March 27, 2008 at 12:44 pm · Tags: Accessory, California, Magic Box, US, usa
A company called Magic Box is offering prefab structures that are quite unlike some of the offerings that we’ve featured in the past: Magic Box Inc.
The main feature of the Magic Box is that it is based entirely on custom order starting with the dimensions of the box. The dimensions of the unit is determined per application, whether it is used as an office space, café, spa, etc. The Magic Box also has unique features not found in typical prefabs. Available options include electrical conduits/circuitry, ventilation system (HVAC), plumbing, and window shading.
March 14, 2008 at 12:10 pm · Tags: Pitfalls, Rocio Romero, US, Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is today publishing about some pitfalls that new prefab owners sometimes fall into. Well worth the read, particularly if you are planning on purchasing and building a new prefab.
Developments : Pre-Fab Home Kits Sometimes Aren’t So Fabulous
“Kit” — or “prefab” homes – are popular with home shoppers on a budget and the style-conscious looking for modernist design, but these homes can be a headache to build and in the end, costlier than some people expect, says Sara Lin in today’s Journal.
In the article, Ms. Lin shares the experiences of three sets of home buyers who purchased three different prefab kits – the FlatPak House, the NextHouse and a LV Series house from home designer Rocio Romero – her $36,000 kit for a 1,152-square-foot house is one of the least-expensive pre-fab kits available, Ms. Lin says.
January 17, 2008 at 3:24 pm · Tags: Flatpack, MetroShed, UK, US
MetroShed, a UK based company with additional production facilities in the US that we have covered before, is launching its 2008 line of prefab structures. These buildings come in a wide array of varieties, from “sheds” which are multipurpose structures ideal for an office to the MetroCabin, larger cabins starting at around $35,000. MetroShip, a houseboat, and MetroPlay playhouse lines are also available, setting the company apart in some respects from its competitors.
The MetroShed buildings come pre assembled in a flatpack format with all necessary fasteners. The company claims that no building experience is required in order to assemble and that the kits are even designed to avoid any heavy lifting.
MetroShed
July 16, 2007 at 6:55 pm · Tags: Florida, green building, Palm Beach Post, US
Green looks like gold at this year’s Southeast Builders Conference.
As the South’s largest trade show and educational conference, the gathering brings together everyone from builders to architects to remodelers from 12 states from Texas to Virginia, said Edie Ousley, spokeswoman for the Florida Home Builders Association, which sponsors the show every year.
Friday afternoon, the GreenTrends trade show was buzzing with activity. Exhibitors included Alpha Spray Foam (and it did - spray foam, that is), Forevergreen Building Products and Solar Energy Inc. From the elaborate - prefab Doric columns and tankless hot water systems - to the minute - handmade fishing lures, hundreds of conference members squeezed through aisles to watch and wonder.
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July 10, 2007 at 4:25 pm · Tags: Glidehouse, Michelle Kaufmann, Michelle Kaufmann Designs, Oakland, US
MICHELLE KAUFMANN BELIEVES THAT buying an environmentally friendly home should be as simple as ordering a pair of sneakers. Sitting at her laptop in her Oakland, California, office, the architect goes to the Nike Web site, chooses a shoe, and clicks a few buttons. Moments later her customized sneakers are ready for review: white with orange laces and an orange swoosh, the initials “MK” stitched on the tongue.
The process for ordering one of Kaufmann’s solar-ready, sustainably built, water- and energy-efficient modular homes isn’t that different. She offers three basic designs, each of which uses ecofriendly materials like bamboo flooring, recycled-glass tiles, and efficient dual-flush toilets. Clients choose a model, then Kaufmann meets with them to figure out the details and price. They can customize finishes, select the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and decide whether to have the house fitted with solar panels. A few months after final permits have been granted, trucks roll up to the client’s building site and deliver the house in sections. It takes only a couple of hours to position the modules, and another four to six weeks to complete the finish work. The prefab model costs 20 percent less than an identical site-built house and takes a third less time to construct. All this is key to Kaufmann’s mission: making green architecture accessible to everyone. “People want to do the right thing,” she says, “but it has to be affordable.”
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