1330 Brook Street House

Studio 804 is a design/build program for graduate students at the University of Kansas Department of Architecture. 1330 Brook Street maintains a high level of sustainable design, as well as remaining contextually sensitive to the East Lawrence community. By choosing an urban infill site, they welcomed the opportunity to integrate the house into the existing neighborhood fabric.

The house is also reminiscent of the well-known Lustron houses developed in post World War II U.S. in response to the shortage of housing for returning veterans. The use of sophisticated high-performance metal skin accomplishes a contemporary and energy-efficient interpretation of the Lustrons of 70 years ago.

The challenge

Due to the design of the building, a low-slope roof was needed — and, historically, self-adhering membranes have been used. During the time of install, the weather was going to be outside of the recommended temperature range for self-adhering TPO.

The solution

In order to use a method of attachment that allowed for excellent wind uplift performance and that would work in lower temperatures, Studio 804 opted to use EverGuard^® 60 mil TPO and the RhinoBond^® Attachment System. The 60-mil white TPO roof membrane is a cool roof that mitigates the heat-island effect and can help reduce energy costs. Induction heat welding technology was used to fasten the membrane without puncturing it. With over 20 years of experience pioneering sustainability in design and environmental stewardship, Studio 804’s goal was to achieve LEED^® Platinum building. They subcontract very few to none of the trades, preferring the hands-on experience and educational value their own approach provides. Therefore, students of Studio 804 were the contractors for this roofing job.