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The world of prefab and modular homes. |
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| Dolce Vita |
The Arizona Republic recently discussed the evolution of prefab homes.
Modular houses, usually built in 14-foot-wide sections and assembled at a home site, have evolved from mobile homes of questionable durability into better-built houses with many of the same finishes and features of standard production houses.
Companies mentioned in the article:
Also mentioned, two Arizona communities:
- Dolce Vita at Superstition Mountain in Apache Junction
- Tuscany Villas at Painted Mountain in Mesa
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While researching last week's post, we found this video (3:54) of the 
ZETA Communities V1 install.
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An article in the July/August 2009 issue of The Atlantic mentions efficiency improvements in housing as a way to ease our reliance on carbon.
The problem:
slightly more than half of the energy consumed in the United States goes to buildings: 12 percent for constructing them, and 39 percent for heating, cooling, and lighting them
According to Marc Porat, "a serial entrepreneur in the 'built environment' sector" and Chairman of ZETA Communities:
“The easiest, fastest, most effective way to reduce energy demand is to hit buildings”
Porat’s Serious Materials makes high-efficiency windows and low-energy drywall; CalStar Cement uses fly ash to make low-carbon bricks and cement; Zeta Communities puts up town houses with minimal carbon footprints.
(From ZETA's site: "ZETA's core business is factory-built production of residential and non-residential structures.")
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| www.zetacommunities.com |
Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle featured factory-built homes by ZETA Communities. ZETA stands for "Zero Energy Technology and Architecture".
Zeta hopes to capture the market for multifamily townhomes, lofts and apartments that are affordably priced and complement environmentally conscious smart growth
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a two-bedroom live-work townhome would be sold to developers for approximately $258,000 per unit, including shipping, installation and mechanical systems and appliances
The Chronicle's blog previously covered ZETA's demonstration home in Oakland.
Interesting to note:
[ZETA] is not intending to do business directly with homeowners. Rather its business model is based on marketing itself to architects and developers by taking existing building plans and figuring out how to build them in modular pieces.
