The world of prefab and modular homes.
  May 2009 Archive

Builder Magazine highlights prefab houses

Link to Builder Magazine highlights prefab houses
http://www.builderonline.com/

Builder Magazine recently highlighted 6 prefab houses that could change the future of home building:

[Y]ou’d think that with [traditional home] prices falling as fast as a brick that prefab housing would be a non-factor, but just the opposite appears to be true. In fact, prefab may play an even bigger role in the housing industry from here on, architects and builders say.

Read the entire article for more information.

Author: Nigel F. Maynard
Publication: Builder Magazine
Section: Builder 2009
Length: 1,762 words
Date: May 26, 2009

Related Posts:
   1. ma modular homes by KRDB in Texas (May 27, 2009)
   2. The Alcott by Haven Custom Homes (May 19, 2009)
   3. The Pennywise House by Russell Versaci (Mar 17, 2009)
   4. Bensonwood's Unity House (Mar 02, 2009)
   5. HOM Escape in Style: modern manufactured homes (Jun 18, 2008)
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Viridis Homes in UK

Link to Viridis Homes in UK
http://www.viridis.

info_smallViridis Homes in the UK offers 4 modular models:




Model Price Size BR Bath

info_smallBungalow $132,867
(£83,203)
898 sf
(83.38 m²)
2 1
info_smallTerraced $79,845 - $95,814
(£50,000 - £60,000)
905 sf
(84.11 m²)
2 2
info_smallSemi-Detached $130,472
(£81,703)
905 sf
(84.11 m²)
2 2
info_smallDetached House $133,181
(£83,400)
905 sf
(84.11 m²)
2 2

According to their site:

Our homes are manufactured under factory controlled conditions and are delivered complete with all internal and external finishes, ready for assembly. Unlike other modular buildings, our homes can be transported and installed without the need for expensive cranes. Once the homes have arrived onsite, they are assembled and connected to services quickly and easily within 48 hours by our own team of specialists.

Hat tip: Manchester Confidential Property on May 6, 2009.

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Michelle Kaufmann Designs closing

Link to Michelle Kaufmann Designs closing
None

Yesterday, The LA times reported that info_smallMichelle Kaufmann Designs is closing.

Green prefab architecture firm Michelle Kaufmann Designs is calling it quits, a victim of the credit crisis and broader woes in the economy. In a letter sent over Memorial Day weekend, Kaufmann told clients the firm would close by the end of this week. She confirmed the news in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

...

Kaufmann sold the factory last year and in November trimmed the size of her Oakland office to 17. She thought those moves would help see the firm through the recession. But two factories MKD worked with have gone out of business since then, and clients and potential clients have found it almost impossible to get financing.

"Being a small company without significant reserves, that was more head wind than we could bear," she said.

According to the article, she will continue working as a consultant. We wish her luck in her future endeavors.

There's more details in the article, and we expect additional discussion across the industry.

Author: Christopher Hawthorne
Publication: Los Angeles Times
Section: Arts
Length: 698 words
Date: May 26, 2009

Hat tip: Jetson Green on May 26, 2009.

