The JoT Building System delivers a superior quality finished product in an immensely expedited timeframe. This dramatic labor reduction results in an savings of 15% per square foot versus the local market average.
Utility Core: The lynchpin for the rest of the JoT system, the core is the emanation point for the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry area. All plumbing, gas and electrical infrastructures are contained within the core, and once craned into place it requires minimal installation. The B core is built under precise factory conditions, not stitched together on-site and exposed to the elements.
SIP Panels: Our custom-produced structurally insulated panels are designed with utility chases precut. The use of modular panels reduces the framing time by two-thirds, delivering immense labour-hour savings. The precut chases greatly reduce skilled tradesman hours required for electrical and plumbing.
Cabinetry and Storage: Our beautiful kitchen and closet solutions are all selected for economy, ecology and durability. Like the rest of the system, the cabinets are assembled off-site and require minimal labour to install.
Finishing: The JoT system can accept any exterior or interior finishes, including options not possible with stick-built homes. No drywall required! The standard JoT finish packed is durable and virtually maintenance free. All interior and exterior have a low environmental impact. Customization of finishes is an integrated part of the system, and the unique properties of the SIP panels make installing any cladding fast and simple, with a minimum of trimming.
Footprint: JoT Home are designed to work with any foundation system, including simple concrete slab foundations. ICF’s (insulated concrete forms) foundations work quite well with the JoT System, and require a minimum of labor.
Zero-Maintenance Landscaping: By utilizing indigenous plants and passive solar design, JoT landscaping requires little to no water and maintenance.
Energy Saving Appliances: Each of our standard appliances are selected for their Energy Star ratings and value. On-demand hot water and solar water heater are popular options.
Passive Solar: JoT homes are laid out to respond to seasonal solar conditions, not fight against them. Overhangings and windows that shade in the summer and allow the sunlight to warm in the winter are integrated into the standard design. A variety of green roof options are also available.
Alternative Energy Sources: Solar/Photovoltaic, wind, and other energy producing systems are available as options with any JoT structure
Thermal Insulation: JoT insulation has more in common with refrigerators than it does with stick-built homes!
Project Overview
The JoT House represents an approach to housing design in which the building and living systems have been reexamined and stripped down to bare essentials. This yields a building that is clean and modernist, open-planned and light-filled, inexpensive, and can be built in several weeks. Depending on location costs and options the house can be built for as little as $100 per square foot.
The JoT House was originally developed as an artist’s loft; with this lifestyle in mind the design is minimal and flexible. Rooms are separated by movable partitions making it easy to convert the house from a one-bedroom loft to a three-bedroom home. The house is planned around a central utility core that contains the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, and building mechanical systems; this “box-within-a-box†design allows for a variety of room configurations and minimizes pipe and duct runs, keeping costs down.
Construction
The JoT house is a combination of prefab and panelized construction, comprising a central core and an exterior shell. The core is prefabricated, shipped whole and is dropped into the building intact; the exterior shell is a set of superinsulated lightweight structural panels that quickly assemble to create the floor, walls, and roof. Exterior doors and operable windows are pre-hung in the wall panels. The house can generally be fully enclosed within several days, (allowing interior finish work to continue in a dry, conditioned environment.)
The JoT House team distilled years of architectural and construction experience to develop a set of simple and modular construction details. Most materials are used off the shelf with little modification or waste. Moldings and trim pieces have been minimized and structure has been exposed, rendering a clean design that saves labor and material costs.
Clerestory windows are twin-wall polycarbonate, which provides excellent insulating value while being easy to cut and install. The walls are built from a rigid foam and OSB stressed-skin assembly that eliminates wall studs while providing high strength and seismic resistance and excellent soundproofing.
Green Design
The JoT house sits lightly upon the land, both literally and figuratively. Construction materials have been chosen for environmental sustainability and low embedded energy – the total energy consumed in the production of a material. The floor, wall, and roof panels provide extremely high insulating value and resist air infiltration, greatly reducing heating and A/C costs. The birch plywood walls are sustainable harvested. The design of the building systems has been calculated to minimize material consumption in excessive pipe runs and ductwork. Passive Solar Design has been used throughout – eave overhangs are calculated to shade the building in the summer while allowing sunlight to penetrate and warm the building in winter, with optional polished concrete floors that act as a heat sink. Operable clerestory windows are incorporated into the design, acting as a wind scoop to cool the building in summertime.
Healthy Living
In addition to being good for the environment, the JoT House is designed to provide a safe and healthy living environment. The superinsulated walls lack the air spaces found in traditional construction, eliminating mold growth. Air infiltration is reduced, cutting down on air-borne contaminants and bacteria. Reduced fire risk – concrete skin, no air space.