Building an accurate model house to demonstrate building science and weatherization techniques in informal settlements in Patagonia, Argentina.
MIT D-Lab class
Introduction to Energy in Global Development (2.651 / EC.711 / EC.791 (G)) - Spring 2025
Country
Argentina
Community partners
- Weatherizers Without Borders
- Fovisee Vivienda Justa, Nicolas Maggio
Team
- Irene Dong, Mechanical Engineering, ‘27
- Kanokwan Tungkitkancharoen, Mechanical Engineering, ‘26
- Chloe Smith, Urban Studies and Planning, ‘25
- Bob Zeng, Master of Science in Management Studies, ‘25
Problem framing
Most homes in Bariloche’s informal settlements are poorly insulated and dangerously heated, yet residents and officials lack clear tools to understand these risks. Existing models don’t accurately reflect local housing conditions or demonstrate weatherization effectively.
Cultural and market context
Bariloche is a city marked by stark inequality—while the north thrives on tourism and ski resorts, the south houses low-income communities living in informal settlements. Most residents own their homes, but these are often self-built with salvaged materials and lack basic weatherization. With 78% of households facing energy poverty and over 70% lacking proper insulation, families struggle to stay warm during harsh winters.
Access to safe heating and construction materials is limited, and residents often lack formal knowledge about weatherization, insulation, and indoor air quality risks. As a result, many rely on wood stoves or open fires without proper ventilation, leading to serious health and safety issues. Despite existing government aid and local initiatives, affordable, energy-efficient housing remains out of reach for many.
This context highlights the need for educational tools like realistic house models that can demonstrate how building materials, air sealing, and insulation affect comfort, health, and energy use—bridging the gap between technical solutions and everyday lived experience.
Competitive analysis
Unlike generic building models or theoretical simulations, our house model is specifically designed to reflect the materials and conditions of informal homes in Bariloche. While some existing tools focus on energy efficiency or construction training, few combine realistic construction, live environmental sensing, and modular weatherization features in a single educational prototype. This makes our model uniquely effective for engaging both technical and non-technical stakeholders in understanding the real-world impact of insulation and ventilation.
Solution including technical details
Our solution is a modular, transportable house model that replicates typical informal homes in Bariloche using materials like tin, plywood, Tyvek, and fiberglass. It includes embedded IoT sensors to track temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter in real time. The model allows for testing different insulation layers and ventilation setups, helping visualize how building materials and weatherization impact indoor livability.
Hand-off to partner, next steps
Next steps include finalizing the house model and testing its performance on-site in Bariloche through demonstrations with residents, officials, and builders. We will collect data on temperature, humidity, and air quality, while engaging stakeholders to evaluate the model’s impact. Insights from this summer will guide future improvements, including expanded air quality features, brick wall sections, and community co-design efforts.
Contact
Josh Maldonado, Introduction to Energy Instructor
Irene Dong, student team member
Kanokwan Tungkitkancharoen, student team member
Chloe Smith, student team member
Bob Zeng, student team member
