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The world of prefab and modular homes. |
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| http://bensonwood.com/onthisoldhouse/ |
In 2005, Dwell magazine launched a line of co-branded prefab homes with several companies. In October, Time Inc's This Old House (TOH) announced they were following suit (paid subscription required):
... to create the This Old House Home Collection by Bensonwood
Publisher Matt Turck said TOH will get an undisclosed share of revenue. The homes will be priced from $300,000 to $600,000.
Turck added that the pact extends his brand's reputation beyond home improvement.
"Factory-built homes are the future of home building," the publisher said. "We want to connect our brand with the future of home building."
This news comes as the This Old House TV series wraps up construction on a 
Bensonwood home that has served as the subject of the show's latest season. Further information on that project is available on the This Old House blog.
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| http://oldhousemyhouse.thisoldhouse.com/2008/04/welcome-to-west.html |
Via the American Chronicle:
...This Old House partners with custom homebuilding company, Bensonwood, to build a new timberframe home.... Cutting-edge techniques, including extensive uses of prefabrication and green technologies, will be implemented to construct a new home on property owned by the Favat family in Weston, Massachusetts....As both the architectural firm and prefabricator on the project, Bensonwood will build 75 percent of the house in a controlled workshop environment. Entire wall systems and room modules will be built, outfitted for plumbing and wiring, with windows and finishes added, in many cases, right in the workshop. Additionally, the timberframe will be created using traditional hand-craftsmanship, as well as the latest computer-aided woodworking technology, providing a level of structural integrity that will last hundreds of years. Many of the home's components will be assembled onsite by crane over a three-week period in early June....
Thisoldhouse.com will feature progress of the Weston project 24/7 through four Webcams powered by EarthCam....
More info on Bensonwood is available at their website.
Also worth a mention: This Old House has a blog, Old House My House, which will be a great place to keep track of the progress of the Weston prefab.
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| bobvila.com |
TV meets the Web. Bob Vila's website includes a library of short video clips from the show's Modern Modular series.
Also worth a mention: Bob Vila has his own blog, On The Level. Check it out!
Apparently the Modern Modular project wasn't the only time modular has appeared on the DIY Network's Home Again:
"Host Danny Forster began the one-hour show with a visit to Safeway Homes in Lexington to see production process that creates a home that can be shipped in pieces to the property of the homeowner. Then he works with the construction crew to assemble the components into a completed home that is ready for occupancy within a matter of days. Rose Brown and her home in Pass Christian are used as a case study for modular housing and hurricane rebuilding solutions."
Read the full article for details.
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| diynet.com |
Bob Vila's Home Again on the DIY Network just finished a run of shows about a modular home under construction. I haven't seen the show, but it sounds like there were some good views into the factory and site process.
From the episode descriptions: Modern Modular:
"Bob Vila travels to western Massachusetts for a brand new project; the construction of a modular home in the Berkshire Hills. He goes to the Simplex Industries factory in Scranton, Pa., to see how the process starts. We talk with owner Pat Fricchione, Jr. about the history of the company, and how the image of modular construction has changed over the years."Wall Panels:
"Today, we learn about the manufacturing process for the precast panels for the walls. Next, we travel back to the Simplex plant in Scranton Pa., where Bob Vila explains how each module is framed. Back in the Berkshires, the assembly process is explained once the panels have been lowered into place by crane."Assembly:
"At the Simplex plant, several crews work as if on an assembly line to make fast work of each module. There's a lot happening, from spackle and sand, to insulation, wall and roof sheathing, house wrap, and interior trim. Bob Vila learns about the state-of-the-art wire boxes that are being installed, and we'll look at the staircase that's being built for the front hall from the stair shop."
Simplex is also the manufacturer of the Resolution: 4 Architecture models, like the home featured on the A Prefab Project blog.
A small picture of the home coming together can be seen on the Bob Vila web site.
The original Hive Modular prototype in Minneapolis is the subject of a couple different videos on YouTube. Each runs a little long, but you get a good sense for the home's details and layout from the two. Some interesting facts gleaned from the videos:
• prototype composed of three modules
• the three modules set in 3.5 hours
• cost to ship the modules to site was $3,000
This video is excerpted from the HGTV show What's with That House? and features an off-the-wall host and some neighborhood commentary (6:51):
The landscape architect who worked with the Hive Modular folks on the home uploaded this video (4:33):
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| www.sundancechannel.com |
I've been seeing posts around the blogosphere (e.g. on Jetson Green) about the Sundance Channel's new TV series Big Ideas for a Small Planet. The series focuses on "the forward-thinking designers, products, and processes that are on the leading edge of a new green world." The second episode, Build, was about different green building techniques and one section, 'prefab', featured Michelle Kaufmann.
The episodes are available for download from iTunes for $1.99 each. The Build episode is definitely worth a watch, at least for a view inside the Michelle Kaufmann factory.