Related Posts:
   1. In the news: Blu Homes acquires rights to Michelle Kaufmann's designs (Sep 30, 2009)
   2. AriaDenver Forum with Michelle Kaufmann on August 13, 2009 (Aug 07, 2009)
   3. AriaDenver pictures from Michelle Kaufmann (Jul 03, 2009)
   4. MKD custom home (Apr 15, 2009)
   5. MKD multifamily in Denver (Apr 08, 2009)
   6. Prefab Green from Michelle Kaufmann Designs (Feb 25, 2009)
   7. MKD Smart Home to reopen March 19 (Feb 23, 2009)
   8. Michelle Kaufmann: there's a bright side to the current housing market troubles (Jan 09, 2009)
   9. Michelle Kaufmann Designs named top firm by Residential Architect magazine (Dec 15, 2008)
   10. Michelle Kaufmann interview at Green by Design (Dec 02, 2008)
   11. MKD proposes green "nutrition labels," France already has a good start (Oct 14, 2008)
   12. Watch the assembly of Michelle Kaufmann's mkSolaire (Oct 02, 2008)
   13. Michelle Kaufmann Designs completes 30 homes (Sep 23, 2008)
   14. Chicago Tribune on Michelle Kaufmann's mkSolaire (Aug 12, 2008)
   15. Tour an MKD home in Santa Barbara, June 14 (Jun 12, 2008)
   16. This week: MKD videos, prefab rental, and more (Apr 27, 2008)
   17. The mkLoft from Michelle Kaufmann Designs (Nov 13, 2007)
   18. Michelle Kaufmann in Sierra Magazine (Jul 16, 2007)
   19. This week: LV Series, refrigerator panels, and Michelle Kaufmann (Jun 30, 2007)
   20. MKD Google mash-up (Jun 04, 2007)
   21. Michelle Kaufmann Designs (Apr 27, 2007)
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ma modular homes by KRDB in Texas

Link to ma modular homes by KRDB in Texas
http://www.mamodular.com/

We recently received an email from info_smallma, an offspring of info_smallKRDB in Austin, TX. From their site:

When we were searching for a name for our new modern, modular company, we kept returning to the Japanese concept, ma, meaning an interval in time and space, a dramatic pause, the silence between phrases of music. In architecture it is a quiet, neutral space that enhances the whole of a design.

They currently offer 6 modules:



Model Size BR Bath

info_smalldharma 540 sf 0 1
info_smallkarma 540 sf 0 1
info_smallintima 540 sf 2 1
info_smallmaxima 900 sf 0 1
info_smallgrandma 900 sf 1 1
info_smallsoma 900 sf 2 2

More information:

  • connector and stair modules are available
  • timeline: "Zero-to-house in 180 days...Two weeks after arrival you can move in."
  • price: $125/sf and $150/sf
  • picture gallery
  • blog
Related Posts:
   1. Builder Magazine highlights prefab houses (May 29, 2009)
   2. Modular in Austin, Texas (Jan 05, 2009)
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Epoch Homes nominated for SBANE award

Link to Epoch Homes nominated for SBANE award
http://www.epochhomes.com

Some news we missed in March: info_smallEpoch Homes was nominated for a Small Business Association of New England (SBANE) Innovation Award for its Unique Green Design/Build System.

Interesting to note:

Epoch became the first modular home manufacturer in the nation to be certified under the Modular Green Approved program now offered by the NAHB Research Center, which administers the National Green Building Certification program for residential construction.

Hat tip: Building Systems on March 27, 2009.

Related Posts:
   1. Eco Collection by Epoch Homes (Jun 29, 2009)
   2. Epoch Homes factory tours this weekend in NH (May 15, 2009)
   3. The top modular builders (Aug 23, 2007)
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Farmworker Housing Project by Mithun

Link to Farmworker Housing Project by Mithun
http://mithun.com

Jetson Green recently covered a pilot project in Washington state.

With the sponsorship of the Seattle Archidiocesan Housing Authority and a grant from Enterprise Community Partners, Mithun designed three prefabricated modules to provide a model for affordable housing for farmworkers and their families.

Each of the 3 module designs by info_smallMithun are 580 sf.

Two of the first constructed units will go to farms in Skagit Valley, while the other will likely end up in Yakima. Upon completion, the homes will be publicly available by appointment.

Check out the post for more pictures and see Mithun's project detail page for further information.

We didn't see any information on costs, so it's not clear if the "affordable" part of the goal was met.

