Photovoltaic Systems

Archive for the ‘Residential’ Category

A while back, I mentioned The Crib, an “enviresponsible shelter” by Broadhurst Architects that can be used as a weekend cabin, backyard office, exercise studio, or guest house — you name it.  Well it’s time for a short update from our last article, if you haven’t already noticed, that a 250 square-foot Crib was built on the grounds of the Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland.  It’s being used as a visual arts studio, a lab, and a gallery and is open to visitors during certain events and various other times.

The Crib is built as a kit of parts with SIPs (R32 walls and floor) and other recyclable parts from steel and aluminum.  The prototype home also has multi-layer polycarbonate panels, insulated glass, heat-treated poplar siding, LED and CFL lighting, an energy-efficient ceiling fan, and rainwater collection for showers and gardening.

In process construction photos are available on The Crib’s Facebook page.

The design allows for reuse by dismantling and reassembling The Crib elsewhere.  A version of the prototype runs for about $85,000, according to the Washington Post, not counting sewer hookup.  With a kitchen, the Crib will cost about $120,000, while the basic Crib costs just shy of $60,000.  The block/concrete basement adds about $25,000.

[+] Learn more about The Crib from Broadhurst Architects, Inc.

Credits: Anice Hoachlander.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Tiny Eco-friendly Prefab Called The Crib
2. Sett is a Tiny, Green, Modular Studio
3. Small, Green, Affordable: Shelter Series

Here’s a beautiful garden studio in Oxford overlooking the Thames River.  The custom and contemporary structure was completed by in.it studios with a special plinth foundation, birch ply interior walls, a green sedum roof, and sustainably harvested timber.  The design allows natural light through bi-folding doors, while insulated walls and a glass-panel heater keep the warmth inside in the winter.  The tiny studio has a bathroom and kitchen for use as a guest house and an extra deck space for entertaining.

Photo credits: in.it studios. 

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Backyard Work Studio for a Designer
2. Efficient Modern Studio in the Woods
3. Sett is a Tiny, Green, Modular Studio

This is the first prefab by Canada-based SMPLy Mod.  The Model 984 was built on an engineered concrete pier foundation and has 984 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom.  The siding is a blend of corrugated steel and concrete board, while the inside is flush with bamboo floors and Kohler and Moen fixtures.  The construct features a 2×10 R38 floor system, 2×6 R22 walls, and an 18″ r50 parallel chord truss roof — all built for a little less than $135,000.  SMPLy Mod is available in the US and Canada.

[+] More info about SMPLy Mod Prefab Homes from Canada.

Credits: SMPLy Mod; noticed at Inhabitat.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Next Gen Prefab Called v100 Mod Box
2. m2 Green Prefab from Method Homes
3. Blu Relaunches Glidehouse Green Prefab

This video showcases the pH Living Sanctuary, a factory-built home in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.  The healthy home has been certified by Building Biologists to the IBE Healthy Home Standard, according to California-based pH Living, and has been checked for VOCs, energy efficiency, formaldehyde, mold, electromagnetic fields (EMF’s), communications frequency pollution reductions, and radiation.

PH Living is an architecture and design group led by Doug Busch that provides affordable, aesthetically pleasing homes for people who are extremely environmentally conscious or suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

The company offers single-family, multi-family, and commercial structures that can be customized as needed such as, for example, to be off-the-grid.  Prefabrication is employed to control the construction process and inspect the build.  Depending on interior and exterior finishes, a pH Living home starts at $150 per square foot.

The Sanctuary is a 380 square-foot prototype that can rented for up to a week by potential home purchasers.  Visit phliving.us for more information about renting this home.  More test homes will be made available throughout the country in 2012.

Credits: pH Living. 

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Green Prefab Home Planned for NYC
2. Living in a Zero-Waste Home [Video]
3. EPA Guide Ensures Healthy Air, Efficiency