This week: IKEA goes prefab, mountain retreats, and a prefab high-rise

Inhabitat's Prefab Friday shows off photos and shares a couple thoughts on a prefab from Resolution: 4 Architecture

"The only thing better than a quaint mountain retreat is a quaint PREFAB mountain retreat....Set on the loveliest of lovely sites in Kerhonkson, New York, the prefab structure integrates what the architects describe as 'lifted bar and 2-story bar' components to create a 2-story indoor/outdoor lofty, loungy space perfectly enhanced by modern furniture and summer dinner party."

A UK site called Building Design highlighted a prefab project in the UK by conceptual architect David Adjaye:

"The timber-frame building, in De Beauvoir Town, Hackney, was largely constructed in just five days last summer by contractor Eurban, which specialises in an 'engineered timber system' that can be speedily erected. But although the unnamed owner is now living in the 150sq m property, not all the rooms are completed and final adjustments are being made."

LOT-EK, mentioned last week, shows up on TreeHugger this week with a potential prefab high-rise in New York:

"The Lot-ek scheme for 87 Lafayette Street apparently employs stacking the containers with staircases at the north and south ends and also calls for some containers to protrude randomly on the west facade. The building's slant begins at the third floor on White Street and the sixth floor on the north side. The roof of the slanted tower would have an array of solar panels."

Last week it was Japan's Muji; this week Sweden's IKEA showed up in a number of blogs for their prefab housing products (not yet available in the US). Gizmag speaks about a development to be built soon in the UK:

"Built in a quality-controlled factory, delivered and assembled in a day. The BoKlok (pronounced Boo Clook) housing concept, a partnership between property company Live Smart @ Home and Swedish furniture giant IKEA is only months away from bringing the average UK family a stylish, efficient and affordable housing option."

"In Sweden, demand is such that lotteries are held to decide who gets one, and Prole says interest here is already extremely high....They have a flexible open-plan layout, with high ceilings and large windows, giving a light, airy and contemporary feel. They come with a host of additional features as standard, such as extra height rooms to give a feeling of space, wooden flooring throughout and fitted kitchens. And, not surprisingly, they come with free interior design advice from Ikea, as well as an Ikea furniture voucher."

If you're interested in a LivingHome, you might be interested in Jetson Green's post on Ray Kappe's "Ten Most Important Principles to Success":

"Kappe's first home has been featured all over the place for achieving the highest LEED certification possible, the Platinum rating. I think his work is incredible, so I was studying his stuff when I came across this list...In the interests of learning from those that are remarkable examples of continuing achievement, I thought I would be good to share his list..."