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weeHouse by Alchemy on display in WI; today and this weekend

Link to weeHouse by Alchemy on display in WI; today and this weekend
http://www.alchemyarch.com

We received an email this week from info_smallAlchemy Architects announcing their weeHouse Open House today and this weekend.

title: Saturn weeHouse Open House
where: Siren, WI
location: 24729 Highway 35/70, Siren, WI 54872 on the west frontage road just north of Siren and south of Highway 70 East
date: May 22 - 24, 2009
time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
cost: Free!
notes: Also by appointment
contact: Phone: (715) 349-8800 or email: info@honhomes.com

Model details:

size: 250 sf
br: studio
bath: 1
price: ~$65,000

Related Posts:
   1. weeHouse for sale in Wisconsin (Aug 04, 2009)
   2. weeHouse in Continental Airlines magazine (Jun 16, 2009)
   3. New weeHouse set in Oregon (Mar 03, 2009)
   4. Pictures of the Johnson Creek weeHouse (Dec 22, 2008)
   5. Three weeHouse open houses in the next two weeks (Oct 07, 2008)
   6. This week: Lifepod and weeHouses in the UK (Sep 06, 2008)
   7. weeHouses are now cheaper than ever (and can even power themselves!) (Sep 04, 2008)
   8. New 4x weeHouses join the weeLineup (May 19, 2008)
   9. This week: weeHouse, Australia and plenty of gingerbread (Dec 22, 2007)
   10. New weeHouse website (Dec 21, 2007)
   11. Open house: weeHouse in Minneapolis on Dec. 14 (Dec 12, 2007)
   12. This week: Bombala, weeHouse in LA, and more (Nov 10, 2007)
   13. This week: weeHouses and more Dwell on Design (Aug 18, 2007)
   14. This week: New Orleans, Austrian prefab, and weeHouses (Apr 28, 2007)
   15. Itsy Bitsy weeHouse (Mar 26, 2007)
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Lookout by Form & Forest

Link to Lookout by Form & Forest
http://formandforest.com

Form & Forest recently sent us an email announcing the latest addition to their lineup of Flat Pack Cabins. Here's our usual summary:

model: info_smallLookout
manufacturer: info_smallForm & Forest
size: 1,559 sf
br: 2
bath: 2
price: $99,900
available: yes

Check out their brochure (PDF) for the floorplan and further details.

Related Posts:
   1. Trapper and Ranger Flat Pack Cabins by Form & Forest (Mar 27, 2009)
   2. Flat pack cabins from Form & Forest (Feb 20, 2009)
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Cantilever House by Anderson Anderson Architecture

Link to Cantilever House by Anderson Anderson Architecture
John Clark

materialicious recently linked to an interesting Dwell Magazine article from 2005. The article covered a mountaintop house built with prefab elements by info_smallAnderson Anderson Architecture.

the house adds an interesting case study to the ongoing research project that is prefabricated building—another rung to the ladder the building industry needs to climb to maximize prefab’s potential

From the slideshow:

Architect Peter Anderson explains that “the floating nature of the design would not have been possible with conventional onsite framing techniques, nor any of the currently marketed modular home designs.” Using a heavy structural steel frame, engineered wood spline beam system, and structural insulated panels, the architects created a truly unique hybrid structural system and, in the end, a home.

The use of structural insulated panels (SIPs) throughout the house helped speed the construction process. Peter Anderson explains, "The panels themselves hang from and rest upon the steel frame and wood spline beam system, which is the link between the steel frame and the panels. The SIPs provide enclosure, insulation, and the spanning capacity to support the cast-concrete floor."

Read the article for more information.

Subtitle: In an unlikely mountaintop locale, Anderson Anderson Architecture crafted a home out of a complex composition of off-the-shelf components, paving new paths for the prefabricated construction industry.
Author: Andrew Wagner
Publication: Dwell Magazine
Section: Dwellings
Length: 1,389 words
Date: April/May 2005

Related Posts:
   1. So, what are SIPs anyway? (Mar 27, 2007)
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The Alcott by Haven Custom Homes

Link to The Alcott by Haven Custom Homes
http://www.nhdesigncollaborative.com

info_smallHaven Custom Homes recently issued a press release announcing their receipt of the 2009 Modular Multi Family Award from the National Modular Housing Council (NMHC). The award was given for the design "The Alcott".

