Modular Houses Get Boost from Katrina
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 7.07
Lee Celano for The New York Times
Blogs are agog about modular homes finding a place in the recovery of the Gulf coast from Katrina; the New York Times covered it earlier this week, with this picture of a vinyl clad house ridiculously perched up on stilts. We have always made the case that modular homes can be built better, more quickly and with less waste than conventional homes; I have also toured a factory near Austin where I was almost run over by a house, chain driven down the assembly line, with electricians running after it to try and get the wiring done; they are not always better quality than stick built. Like any inexpensive house it can have vinyl windows, vinyl flooring and vinyl siding, all materials we would prefer to never use again. Being modular doesn't keep it from having no proportion, banal design or fake shutters when real ones would be useful. Somehow, even if it is factory built, strong and windproof, this picture makes me queasy. ::New York Times and ::Inhabitat
Nu? It's a house. It looks like a house. Maybe people rebuilding want a house that says "home" to them, not "Look at me! I'm hip and avant garde!"
But it looks like they made it to be two stories. What's all that below the main floor? It looks pretty cool to me.
Why is this house considered to be "ridiculously perched up on stilts". Surely visual appeal is a matter of personal taste. Houses in the wet tropics of Australia are commonly built like this and I think they look elegant. It keeps houses above the floodwaters and it also allows for the free flow of air around the houses, making them quite energy efficient. The ground level area is ideal for storage or a workshop.
I totally agree with the comment about using vinyl though. We have to start getting smarter with our choice of building materials
I don't get whats so "ridiculous" about the homes being perched on stilts. Its alot better than having to gut or rebuild after it floods!
The design I have in mind for my home is a house on stilts. Granted, I don't wish to place a "traditional" house design up on stilts, but I'm not sure the one in the picture is so horrifying. In fact, with a few minor design touches, it could be a whole new style of house. The color is awful but with a more natural tone, I think it speaks to the tropics. I think one of the sad mistakes made in New Orleans is flatly ignoring the truth of their location. In small countries with a similar climate as New Orleans, houses on stilts are common.
In addition, like someone said, I love the airflow beneath the house, the shading, the ability to store one's car in the same footprint, the potential for passive cooling in that godawful hot city..
Ugly it may be but stilts should damn near be made mandatory for any house rebuilt in the 9th ward.