The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has unveiled SCADpad, a unique micro-housing and adaptive reuse experiment that has transformed the parking structure of SCAD's midtown Atlanta location into a sustainable community that proposes an answer to the world's growing urban housing challenges.
A collection of three units, each measuring 135 square-feet, SCADpad was developed by a group including 75 current students, 37 alumni, and 12 SCAD professors from 12 academic degree programs. Each SCADpad is furnished with artwork and designs by SCAD students, alumni, and faculty.
"SCAD is a global university, so we see firsthand the urban density issues that the world's most populous cities face," commented Paula Wallace, president and co-founder of SCAD.
"In celebrating our 35th year, SCAD creates SCADpad, an entirely new vision of urban community that focuses the ideas of our students and the expertise of our faculty and alumni in disciplines ranging from urban design, adaptive reuse, and architecture to interior design, service design, interaction design, design for sustainability and fine art.
The result is now a solution - a sustainable urban micro-housing community that projects relevance far beyond form and function to the Vitruvian principles of utility, strength, and delight. SCADpad creates an environment for inventive and artful living."
SCADpad Asia
Intended to reflect the culture and aesthetic of SCAD's Hong Kong location, SCADpad Asia features a striking physical exterior designed by SCAD painting alumnus Will Penny (B.F.A. and M.F.A.). Inside the unit, the walls are lined with geometric wallpaper overlaying a soundboard, also called human conductive wallpaper. When you touch the wallpaper, randomized musical sounds fill the space.
SCADpad Europe
SCADpad Europe was inspired by the medieval landscape and history of SCAD Lacoste. Designed by SCAD fibers alumna Trish Andersen (B.F.A.), the exterior of the SCADpad features tonal blue lacquered wood panels resembling travertine tiles, and scalloped copper tiles that border the roof. The inside of SCADpad Europe is adorned with interactive fiber walls woven from 40,000 pieces of fabric. Maximizing the small space, this SCADpad includes a fold-up hammock bed, which accommodates a desk underneath.
SCADpad North America
Reflecting the American spirit of self-determination, SCADpad North America has a minimalist paint treatment on the exterior. The interior includes two felted gray walls made by SCAD students and other surfaces featuring tiny leather strips affixed in a Navajo pattern and rendered in a classic, American palette. This installation was created by Marcus Kenney, a SCAD photography alumnus (M.F.A).
The SCADpad community's initial residents, 12 SCAD students from the Atlanta and Savannah locations, will live in SCADpad for a short-term stay during Spring 2014 and will be documenting their experiences via social media.
Photos: Courtesy of SCAD