The Alcott is part of a new townhome project scheduled to be built this summer at Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

Model details:

model: The Alcott
manufacturer: info_smallHaven Custom Homes
size: 2,500 sf

Check out the architect's renderings.

The awards are co-sponsored by the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) which has a complete list of winners.

Hat tip: Maryland Gazette on May 6, 2009.

Related Posts:
   1. Haven Custom Homes and Marmol Radziner Prefab (Aug 05, 2009)
   2. Whisper Creek Cabin by Haven Custom Homes (Jun 01, 2009)
   3. Builder Magazine highlights prefab houses (May 29, 2009)
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Installation of modular home makes news in Duluth, MN

Link to Installation of modular home makes news in Duluth, MN
http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com

Northland's NewsCenter in Duluth, MN recently featured the setting of a modular home manufactured by info_smallDynamic Homes and installed by info_smallIdeal Homes.

See the post for a multimedia version of the story (2:11).

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Epoch Homes factory tours this weekend in NH

Link to Epoch Homes factory tours this weekend in NH
http://www.epochhomes.com

info_smallEpoch Homes will be conducting factory tours this weekend.

Details:

where: Pembroke, NH
location: 107 Sheep Davis Road (Route 106)
date: Saturday, May 16, 2009
time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
cost: Free!
notes: Factory tours starting at 10am (Last tour is at 2:30pm)

If you can't make it to their factory, check out their video tour. (3:18)

Related Posts:
   1. Fall factory tours at Preferred Building Systems in Claremont, NH (Aug 25, 2009)
   2. Eco Collection by Epoch Homes (Jun 29, 2009)
   3. Epoch Homes nominated for SBANE award (May 26, 2009)
   4. The top modular builders (Aug 23, 2007)
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Puma City in Boston for 2 more days

Link to Puma City in Boston for 2 more days
http://www.inhabitat.com

Inhabitat recently shared pictures of the Puma City Shipping Container Store designed by info_smallLOT EK.

The portable Puma Store...makes clever re-use of discarded shipping containers and has been traveling around the world as a spokes-structure for both Puma and prefabricated buildings.

It will be on display at Fan Pier in Boston until May 16th.

Related Posts:
   1. LOT-EK's Puma City (Dec 11, 2008)
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Blue Sky Homes completes prototype

Link to Blue Sky Homes completes prototype
http://blueskyhomes.wordpress.com

info_smallBlue Sky Homes recently finished their info_smallYucca Valley Prototype.

It has been exactly 8 weeks since we started this journey and I’m happy to report that the house is finished – furniture is in, television is working, literally a turn-key house!

Check out the post for more pictures.

Related Posts:
   1. Blue Sky Homes builds prefab steel prototype in Yucca Valley, CA (Mar 20, 2009)
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Clayton iHouse now available

Link to Clayton iHouse now available
http://www.claytonihouse.com

info_smallClayton Homes officially launched their much anticipated iHouse.

They offer 2 models and an optional flex room:

Model Size BR Bath Price

info_smalliHouse I 723 sf 1 1 $74,900
info_smalliHouse II 1,023 sf 2 1 $93,300
info_smallFlex I 268 sf 0 1 $26,660

View the brochures:

Take a virtual tour:

Configure your own iHouse via their website.

Hat tip: Jetson Green on May 3, 2009.

Related Posts:
   1. The Clayton iHouse (Jan 14, 2009)
   2. Clayton Homes Showcase of Homes this weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee (Oct 29, 2008)
   3. Clayton Homes Showcase of Homes this weekend in Greensboro, NC (Oct 09, 2008)
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2008 AIA Housing Awards

Link to 2008 AIA Housing Awards
Wassiomig Residence by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA

While researching a post last week, we noticed that we overlooked last year's AIA awards. Here's the American Institute of Architects press release announcing the 19 recipients of their 2008 Housing Awards.

