Way Cool Prefab Housing

gandalf the semi-coherent · January 24, 2006 11:42AM

Since we all appreciate Apple and their design philosophy, I found an interesting blog report on a new prefab house that's built in SoCal. The design is simple but elegant, and an iMac wouldn't be out of place in it.

Be sure to click on the link that takes you to the site where multiple pictures of the house are shown. The bathroom, especially, is a model of simplicity.

Forget the Mouse House, let's check out the KitHaus!

GTSC

progmac · January 24, 2006 11:53AM

i hate how everyone picks on pre-fab. there is nothing inherent about the prefab process that produces lower quality houses than 'stick built' or 'site built' or whatever. in fact, the opposite is true.

yeah, that wasn't your point, but thought i'd throw in a quick rant.

anders · January 24, 2006 12:10PM

Looks cool. But they aren´t ecatly cheap are they?

gandalf the semi-coherent · January 24, 2006 12:58PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anders

Looks cool. But they aren´t ecatly cheap are they?

Yeah, I just noticed that. Still, for SoCal, it's cheap.

GTSC

danmacman · January 24, 2006 2:01PM

I watched a show on Fine Living TV and a "POD" on Current TV back in the summer that documented the various pre-fab home on the market. Some looked very good, others looked too artsy. It's definitely an appealing concept.

addabox · January 24, 2006 4:22PM

As a side note, "prefab" homes of the fifties, once the very symbol of cookie cutter, hopelessly "square" America, have skyrocketed in value as retro enthusiasts snap them up and carefully restore them to original spec.

Sort of like tracking down that mint in the box poodle skirt Barbie but bigger.

curiousuburb · January 24, 2006 5:25PM

IIRC, there are some Buckminster Fuller-esque geodesic dome homes that are pre-fab, cheap, and cool to boot.

Think igloo without the frostbite.

January 24, 2006 6:57PM

I went down to Chicago's Field Museum a couple of weeks ago for a temporary exhibit called Design Innovations in Manufactured Housing. It was a bit small, but had lots of scale models to gawk at. Very cool.

splinemodel · January 24, 2006 8:54PM

Pretty cool place, but it falls into the very monkey-see monkey-do school of contemporary design. It looks like something I could get at Target, and may or may not be just as durable. (couldn't tell ya)

If you're curious to know what I think is a great example of an affordable structure that is elegant on so many levels, check out some of Isler's concrete domes. As far as I know, they're only in Switzerland, and I'm not sure if he (or his company) is around any more.

trick fall · January 24, 2006 9:07PM

That house is pretty cool, but I I really want the Z Series from this site

You can also check out some other cool companies here.

I would like to buy some property near my current summer house in upstate New York and put up a modern modular.

res · January 25, 2006 11:31PM

I am not impressed with the design of the KitHaus -- it is not very pretty and it is pricey to boot.

kishan · January 26, 2006 5:24AM

"Brazilian Hardwood"... like from the rainforest? And can you imagine how much it would cost to heat and cool something that has that much glass? Not very environmentally friendly if you ask me.

trick fall · January 26, 2006 8:49AM

Quote:

Not very environmentally friendly if you ask me.

That's actually something I really want to take into consideration if I ever build a house. I already wish they would give a tax credit for solar panels. I could probably power my weekend house just off of solar panels. I don't use that much electricity up there and it gets an amazing amount of sun.

splinemodel · January 26, 2006 11:43AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kishan

"Brazilian Hardwood"... like from the rainforest? And can you imagine how much it would cost to heat and cool something that has that much glass? Not very environmentally friendly if you ask me.

Who needs heating and cooling in SoCal?

bergz · January 26, 2006 4:42PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trick fall

I already wish they would give a tax credit for solar panels.

New York, NY, USA: Governor Pataki Signs Solar Tax Credit Bills

--B

anders · January 26, 2006 5:42PM

Right now I live in a cheap, good and central apartment (@800 sq.feet). Its cheap enough for me to stay in it while I am finishing college and if I go the Ph.D. route it is the perfect place for the next three years.

But I have considered building my own straw-bale house. The materials for such a house are pretty cheap and a lot of old techniques are being rediscovered these years. I have my eyes set on some sites not far from here. They were laid out as sites cheap "week-end cottage houses", but most people use them as their only home. If I sell my apartment it won´t take long before I would be debt free if I did go through with my plans. Having myown house, debt free, almost in the center of Copenhagen would be a killer

This is the center of Copenhagen

This is my apartment

And this is where my future house will be

Zoom in and out to see how close those locations are to eachother.

bergz · January 26, 2006 6:14PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anders

I have considered building my own straw-bale house.

I knew a German family that lived in a Yurt in the US. Very cheap. Whole fam fit in there.

BTW, Anders, is there any way to see how many ignore lists one's made it onto? I feel my messages get ignored.

--B

trick fall · January 27, 2006 12:56AM

Thanks Bergz I wasn't aware of that and am definitely going to have my accountant suss it out for me.

Way Cool Prefab Housing

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