participants benefit from new housing while learning skills of construction and management, introducing volunteers to industries wherein they will acquire future employment. The jury acknowledged the project’s “fearlessness when embracing the complexity of these systems” and “the team’s participatory approach as an exemplary model of applied action-oriented research that simultaneously creates knowledge and outcomes.”
Community participants benefit from new housing while learning skills of construction and management, introducing volunteers to industries wherein they will acquire future employment. The jury acknowledged the project’s “fearlessness when embracing the complexity of these systems” and “the team’s participatory approach as an exemplary model of applied action-oriented research that simultaneously creates knowledge and outcomes.”
“We need projects like this,” Ghazal Khezri, director at Los Angeles’ Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects affirms, “this is an excellent prototype for addressing issues of affordable housing with scales of economy and growth in mind.”
“We need projects like this,” Ghazal Khezri, director at Los Angeles’ Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects affirms, “this is an excellent prototype for addressing issues of affordable housing with scales of economy and growth in mind.”
Referencing vernacular building practices, the reHOME initiative provides comfortable shelter for marginalized populations while promoting thriving, vital community life through design.
Referencing vernacular building practices, the reHOME initiative provides comfortable shelter for marginalized populations while promoting thriving, vital community life through design.
The process is dynamic, encouraging architects to be nimble, using challenges as a springboard to creative, on-the-ground design solutions.
The process is dynamic, encouraging architects to be nimble, using challenges as a springboard to creative, on-the-ground design solutions.
As it is scaled, the process intends to develop a new sector of the real estate and construction industry that can be exported to various cities throughout the world, developing properties to accommodate growing neighborhoods of recycled homes.
As it is scaled, the process intends to develop a new sector of the real estate and construction industry that can be exported to various cities throughout the world, developing properties to accommodate growing neighborhoods of recycled homes.
A community effort: Coates Design demonstrates its commitment to social change by contributing its design services free of charge to the reHOME project. Following this example, at reHOME Morales Farm, 28 other local companies contributed materials, financial support and their hard work to realize this long dreamed of project. Emphasizing the extent of repurposing, Kellen Bond, Clark Construction Inc. vice president of operations, said that 26,000 pounds of building materials valued at about $125,000 were diverted from the landfill. Everything from fixtures to windows were sourced from trade partners, subcontractors and the community.
A community effort: Coates Design demonstrates its commitment to social change by contributing its design services free of charge to the reHOME project. Following this example, at reHOME Morales Farm, 28 other local companies contributed materials, financial support and their hard work to realize this long dreamed of project. Emphasizing the extent of repurposing, Kellen Bond, Clark Construction Inc. vice president of operations, said that 26,000 pounds of building materials valued at about $125,000 were diverted from the landfill. Everything from fixtures to windows were sourced from trade partners, subcontractors and the community.
Coates envisions a future with planned neighborhoods with homes built from repurposed materials where homeowners have a sense of community and an investment in their future. Toward this aim, he conveys his belief that “everyone deserves good design.”
Coates envisions a future with planned neighborhoods with homes built from repurposed materials where homeowners have a sense of community and an investment in their future. Toward this aim, he conveys his belief that “everyone deserves good design.”

From Coates Design

Architect Matthew Coates’ “ReHOME: Resilience & Regeneration” project transforms the landscape of affordable housing and construction waste in local communities. With a solution that solution that marries sustainability with generosity, the project addresses two pressing social and environmental issues: the vast amount of waste produced during construction and the lack of affordable housing for underprivileged populations. The community and business engagement were nothing short of exceptional, with all design, labor, and materials being donated in a remarkable display of selflessness. At the grand opening, Matthew Coates encapsulated the project's spirit perfectly, “everyone had their hearts in the right place. It really teaches that there is so much joy in giving, and there is so much joy in seeing what we can do when we put our minds together.” This groundbreaking project has garnered the prestigious 2022 Award of Merit from Seattle AIA, cementing its status as a trailblazer in the realm of affordable housing and sustainable construction.

ReHome is an innovative affordable housing solution that addresses the dual problem of scarcity of affordable housing and the vast amount of waste produced during building and demolition by creating a closed loop in which recycled building materials are used to drastically lower the costs of building, thus keeping the resulting housing affordable. The first completed portion of the reHOME affordable housing project utilized only those materials that were already designated for landfills, including nails, screws, timber, sheathing, caulk, weather stripping, windows, doors, brackets and roofing materials, to create homes that prioritized comfort, good design and affordability in equal measure. In doing so, 26,000 pounds of building materials valued at $125,000 were transformed into repurposed housing made from reclaimed building materials.

Beyond Affordable Housing: Benefits of ReHome

• Reduction of construction waste
• Innovative cataloging and repurposing of building materials
• Community engagement by volunteer construction task force
• Development of employable skills and potential job creation
• Building flourishing communities for diverse populations
• Creation of monetary savings and community equity

More than an affordable housing pilot program, reHOME takes the Coates Design ethos of sustainable design for the betterment of people and the planet to a conclusion that is both revolutionary and wholly natural. In a world of increasingly finite resources and ever-rising housing instability, we see pioneering sustainable affordable housing to be more than a priority; it is a vital necessity. Along with creating affordable housing out of salvaged and recycled building materials for diverse demographics, the reHOME Project includes a training component. Community volunteers and future residents will benefit from the recycled housing while construction and management skills, including techniques at the forefront of sustainable affordable housing design and construction.

However, the intention has never been for ReHome to be a one-off affordable housing project. Instead, we designed it as an affordable housing solution, one that can be replicated across communities and locales. To help reach the goal of making the tenets and practices of reHOME available to all who have an interest in an achievable and innovative affordable housing solution, Coates Design will provide the necessary tools, information and lessons free of charge. With enough interest at a great enough scale, what started on a piece of Kitsap County farmland could develop an entirely new sector of the real estate and construction industry, across the country and throughout the world.