Of particular interest to Prefabcosm readers:

info_smallWissioming Residence by info_smallRobert M. Gurney, FAIA

From the architect's website:

Structural pre-cast concrete planks are employed throughout the project in effort to expedite the construction process, span large open areas and to provide the ability to heat the house hydronically.

info_smallStreeter House by info_smallSalmela Architect

By using prefabricated materials, this house sets a standard for sustainable construction methods. The house comprises a simple kit of parts: glass, concrete block, Glulam beams, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and pipe.

Macallen Building Condominiums by info_smallBurt Hill, Inc.

use of recycled materials, and fabricated systems, which were transported from within 500 miles, were all part of the sustainable design implementation

info_smallCrabapple House by info_smallRandy Brown Architects

The intended goal was to design an affordable, modern, eco-friendly home that would sell at the same price point as a homebuilder house with comparable square footage. The result was a modular-designed “bar” that sits on a poured-in-place concrete foundation.

info_smallUrban Infill by info_smallJohnsen Schmaling Architects

consists of two interlocking building blocks, a compact two-story wood cube, and a single-story concrete block bar. The cube is based on a strict 48-inch module to maximize the use of standard sheets

Related Posts:
   1. Two Black Sheds by David Salmela (May 05, 2009)
   2. WSJ on the 2009 AIA housing awards (Apr 27, 2009)
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Cedar House by Hudson Architects

Link to Cedar House by Hudson Architects
http://www.hudsonarchitects.co.uk

DigsDigs recently featured a cedar shingled house in North Elmham, UK.

Floors, walls and roofing [are] made of prefabricated timber

Model details:

br: 2
price: $369,264 (£245,000)

Check out the post for more pictures, and see the Cedar House video (1:26) on the architect's website.

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Cascade House by Paul Raff Studio

Link to Cascade House by Paul Raff Studio
© Ben Rahn/A Frame

GreenSource Magazine recently named their Best Green House for April 2009.

size: ~3,788 sf (352 m2)

Its exterior is constructed of SIPs, while wood-stud partitions make up the interior partitions.

Read the entire article for more information and to see additional pictures.

Author: David Sokol
Publication: GreenSource Magazine
Section: Best Green Houses
Length: 356 words
Date: April 2009

Hat tip: Jetson Green on April 30, 2009.

Related Posts:
   1. So, what are SIPs anyway? (Mar 27, 2007)
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Two Black Sheds by David Salmela

Link to Two Black Sheds by David Salmela
Chad Holder

The home page of Dwell Magazine currently features a 2005 article about a house in Wisconsin built using SIPs. It was designed by David Salmela of info_smallSalmela Architect.

The larger of the two units (which contains the kitchen, dining area, lounge, master bedroom, bath, and screen porch) is 900 square feet, and the smaller (where the guest room and bath, office area, and mechanical room are located) measures 360 square feet. The house, which was finished in 2003, cost $295,000 to build.

Read the entire article for more information.

Subtitle: A dramatic departure from your typical cabin on the lake, this unique retreat adds shades of black to a tiny island awash with local color.
Author: Eric Lawlor
Publication: Dwell Magazine
Section: Dwellings
Length: 1,052 words
Date: July/August 2005

Related Posts:
   1. 2008 AIA Housing Awards (May 11, 2009)
   2. So, what are SIPs anyway? (Mar 27, 2007)
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Matchbox by Allard Ward Architects

Link to Matchbox by Allard Ward Architects
http://www.allardward.com/

Arch Daily recently covered a commercial project by info_smallAllard Ward Architects in Amsterdam, due for completion in December of 2010.

The Matchbox building will be made of prefabricated concrete. The bent faces of the cantilevering boxes are constructed in prefabricated concrete walls.

...

It houses 22 corporate units, a rooftop restaurant and semi-underground parking

Check out their post for more information and renderings of the project.

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