Small Lot Prefab From Resolution 4
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
When we last looked at a modern prefab from Resolution 4, we got a particularly loud round complaints about it being a big second home and therefore not very green. Visiting Joe Tanney in his New York office, I asked if he had anything small, green and urban that I could show and not take so much abuse?
Joe explained that while they build their work in a factory to get the advantages of prefabrication, they act as traditional architects, designing for particular clients' budget, site and needs. Their projects therefore cover a wide range of sizes and degrees of green-ness, because everyone is different.
They have done a small house in the Bronx recently that is still hush-hush, but Joe did show me a 1750 square foot house for an artist that was built on a 20 foot wide lot in Long Beach, New York.
There is a pedestrian right-of-way across the property but unusually, it does not extend vertically. Therefore the ground floor is very tightly designed,
While the second floor can extend over the right-of-way.
The house as a ground source heat pump for heating and cooling, and photovoltaic panels on the solar canopy providing shelter on the roof.
We caught a short interview with Joe about the house.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Stair of the Week: Clayton St House by Mork-Ulnes Design
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- A Clean Break: Modern Prefab Comes to Philadelphia
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What are the real advantages of prefab?
@Ross
Oh that's just Lloyd. He's confused TreeHugger with an architect's blog. He'll figure it out one day that he's on the wrong site...
The real advantage is one of publicity, as they are very fashionable right now :)
Prefab is appealing as it seems like you should be able to do to houses, what has been done to almost ever other sector of manufacturing - cheap mass production. Prefab should be much cheaper and greener, as the building is assembled en mass in a factory and then bolted together on site, minimizing labour cost and waste. However, real-world factors, like shipping large sections of buildings across town or country, preventing plaster/sinks/glass from cracking during transport, or the inaccuracies of manufacturing have kept most prefabs as nice ideas, but economic dead ends.
Some will someday, make the IKEA house, flat packed and ready to assemble that is cheaper than a standard stick built one. Sears used to sell house kits that were perhaps a precursor to prefabs. But a walk around most job sites reveal a well oiled assembly machine that is very flexible and cheap, makes that day somewhere in the future.
The NYTimes.com had an article a couple of years ago on a prefab house, and even though they liked the project, they confessed that the cost was higher than a site built project.
"What are the real advantages of prefab?"
Less waste and better recycling of that waste as opposed to dumping it all in a big roll off and landfilling it.
From a non-green standpoint, the on site time is significantly reduced, which can be an advantage as it gets the house weather tight quicker.
any information on the house in the bronx? pics?
I retract my comment.
Considering I live out by the Hamptons, and from what I can see is that this house still will cater to the rich. I'm guessing from what I gathered from the video-clip is that this house will be built on (Dune) road. If anyone is familiar with dune road its basically multi-million dollar mansions stacked on top of each on a lot similar in size to the one this architect is discussing. These homes are summer homes, only used 3 months out of the year and then abandoned for 9 months. Do I think this a good concept no way!!! Why not solve some middle to low income housing, with an emphasis on the environment.
Prefab works environmentally - out west they are called modular homes. Green prefab works even better. The prefabs we mostly see from architects, however, are aiming for art not the mundane, daily housing needs of regular folks. Not making a value judgment here, tho. As a green builder I'm next tackling affordable green homes that middle and lower middle class folks would want. High end is nice to showcase one's skills but humanity also needs simple, environmentally friendly and more *affordable* housing. Maybe there's some trickle down we can get from the latest prefab trend?