Solar Shade - Modular Dual Family Housing for a Resilient and Sustainable Future

Hi! I’m Brian, and welcome to my first Instructable! I am a rising senior at Highland Park High School in Illinois. Over the last 3 years I have taken many Project Lead The Way (PLTW) courses that were offered at my school, including Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, and Engineering Design & Development. Through these courses, I have learned a lot about engineering, as well as using Computer Aided Design, such as Inventor, which I have become very comfortable with after designing robots for the community robotics team that I host.

I didn’t start this project with a blueprint, or a base. I started it with a question: How can everyone get beautiful and comfortable homes to live in, regardless of their surroundings?

I wanted to build something that gave a first impression of: You, the person living in it, deserve comfort, and a home that is made to the climate you live in, and the humanity that you have. That’s how I started Solar Shade. It’s more than a shelter, it’s an integrated system. Modern engineering isn’t only about efficiency, it’s about empathy and the end user. Homes are more than a number on a paper, they’re about the people living in it.

1. Computer with 3D Design Software (Tinkercad)
2. Computer with Fusion 360
3. Online Resources

Before this project I had only designed in school and for my robotics club. Autodesk tools made it possible for me (the student) to turn an idea into a visible and technical solution.

Tinkercad was where I built my first prototype; it’s incredibly beginner friendly using drag and drop components to help you understand space, form, and volume. Helping you get a grasp on how everything fits together and the feasibility of the design. I used Tinkercad to mock up room shapes, play with proportions, and check the feasibility of my design.

Fusion 360 was my core design tool. Fusion 360 offers more advanced parametric modeling which I could use to define the thickness of walls, angles, and the size of everything. Fusion360 allowed me to create assemblies to work on sections and allowed me to do rendering in order to share and present my work in a more fashionable, appealing, and realistic manner.

Phoenix is a beautiful, but a brutal city. It has an incredible potential for solar energy. It’s one of the sunniest major cities in the world with over 300 sunny days a year, ideal for solar power. But the same sun is a danger, with heat-related illness affecting low income housing, mobile homes, and streets, yet it has the potential for sustainability.

Energy can become problematic, expensive, and can be subject to change of availability depending on what happens with the power grid (like what happened in Texas), or a powerline going out. As a result, I chose this house to be stationed in the harsh, hot conditions of Phoenix Arizona.

Phoenix is a unique city. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023 over 10% of people in the city were living below the annual poverty line. This has been a problem, especially in Phoenix, due to estimates that over 25% of families living in Phoenix spend over half of their annual income on housing. By combining an inexpensive modular casing home with a photovoltaic roof, the house can be off the grid yet sustainable for 2 families.

I was walking through my neighborhood recently when I noticed the different houses around me and the distinct lack of solar powers in use where I live. It’s easy to tell if someone is well off or not based on what their house looks like. This can create barriers of economic class, something that I think can be very harmful to the relationships of people within a community.

I chose phoenix because the need is urgent yet there is possibility for improvement; the conditions are ideal for reform.

This isn’t meant to be a luxury, magazine front cover home. It’s built for the majority of people who are:

1. Working full time jobs but struggling with rent
2. Living in units that are too hot, expensive, or small
3. Supporting family
4. Seeking a home they can be proud of

Everyone deserves a place they can call home.

The core of Solar Shade is simple, in the belief that design should be affordable to build, easy to live in, and resilient to changes. Every part of the structure must be optimized to do multiple jobs:

1. A roof is more than a ceiling, it must capture rain, provide shade, and generate power.
2. A kitchen shouldn’t be repeated, if two families can share it, you can cut materials, cost, and energy in half.
3. A balcony gives outdoor space, encourages natural airflow, and connects residents to nature, which can be proven to help during a heat crisis.

Families should share things under the shade, yet have their own private spaces.

1. Private Sleeping and hygiene spaces = dignity and boundaries
2. Shared cooking and driving spaces = affordability and connection
3. Solar, composting, and graywater = complete off grid operation for resilience and affordability

It’s not complex, it’s clever -> making it work.

I first considered a single unit home, but the tradeoffs led me to my final and best design.

1. The small footprint meant there wasn’t enough insulation mass for thermal buffering
2. One family homes led to less efficient shared systems.
3. Isolated structures meant it was harder to form communities and resilient ecosystems.

So I created a dual-family shared complex:

1. Two bedrooms and bathrooms lead to privacy
2. Garage + kitchen leads to collaboration and cost savings
3. Angled roof leads to solar efficiency and rainwater collection
4. Balconies and overhangs lead to shade, ventilation, and style

This structure maximized the Three C’s:

1. Comfort
2. Cost efficiency
3. Climate responsiveness

Every piece of this house has research, intention, and purpose. Not just in form, but in material.

