Marmol Radziner in Joshua Tree: New Prefab Development
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
Before the comments come in, we know that second homes two hours away from LA in the middle of the desert are not the most sustainable things in the world and that nobody needs a second home. However, if you are going to have one, it might as well be drop dead gorgeous, designed by our faves Marmol Radziner, and "Designed for LEED certification, the two homes employ green designs and materials such as recycled steel frames, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), FSC-certified wood, low VOC Green Seal paint, and energy efficient appliances. Floor-to-ceiling windows capture natural light, while expansive decks provide shade for passive cooling and promote the best of indoor/outdoor living."
Most people who fall in love with prefab fall away when they start having to deal with buying land, dealing with zoning, building departments and lawyers, so the only way the modern prefab business will take off in North America is if one acts as or works with a developer to provide a complete turnkey package. Thus Marmol Radziner Prefab, who do not miss a trick, have tied up with real estate developer David Dixon to build and sell five houses under the banner Skyline Modern.
"I am excited to launch an entirely new type of desert community to buyers who are as passionate about modern design, sustainability and the great outdoors, as we are," says Skyline Modern CEO David Dixon. "We are proud to launch this unique real estate venture with the goal of bringing highquality modern living to a larger audience." ::Skyline Modern via ::Dexigner
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This prefab may be many things, but in my opinion, "drop dead gorgeous" it is not.
I like the steel construction and use of SIPs. Steel is highly recycled/recyclable, lasts forever, and has no toxic emissions in the home. SIPs have a vastly superior R rating compared to stick and bat. There is also very little waste at the construction site especially if the house is prefab.
I wouldn't relish living in the Joshua desert. Living without air conditioning would probably not be possible and it's such a long ways from anything. It's a shame about the building codes. It's more about preserving entitlements and discrimination against the less well off.
On the other hand there's plenty of sunshine in the desert.
A development could produce their own power with it's own Stirling Energy Systems dish. The cost per household would not be huge and would probably be more than offset by the cheapness of land in the desert.
I've been studying sustainable development for years (since Agenda 21). Just got an MPA with an emphasis in it. I love Treehugger and all the cool stuff in it, but like so many green organizations, you leave out the brown. The third component of the sustainability program is society, and this should include, more than anyone, brown people. This beautiful modular home, depicted on a lot that is worth close to a million bucks and is part of a fragile ecosystem that should be protected, joshua trees and all, doesn't do a damn thing for the urban core of our cities, where we really need green outreach, green education, green resources, green inspiration and energy green roofs, green infill, yada yada yada. These are the people who need this stuff, and the planet needs them. White folks need them. I get so sick of never ever seeing any brown minorities included in all this glamorous green. Wake up! They exist! They have money, if that's what it takes. And don't give me that "But they aren't interested" crap. Don't give me the excuse that poor people want to catch up to white wealth first, and can't be reached. That's what educaton and outreach are for. Start tasking all these fancy shmancy designers with targeting that market. Get people excited! Just because folks are poor and brown doesn't make them stupid. It's just a little harder to change the values and behaviors of those who have always, always, been left behind, if not left completely out. Come on Huggers!!!