Modular
has been slow to catch on in many areas of the US. It has been long
confused and equated with mobile homes and viewed as somewhat shoddy
and bland. But over the past few years a number of architects are getting
in on the act, creating options that place an emphasis on modern sensibility,
aesthetics, and signature design. It’s creating quite a buzz.
This summer, the winner of a competition by Dwell magazine was shown
in North Carolina. It was designed by the NYC firm Resolution: 4 Architecture.
The architects, Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz, call their homes ‘Modern
Modular’. Each house can be constructed in a variety of configurations
from a variety of prefabricated, factory-produced, easy-to-transport
modules. The North Carolina home has a T shaped configuration - one
axis contains communal elements while the other axis consists of the
personal areas.
The highest percentage of modular construction is occurring in New
England, where 5 -10% of housing starts are modular. It has also been
popular in Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas, and the trend is now pushing
rapidly South and West. In Austin, Texas, Architects Christopher Robertson
and Chris Krager’s firm KRDB uses a design-build approach to
create relatively low-cost, award winning modernist homes – for
instance a 1400 square foot 3-bedroom, 2- bath home (including the
lot) for $155,000! Like numerous other successful firms, KDRB is planning
turning to a pre-fab format.
In California, the ‘Glidehouse’ created by Bay Area Architect
Michelle Kaufmann went on exhibition at Sunset Magazine headquarters
in May; the publicity resulting in a lot of interest and press. It
features multiple decks, sliding glass doors, lots of built-ins and
a passive solar design. It is currently manufactured in Canadian factories
and like the Modern Modular offers a variety of configurations. The
Glidehouse has one to four bedroom models with a 1340 square foot model
selling for around $160,000. Another California modular home called
the Swellhouse uses steel framing in a module that is 26 feet high.
Modular has also recently received positive notice in Europe. In Sweden,
Ikea sells ‘Live Smart’ prefab apartments. In Berlin, the
Loftcube, designed by Werner Aisslinger to be airlifted onto rooftops,
debuted this Summer, and will soon be introduced in Paris as well.
So how about modular and moveable? A Polish architect, Macin Panpuch,
has introduced the ‘Pod’ House, recently on view at an
exhibit of innovative housing by the Royal Institute of Architects
in London. His idea is that the home should be easily moved from one
location to another…but no, it’s nothing like a motorhome!
It’s a three-story sphere containing all the amenities of home,
and could even be floated on water.
Technology is making an impact on modular housing. Unitized construction
methods which fabricate components in a controlled environment, are
being billed as a way to create higher thermal performance and quality
details. Even many traditional on-site built construction projects
have begun incorporating pre-constructed elements.
Modular homes are 80% or more pre-built. That still leaves considerable
leeway in the final costs. These can vary depending on where it is
sited because of a lot of variables - local building codes, foundations,
etc… but modular homes can purportedly save as much as 50% over
stick-built and can take ½ or even less the time to complete.
This, in addition to the improved design and constructed quality, are
making them increasingly attractive to many demographics. On the negative
side, some of the savings can be negated by the cost of transporting
modules to the site, and like any other construction method, not all
modular construction is created with equal care or quality!
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