Gas-guzzling Hummers are pretty awful as automobiles, but if you think about it, their structural integrity could make them quite useful as prefab modular housing units. After studying the structural quality of a Hummer's shell, Craig Hodgetts and HsinMing Fung of HplusF Design and Architecture decided the body was strong enough to serve as the exterior for a home. From that point, they designed the Hummer House, which consists of eight identical Hummer body shells supported by a prefabricated steel armature. The recycling of automobile parts coupled with other renewable energy and green building strategies makes this an interesting and sustainable project.
Designed for the Prefab 20/20-An Open Ideas International Competition 2009, the Hummer House is an exploration into the potential uses of the soon to be extinct monster SUV. HplusF researched the Hummer’s body shell and determined that the sheet metal components that assemble into a body shell were strong enough structurally to be used as the exterior for a capsule style dwelling. By turning the body on its nose and joining 8 together, they created a family home with all the necessary amenities inside.
The home includes a 12 volt electrical system, OEM refrigeration, heating, media components, and a clever use of the nooks created from the cars shape. Solar photovoltaic panels, soy based insulation, grey water recycling, and geothermal heating and cooling help to push the recycled housing concept towards greater sustainability. The Hummer House can also exist as smaller units utilizing only 4 cars, or it can be expanded with even more to create larger multi-unit dwellings. HplusF received an honorable mention in the prefab design competition for their concept in 2009.