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There's growth for green prefab homes
A model prefab home by Marmol Radziner
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STEVE CHIOTAKIS: During the peak of the housing boom, glossy home magazines like Dwell celebrated the rise of modern prefab architecture. These factory built homes with clean lines and green materials
promised to reshape the building industry. That is until the housing market crashed. But that doesn't mean green prefab is dead. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, here's Sam Eaton.
SAM EATON: Architect Leo Marmol realized his dream in this sprawling warehouse south of downtown Los Angeles. To build modern prefab homes on a factory assembly line.
LEO MARMOL: The steel frames themselves were put together outside on those large jigs and then literally slid into the factory to roll down this track assembly on the factory floor.
Marmol says the manufacturing process reduced construction waste by as much as 40 percent. And as green building began to catch on, business was looking up. Then...
MARMOL: When the credit market fell to pieces the prefab market went with it.
Today most of this 65,000 square foot warehouse sits empty. But Marmol remains optimistic.
MARMOL: There's always been this utopian dream of trying to make better design more available to our communities.
Meaning... more affordable. But Los Angeles Times Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne says Marmol's factory was missing a key ingredient to achieving that affordability scale.
CHRISTOPHER HAWTHORNE: The prefab designs are probably more progressive in terms of sustainability than they are in terms of economics.
But some companies are adapting. Boston's Blu Homes has thrived despite the recession. It has about 50 homes currently in its pipeline and a merger with another company in the works. Co-founder Maura McCarthy says Blu Homes success is simple.
Maura MCCARTHY: We didn't start trying to be the Armani of homes.
They did set out to become the Ikea of homes -- offering modern, green design at affordable prices.
MCCARTHY: You can't have clients putting them together as much. But you can definitely have them designing them and having more influence on how to put the elements of the home together.
McCarthy says Blu Homes' prefab houses cost as little as a $135 a square foot. That's about half the price of Leo Marmol's models. And with energy bill savings of up to 60 percent compared to other houses, McCarthy says the recession isn't killing prefab, its finally making it cost competitive.
In Los Angeles, I'm Sam Eaton for Marketplace
If you are considering a modular or prefab home, building with containers is worth taking a look at.
Good resource is the <a href="http://www.ResidentialShippingContainerPrimer.com">Residential Shipping Container Primer</a> website. A SHOWCASE OF SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES AND BUILDINGDS, AND A DO IT YOURSELF (DIY) REFERENCE FOR CONVERTING RECYCLED INTERMODAL CARGO SHIPPING CONTAINERS INTO BUILDINGS AND ARCHITECTURE.
Lots of great example buildings, details, facts, and links to other articles. They have something new that you can setup your own project wiki to get help with your project if you are considering a design build project.
Reference Lorraine Day in RI, I'm thrilled for you with Blu Homes - I couldn't even get a return email to my inquiries for information regarding code compliance in California and application to Hillside Ordinances for seismic concerns. Looks great in the fluff part of the news, but is there substance for us builders with tough applications and strict compliance issues? Where's the beef?
Yes, as Leo Marmol points out in American Public Media, there IS growth for pre-fab homes but let's not forget that there are other and more cost-effective possibilities. Even for large homes in the eco-luxury class as PODA has proved in Florida with their pre-cast insulated panels, trucked to the site. No reason why a large home has to look like the traditional McMansion, says Bjorn Steinbekk of PODA Group. PODA's first house in the eco-luxury class is going up in Miami and is a marvel of energy efficiency and non-toxic materials. Materials incorporated in this home are in their most natural form, and minimize or eliminate all toxic materials. Energy is obtained by utilizing all-natural elements such as geothermal, solar and natural ventilation. The pre-cast insulated panels decreases cost of A/C + heating by 70%. A ground source water system is used to heat as well as cool, and achieves the highest possible energy efficiency. This further reduces A/C usage by 10% compared with conventional construction. Equipped with 92 solar panels, this home even generates 35 kw of energy! and its a beautiful contemporary design by Icelandic architecs MINARC of Santa Monica, California. As the PODA Group has shown, the scandinavians have long experience with this kind of construction and it costs no more than a traditional house with far less waste and impact on the environment.
Prefab is a great idea, but before picking your home, it's crucial to pick the right site. Check out 8 tips for siting your natural home at http://digginginthedriftless.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/8-tips-for-siting-...
Welcome home,
Denise Thornton
Comparing these Blu Homes with Marmol Radziner is like comparing a base model Toyota with a high-end Audi or BMW. It's fine to say they are cheaper but don't for a minute think you are getting the same thing. The Toyota is perfectly fine and represents great value. The Marmol Radziner homes use steel frames to create expansive openings, long spans and proportions that you cannot create as elegantly with stick frame. The Marmol Radziners cost more for a reason. (and no, I don't work for Marmol Radziner) - just saying that a superficial analysis doesn't tell the whole story.
I am owner of one the 50 homes currently in the Bluhomes pipeline. I did my research on plenty of modular companies and other "green prefab" companies before I chose them. I even went down to Washington DC to see Michelle Kaufman's Glidehouse when it was on display there. I found Blu Homes to be the most affordable, green prefab company in the US today. They are creating such a wonderful product that should help each state comply with the "Affordable Housing Standards" now and in the future. They are designing new methods to help keep transportation cost down, keep homes more energy efficient, and keep houses sturdier to last through anything mother nature can hand out. My hats off to Maura and her dedicated staff.