The framing was made out of wood for its cost effectiveness and because it’s widely available and easy to work with. Meaning volunteers and low skilled laborers can help build, meaning lower cost and barriers to build. Wood has natural insulation properties which make it a cheap and effective material. Wood can be naturally sourced in all areas, reducing shipping and sourcing costs. Wood housing can be constructed by hand, not needing specialized machinery and craft.

For insulation I researched and decided on using a soy based spray foam. This offers a high R-value per inch and doubles as an air moisture barrier. This soy based variant is more sustainable which is important in our changing world and emits fewer VOCS. This matters especially in a desert climate where indoor air conditioning can be life saving and a place to survive in the heat, as well as leading back to comfort.

The roofing would be made of galvanized steel which can reflect radiant heat and is easy to install and fasten over wood frames. The steel structure would be compatible with solar panel mounts and gutter systems, providing an accessible solution for both.

The exterior would be made of fiber cement or reclaimed wood. I listed both options as possibilities because availability and needs may differ depending on the region. Fiber cement offers excellent fire and pest resistance which reclaimed wood offers a warm and low cost option.

To make this possible, I designed with a panelized construction method in mind. Here’s how that works:

1. Site preparation:
2. Level the ground and CMU pier blocks (saving water, reducing emissions, and possible relocation)
3. Floor platform:
4. Assemble treated joists and decking
5. Plumbing and conduits pre-run through the joist bays
6. Wall panels:
7. 2x4 framing
8. Metal support beams allow for structural integrity, supporting low cost options for the majority of the housing.
9. Roof assembly:
10. Pre-sloped trusses or flat-framed slope with cross-bracing
11. Roofing panels attach via screw-fastened battens
12. A natural overhang allows for more square footage of solar panels, which also implements a light diffuser to give natural sunlight to the area below
13. Interior install:
14. Composting toilet, plumbing fixtures, appliances
15. Bolt-down kitchen cabinets from reuse centers
16. Exterior Finish + Testing
17. Gutter connection
18. Solar panel wiring
19. Ventilation and runoff checks

I designed the structure to be built with minimal heavy machinery and to require no specialized skill beyond standard residential work. This means a faster construction and fewer barriers, and more adaptability for groups to adopt.

A home shouldn’t go dark in a blackout and be left to fend for itself. It shouldn’t become unlivable during a heatwave. Solar Shade was engineered to function entirely off-grid, integrating energy, water, and waste systems into the structure itself.

Phoenix generates an average of 7 sun hours per day, with 5 of those being peak sun hours. Making solar not just viable, but an optimal solution.

1. I chose eight 400 watt panels (4 per side), based on the average demand of an insulated 2-family household using high efficiency appliances and A/C unit.
2. An optional energy battery solution can provide storage, enough for nighttime and worst case scenarios.
3. This allows independence from the grid, providing comfort knowing that they won’t have to pay a high bill and be dependent. Although they can still be connected for additional reliability.

The house implements a pitched roof to direct rainfall to side gutters connected to a collection barrel. Graywater (used water) is filtered through a gravel bed system and redirected to raised-bed gardens for gardening (Allowing for fresher crops, and less cost for food). A composting toilet means a cheaper plumbing solution: No sewer hookup needed, and no water disposal. This is proven safe when vented and maintained properly.

These water systems means Solar Shade can operate in a variety of places, such as rural, desert, or emergency settings without relying on dependencies that can fluctuate in availability and cost.

Solar Shade implements a variety of possibilities that each person can choose from to customize their home:

1. Raised bed system allows for freeing up space during the day
2. Wide ADA accessible bathroom and entrances for elderly or disabled residents
3. Wraparound bench seating doubles as storage and encourages communal eating
4. Recessed LED lighting and natural window placements reduce eye strain and offer soft ambiance at night.

With grants, community reuse networks, and nonprofit labor. I estimate that a fully livable and enjoyable, off-grid Solar Shade unit can be built for $100,000.

This unit is just the start. Solar Shade is designed to be repeatable and expandable. It can fit on narrow lots or unused lot space. It can be made modularly and shipped and assembled due to its different compartments, as well as serve as housing for all stages: Transitional housing, permanent, or cohousing.

Cities that suffer from heat, cost, and infrastructure crisis can benefit more because this design can be easily deployed and adapted per region. A larger roof area for sunnier or rainier climates, different window placements based on direction of housing for minimizing sun heat, and optimizing wind flows. ADA ramps for elderly living. But the core principles remain: Shared core, private comfort, Off-grid capability, and affordability.

When I started, I knew some CAD, but not for housing. This was a learning experience. I knew how to sketch my ideas for robotics applications or school projects, but not at this scale, for another human (or family) in mind. I learned how to move from concept to reality, improved my research skills and how to reach out to industry connections for consultation, how to use Autodesk not just to draw, but to engineer, and how to explain my concepts to everyone, not just seasoned experts.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for this opportunity to share my creativity. I learned a lot about real life design constraints and problem solving skills, and the end user in mind.