Latest Stories in Modular Design - Page 13
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Quote of the Day: New Republic on Modern Prefab
Just as the industry goes into the tank, there has been a veritable outpouring of words about modern prefab. Recently we read Architectural Record on Green Prefab; now we have Sarah Williams Goldhagen with a long article
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Live the Box Competition: Housing from Shipping Containers
There are a lot of shipping containers sitting around Newark, New Jersey; AIA Newark and Suburban and the Young Architects Forum put on a competition to figure out how to use them for multiple
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Architectural Record on Green Prefab
Every issue of Architectural Record comes with a long, dry article that you get professional development points for if you survive to the end. The
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PACO Packs A Lot Into a Little
PACO is a tiny little cube, only 3 meters square (just slightly bigger than the Micro Compact Home) but complete with everything you need. It can hook up to the established service infrastructure or stand on its own with solar, wind, water recycling
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Kokage House Built from Tree-Shaped Parts
"Kokage" means shade of a tree. Hirokazu Suemitsu and Yoko Suemitsu of SUEP have designed a house built from structural partitions that spread out like a tree to carry a canopy that acts as the roof. Each "tree" also is part of the mechanical system of
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Homeless Chateau: A Little Privacy
In New York City a lot of artists live in warehouses, almost in boxes; James Westwater tries to make it greener and more comfortable with his Homeless Chateau. It is designed to be used inside, but provides some privacy
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Thoughts on Clayton's i-house
When Warren Buffet bought Clayton Homes in 2003 I was still working in the prefab biz; Punching well above my weight, I sent him an email about the business case for a mobile home manufacturer doing well designed
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1947: The Acorn House Unfolds
While writing the obit for Empyrian Homes I alluded to the original Acorn house, describing it briefly and noting that Acorn founder John Bemis put it together with Architect Carl Koch. I could find little information, other than references to a Life
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Floating Hotel Opens Near Gothenburg
Here it comes, a 46 bed year round hotel to be anchored next to the famous Salt & Sill Restaurant in Gothenberg, Sweden.
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Archigram Redux: More Ideas From the Sixties Are Fashionable Again
TreeHugger has referred to Archigram, the group of British Architects and students out of the AA (Architectural Association School) that came up with plug-in cities, walking cities, blow-up cities and other ideas
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Boutique Hotel Built From Airstream Trailers
The Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa just added a rooftop trailer park, with each classic Airstream customized by local artists. PSFK writes that "Each of the polished chrome trailers sleep two people, and are embellished with design themes
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Bright Built Barn is Built, Bright and Beautiful
Perhaps I should just rename these design posts the "Jetson of the Day" since I am getting so many from Preston at Jetson Green. Back in September he introduced us to the Bright Built Barn; Now
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Acorn/ Deck/ Empyrean Born 1947 Died 2008
After World War II, many designers tried to apply the techniques developed for wartime industry to housing; Fuller with the Dymaxion House and the Lustron houses were attempts in steel; in 1947 Acorn structures tried it in wood. Their
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Cabin Kits from Copeland Casati
I find it interesting that so many women have become leaders in the prefab movement. Pioneers were Jennifer Siegel, Rocio Romero and Michelle Kaufmann (this year's Residential Architect of the Year). Two years ago we were
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Less is More: Sheds For Living
Richard Frankland of Manchester's FKDA has developed a small but complete little housing unit that is much more than a shed. "The idea of creating such a small living environment came from the growing reports of people being forced from their homes
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Container Housing Jumps the Shark
Mocoloco tells us: The 2+ Weekend House is a container house with a difference - it's made with containers manufactured expressly for housing (vs. cargo containers). "As opposed to the other container projects, which mostly feed on the excess of
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Reaction Housing Stacks Up Against Trailers
In the prefab biz there is always the tradeoff between modular, where one has to ship a lot of air at great cost but it is delivered almost complete, and flatpack, where shipping is much cheaper because one can pack more units in a smaller space, but
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Green Temporary Showroom by Vector Architects
It is a sort of showroom for a residential project, the likes of which are often built and then thrown away. This one is designed for easy demolition and recovery after use.
