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The world of prefab and modular homes. |
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| ikea.com |
We reported last year on retailer IKEA's prefab homes. More from The Guardian:
Britain's first "Ikealand" opened its metal-panelled pine doors yesterday in an experiment designed to spread the company's off-the-shelf principle from wardrobes and sofas to entire houses.The first of 93 flatpack homes designed and equipped by the household goods store went on show in Gateshead on Tyneside, where scores of would-be buyers are being vetted to ensure that their savings and income are modest enough to qualify....
Prices on the cul-de-sac off Marigold Avenue, where each unit comes with 22 Skimmia shrubs and an apple tree in the garden, range from £99,500 [$198,000] for a one-bedroom flat to £149,000 [$295,000] for a three-bedroom house...
Treehugger adds:
Seen as a way for them to get onto the property ladder, these houses will sell for $260,000 for a two bedroom townhouse. Assembled in a factory nearby, they get to the site ready to be bolted together and take about 16 weeks from start to completion.The system is called BoKlok (Ikea speak for smart living) and was developed in conjunction with Ikea.
I did a little research on prices in the area; these look competitive.
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| piecehomes.com |
The Good Human's Prefab Wednesday discusses IKEA's prefab concept:
No, you cannot walk into your local IKEA store and pick one up…but maybe someday. Wouldn’t that be pretty cool? “I guess we should get a bookcase, a planter, and oh, let’s pick up one of the BoKlok houses. OK honey?”
Inhabitat's Prefab Friday looks at pieceHomes:
It will be exciting to see where these and other pieceHomes pop up as they transform from renderings to affordable, green prefab realities.
Our previous coverage:
• IKEA's prefab concept
• pieceHomes
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| boklok.com |
CubeMe covered the IKEA BoKlok housing system we've discussed.
The Good Human's Prefab Wednesday discussed the 
Quik House from Adam Kalkin:
"Although there is currently a 6 month waiting list, this looks like a very nice alternative to some of the more expensive prefab homes on the market."
Builder Online anticipates the West Coast Green Building Conference and the arrival of the mkLotus.
Jetson Green gave a sneak preview of a new prefab concept, the Nodul(ar) House, which is being announced this weekend at the Dwell on Design conference.
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| www.re4a.com/ |
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."Another UK site, Renovation Central, had a few tidbits to add:
"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..."
