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Archive for the ‘Residential’ Category

KitHAUS recently shared photos of a prefab writer’s studio installed in the Brentwood area of western Los Angeles.  The building was made with bolt-together aluminum framing, windows and doors with low-E glazing, and SIPs that are CFC, HCFC, HFC, and formaldehyde-free.  The new studio is from KitHAUS‘s standard K4 module.  K4 has 187 square feet, assembles in about four days, and costs from $39,750.

[+] See more photos of this KitHAUS K4 in Brentwood.

Credits: KitHAUS. 

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This is the first LEED Platinum home in Athens.  Designed by Lori Bork Newcomer, principal of Bork Architectural Design, Inc., the 2,632 square-foot home blends native materials to maintain neighborhood context and contemporary design to suit the aesthetics of owners Lori and Quint Newcomer.  Lori and Quint self-contracted the build for about $125 per square foot and, perhaps more impressively, the home uses about the same amount of energy as one a third the size.

The exterior is completed with Tennessee fieldstone, stucco, and white clapboard, while the traditional gable facade is made with glass to allow natural light to the kitchen, living, and dining area.  Inside, the floors are covered in locally-sourced, reclaimed heart pine and the certain accent walls feature reclaimed barn wood.

Lori sought energy efficiency through air tightness, superior insulation, reflective roofing, Energy Star windows, and solar hot water (which reduces energy use by up to 20% by itself).  To conserve water, the home has low-flow fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping, and a 1,100-gallon cistern that collects rainwater for irrigation.

Other green elements include an EPA-certified wood burning stove, interior mineral paints by San Marco, USA, polished fly ash concrete floors, recycled content FLOR carpet tiles, formaldehyde-free EccoDoors, low- or zero-VOC finishes, cellulose and Ecobatt insulation, Icynene spray foam in the roofline, a high-efficiency heat pump with an ERV, and LED and CFL bulbs in more than 50% of light fixtures.

[+] Watch a slideshow of more Lori-Quint Home photos.

Photo credits: Elizabeth Maves.

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Now this is an interesting story as it relates to the prefab construction in the USA.  Blu Homes just announced that the company sold and is currently manufacturing its first home personalized entirely online in 3-D by the purchaser.  Cathy and Walter Pearlman fired up the Blu | 3-D Configurator, settled on the Element Series, personalized it, and then sent their custom design to Blu for purchase.  Blu confirmed the selections, made one change to the bathroom tile, and then the sent the 3-D plans to the factory.

The Pearlmans used the Configurator, which was launched in October 2011, to sift through all sorts of options including the siding, appliances, fixtures, and finishes.  The online tool helped with customization but it also gave the purchasers a price for their customized Element, which starts at $160,000.

With the 3-D Configurator, “the customer gets a beautiful, convenient shopping experience, while Blu gets the benefit of automatically processing customer purchase requests,” said Maura McCarthy, co-founder and VP of sales and marketing.

All of the information from the purchaser seamlessly translates into the plans used to fabricate the homes.  Additionally, Blu built engineering information into the program to account for wind, snow, and seismic details, which, again, automatically end up in the construction plans.

With details like this built into each and every customization, Blu cuts out what could be a cumbersome process between the home designer and client.  And one of desired benefits of prefab construction — affordability — starts to look a lot more attainable.  To date, Blu Homes has saved more than 6,000 home designs for users.

[+] Test the Blu Homes 3-D Configurator.

Credits: Blu Homes.

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This is a “Granny Annex” in Kent, England, fabricated by in.it.studios in eight weeks. In.it.studios fashioned the backyard prefab with a well-insulated envelope, Canadian Western Red Cedar cladding, a “zero maintenance” living sedum roof, floor to ceiling windows, a sky light in the hallway, an Accoya deck, and other built-ins with PEFC- and FSC-certified woods.

The space has about 1,055 square feet and an open plan that expands beyond bi-folding doors with a large deck area. But beyond the construction, the background story is somewhat interesting – maybe even indicative of the times.

The homeowners needed extra space for elderly parents, and this Garden Home meet their needs while still providing a bit of separation and privacy for both generations. It provides the closeness of extended family and the dignity of a dedicated living area. It’s the kind of multi-generational use that could be seen more in the future with North American accessory dwelling units.

Photo credits: in.it.studios.

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