Almost two years ago, we mentioned the first prefab cabin built by Method Homes near Mt. Baker, Washington. Now, after considerable time and research, the same company has teamed up with Skylab Architecture to create an additional and innovative line of prefab homes called Homb. The name of the endeavor signals an interesting aspect of these new green prefab homes.
The architect and company that brought us the Bike Arc modular bike park system is now behind the House Arc modular system. House Arc was designed by Joseph Bellomo and the prototype shown in this article is being finished for a client in Hawaii. The modular home is built with a lightweight frame of steel tubes and set on a few concrete blocks. When finished, it's supposed to be strong enough to withstand tropical winds and weather.
According to the Miami Herald, architect Andrés Duany has created a temporary house -- referred to as the "core-house" -- that can be made of a strong, composite material and flat pack shipped to Haiti. The prefab houses sleep eight, if arranged with the bunk beds, and can expand with additional core units. Duany believes they could be built affordably in order to provide a temporary shelter from the elements and rain.
A few weeks ago, we told you Nationwide Homes was preparing a 523-square-foot home called The Osprey for IBS 2010. Timothy Dahl of Charles & Hudson was on the scene and snapped a few photos amidst the hordes of industry professionals. Like Clayton Homes' i-House, the Osprey is a small, green modular home designed for flexibility. It can be used as a small home, home office, retreat, casita, or in-law apartment.
Two years ago, the zeroHouse hit the internet like a tornado. Now, Specht Harpman, the firm that designed the off-grid, modular, tiny house, is looking for a "visionary" to finance the construction of the prototype at something in the range of $300,000 to $350,000. The good news comes from the American-Statesman, which recently reported that the design is "shovel-ready."
Across the pond, a company called OfficePOD aims to change the way people work. The company provides pod-like office cubes to companies and individuals to facilitate flexible home/work arrangements. For the price of £14,950 ($24,400) plus installation and VAT, the company will set up the OfficePOD in about a day. The lead time for installation is less than 12 weeks, and lease options are available as well.
I imagine you've heard the news this week from LivingHomes' headquarters in Santa Monica. All LivingHomes, whether designed by Ray Kappe or KieranTimberlake, are now available throughout most of the United States. In addition, the company -- a pioneer in green prefab -- announced a new prefab home model designed by Ray Kappe and wood-frame construction on all Kappe LivingHomes.
Rocio Romero, the architect behind the LV series of prefab homes, just announced the availability of stackable prefabs. Referred to as the LV2 -- a 2-story stack placed on any LV series unit, the custom add-on costs the same as regular LV series units. Rocio Romero has sold over a hundred LVs and says the average cost to build, including the kit, shipping, foundation, and finish costs, is about $120 per square foot (not including land).
Update 1/27/2010: A Small Osprey Eco-Cottage Has Landed!
Starting January 19 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, four modular demonstration homes will be on display for the International Builders’ Show 2010. All of the homes will qualify for the NAHB’s National Green Building Certification, and they’ll be smaller, too. One home in particular, The Osprey, caught my attention. The 523 square-foot home, perhaps, will be the greenest of all four models in the Show Village.
I first noticed this genuine weeHouse on Mrs. French's site last month (see here, here, and here). The Oceanside Prefab, as it's know, is on a picturesque spot on the Oregon coast and available for rent should you have any interest. The home was assembled with two 14' x 50' modules by Stratford Homes and designed by none other than Alchemy Architects.
