University of Miami: Littoral Urbanism Lab

In celebration of the University of Miami’s Centennial milestone, Atelier Mey + LU_Lab presented on the work happening at the School of Architecture.

The forests of the southeastern United States are a valuable resource that can drive regional economic growth while promoting renewable and sustainable building practices. The University of Miami School of Architecture LU_Lab, led by Professor Christopher Meyer, has collaborated with Atelier Mey to engage in a series of projects that include missing middle housing, office + residential structures, and accessory dwelling units. Based in Miami, Atelier Mey designed and constructed the first mass timber structure in Miami-Dade County. Additionally, the LU_Lab led a team, with support from the U.S. Endowment for Forests and Communities, to test and certify Glulam and Cross-Laminated Timber panels. These efforts resulted in a Notice of Acceptance, making these mass timber products ready for the Florida market.

The LU_Lab’s website has been updated! Click the link in the bio to learn more! // Shown here is the projects page, which lists our projects and interesting information about what we’re working on!

The LU_Lab’s website has been updated recently!! Click the link the the bio to learn more! // The Current Events page will show you what the LU_Lab has been doing lately, and our past events as well. Shown here is the Open House event we participated in in early March, which showcased both the LU_Lab’s work, as well as Atelier Mey’s work!

Throwback to Miami: The LU_Lab was awarded a 2019 Wood Innovation Grant from the USDA U.S. Forestry Service providing the opportunity to create a Climate Refuge Prototype addressing the need for healthy, regionally sourced, durable and affordable post disaster housing. Prompted by overwhelming fact of the 19.6 million Floridians, 15 million live in a coastal communities which are exposed to the potential of storms defined by an increased frequency, severity and a slowness responsible for magnifying the amount of rain during hurricane events. It is clear for the state of Florida the need for post disaster housing is widespread.

The Climate Refuge prototype is a pre-manufactured mass timber structure that can easily be assembled on site using simple tools and a single knuckle boom truck which is used for the delivery of the timber elements. The project features two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a living space and a porch made from Florida sourced timber, and regionally manufactured. The structure acts as a chassis that can grow over time as families grow, economic means accumulate, or as needed.

The Novus Hut project was inspired by the combination of a need for affordable housing in Florida, that also can be easily constructed post-climate event, such as a flooding or hurricane event. The Novus Primitive Hut addresses four critical elements we believe are ingrained in Florida’s DNA: energy, ecology, environment and economics.

The 640 SF structure embraces courtyard house principles ordered around a shared outdoor room that extends the modest interior’s livability; a small house that lives big. The roof pitch forms tall interior volumes allowing internal heat gains in the space to dissipate while limiting solar exposure. The exterior shell has a system of operable panels that when closed protect the structure from impending storms and when open provide additional solar shading from the relentless Florida sun.

This project ensures a prompt and efficient response to a climate event, employing a system of CLT panels to construct the walls and roof. The manufacturing, logistical, and er****on process would only take a single day, offering a expedited response to the immediate need of post-disaster housing.

The House in a Garden model is a scale representation of the full-size residential structure located in Coconut Grove. The project used Southern Yellow Pine, a material found in abundance in northern Florida, and is a testament to the positive impact that CLT could have on Miami’s design and construction industry. For one, the project was completed very quickly; only taking several days, given that the walls and roof of the house are made entirely of mass timber panels. This “Forest to Building” mindset could be the future for Florida, inspiring and encouraging builders and designers to use more renewable materials.

This structure was also home to an Open House Miami Exhibition, titled “Mass Making in Miami: A Resilient Narrative,” which was hosted by both Atelier Mey and the LU_Lab from March 1-2. One of the pieces highlighted in the exhibition was the House in a Garden model, shown above.

The LU_Lab is partnering with Atelier Mey to present an exhibition titled “Mass Making” in the first mass timber home in Miami-Dade county, House in a Garden. The exhibition focuses on mass timber, and features four parts set up throughout the house: context, materials, projects, and video/audio. The whole experience will provide a comprehensive understanding of the LU_Lab and Atelier Mey’s work.

This triptych helps to show context of the process of the mass timber used predominantly in our projects, and is a very complex and precise process.

The Open House Miami event will be on March 1 and 2, and is featured in different venues across Miami. To sign up for the “Mass Making” exhibition, please click on the link in our bio. Hope to see you there!

miami2024

Recap: Thank you to everyone who participated in our Into the Woods: A Carbon Story Continued— we had such a blast with you all! Special shout-out to the Florida Forest Service, SmartLAM, Rex Lumber, and all of our panelists for making such an unforgettable experience!
Pictured: Students on a logging adventure in the woods 🌲

Recap: Thank you to everyone who participated in our Into the Woods: A Carbon Story Continued— we had such a blast with you all! Special shout-out to the Florida Forest Service, SmartLAM, Rex Lumber, and all of our panelists for making such an unforgettable experience!
Pictured: Students on a facility tour at SmartLAM 🪵

Recap: Thank you to everyone who participated in our Into the Woods: A Carbon Story Continued— we had such a blast with you all! Special shout-out to the Florida Forest Service, SmartLAM, Rex Lumber, and all of our panelists for making such an unforgettable experience!
Pictured: Symposium presentations happened at the Austin Cary Learning Center! 🌲