At first glance, the exterior of Blu’s new Lofthouse appears to be a simple box, but that’s just what they were after when they designed this new eco-friendly prefab. According to Maura McCarthy, Blu Homes’ co-founder and VP, sales and marketing, “The charming exterior of the traditional version of the Lofthouse is reminiscent of a New England barn-style home, complete with Colonial-style windows and shutters. The more modern version does away with shutters and expands the windows to provide an uninterrupted view and a true indoor/outdoor living experience.”

But it’s what’s inside that may impress the most:

• proprietary structural steel frames allow for high ceilings
• gorgeous open spaces and generous natural light
• steel construction’s strength withstands high snow loads, seismic activity and high winds
• also fire, mold and termite resistant
• 50% energy savings over comparably-sized existing homes
• homes are put up on-site in 1 day and completed in just 2 weeks

The Lofthouse prefab design can be built to suit – either 2, 3 or 4-bedrooms and 3 baths.  All come with dramatic 2-story living room. Up for it? Be prepared to plunk down a minimum of $355,000 (plus lot).

I prefer the aesthetics of either their Glidehouse or Breezehouse eco-friendly prefabs, designed by Michelle Kaufmann of mkDesigns, whose work is available exclusively through Blu Homes.

Related: green building previously on altCon.

The one+ småhuse, designed by Lars Frank Nielsen, a principal of the Danish design firm ONEN Design, is an inexpensive summerhouse created for the Swedish company Add-A-Room. In it’s basic configuration this modular home occupies approximately 15 sq meters. Arranging several modules in a Lego-like manner can result in a number of larger buildings and design variations.

The durable prefab modules are constructed primarily of locally sourced Scandinavian materials that require minimal maintenance. The thin outer paneling is made from Super Wood – a Danish building material that utilizes Swedish spruce in an process that involves no heavy metals.

The modules are equipped with energy efficient windows and doors, and a pergola that provides shade from the sun.

via: mocoloco

British design and architectural firm dRMM created Naked House as a prototype for a sustainable, affordable, CO2 responsible, prefabricated timber home.

The 3-bedroom cookie-cutter home is designed to be erected anywhere in the world where there is road or sea access, and delivered as a flat pack in a standard container. The container would then form the structure’s base, elevating the house off the ground by the height of the container. The container can also be utilized as a storage unit, garage or boathouse. The nomadic Naked House is designed to be dismantled, repacked into the container, and moved to a new site anytime (you will need a crane).

The house can be manufactured in a hyper-efficient, streamlined process from a cut-out diagram. All the walls and components are numbered elements – including door and window openings – digitally pre-cut from cross-laminated timber panels made from fast growing soft woods. The components of the 3 dimensional jigsaw puzzle are secured by super-long screws. It’s estimated the home can be assembled by four people with the help of a small crane in two days.

dRMM, an innovative London-based studio of architects and designers, was founded by Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan in 1995.

This site-assembled Aussie prefab is a perfect small-footprint solution for those exploring living an Outback lifestyle or in need of a backyard studio.

Designed and created by architect Craig Chatman, ARKit features exterior cladding made of underutilized, short length timber. The prefab design also features all-in-one panel walls that are factory built, complete with insulation, cladding and internal lining. The modular manufacturing process is low waste and efficient – making on-site construction a breeze.

The various configuration of ARKit range from backyard office or studio to multiple bedroom designs.

All of which require little site work (can be installed with no formal foundation), easy construction (factory prebuilt), and feature natural cedar siding that can be left with its natural finish and allowed to age to a classic grey patina.  Customization is possible with rainwater capture systems, solar panels and various other energy-saving features available.

Sometimes the shape of the building lot dictates the shape of a home. This cool looking site-built home, designed by California-based Office of Mobile Design, is a manifestation of OMD’s SwellHouse design. The prefab’s construction features a modular grid of exposed steel columns and beams that create 3,130 sf of graciously open live-work space.

The SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) system of prefabricated wall and roof panels provides this hacienda with modular structural stability, plus thermal and acoustic insulation. The SIP panels were assembled remotely, trucked to the site, and set in place manually.

This home is separated into two buildings – the main house, and a garage with a second floor recording studio. The two structures frame a courtyard. Two existing mature palm trees, and the small lot’s setbacks determined the placement of the structures.

Ceilings are high and the steel ‘I’ beams are exposed on the interior. The home’s rectangular shape and framing allow for plenty of sliding glass. A radiant tube heat system warms the concrete floor at the first floor.

We’ve been following eco and prefab design specialist Michelle Kaufmann as well as green design firm, Blu, over the years and we’re happy to see that Blu’s expanding…Today, BluHomes, Inc. (www.bluhomes.com) just opened doors to their new office in San Francisco and introduced its West Coast team.  Paul Warner, former president of Michelle Kaufmann Designs, and new creative director for Blu’s mkDesigns line, will head-up the West Coast design team.

Blu also today announced that it has launched a new web address for its recently redesigned mkDesigns website, www.mkdesigns.com.  The mkDesigns Glidehouse was re-launched in August 2010 and the first Glidehouse since Blu acquired mkDesigns is scheduled to be delivered to Washington state in spring of 2011.  The firm’s forthcoming design, Breezehouse, created in partnership with Sunset Magazine, is pictured above.

source: prnewswire

Related:  previously on altCon
Michelle Kaufmann finds new Blu home

The Big Sur PreFab, created by Jennifer Siegel and Office of Mobile Design, rests high-up amidst 217 acres of California mountain wilderness.  The self-sufficient residence is designed to be independent and connected to the surrounding landscape.

The folded standing seam metal roofline provides an armature to enhance the productivity of the home’s twenty solar PV panels and two solar thermal panels while also creating passive shading from the southern sun.

The 2150 square foot, 2-story home is constructed with structural insulated panels (SIPs). The prefab was created via a process that produced less material waste, a faster construction cycle, a tighter building envelope, green finishes and higher insulating properties – green building features that resulted in a lower total life-cycle cost of the home.

The first floor utilizes an open layout that emphasizes the strong relationship between the indoor living/kitchen/dining/reading space with the outdoor patio and garden.  The 12 ft high second floor includes two bedrooms connected by a master bathroom and studio/office facing North (great natural light).

Other green details: LED lighting fixtures, penny cork flooring, reclaimed colored wood planking for the master bed’s headboard/closet wall and a salvaged clawfoot bathtub.

The sloping terrain of British Columbia inspired the concept of modular home-builder, PreFabulous Homes’ The Waterfall house – a three-tiered prefab home designed to cascade down a hillside.

Each of the 2,600 square foot home’s three levels features a green roof designed to both beautify the home and reduce run-off and erosion of the hillside from the area’s frequent rains.  As in all of the company’s EcoFabulous line of prefabricated homes, recycled materials are used in counter-tops and tile work.

Homes are fully customizable and can feature an energy efficient Hydronic heating system that provides radiant heat and hot water; energy efficient lighting and appliances; low VOC paints; and recycled paper kitchen cabinetry.  Prefab manufacturing and modular home design, speed up the construction process while greatly reducing manufacturing waste.

Sleek, sexy, simplicity.  New Zealand’s Andre Hodgskin Architects originated the bachkit design, a concept they refer to as ‘organic architecture’.  The accompanying pictures feature bachkit’s latest TOTAL bachkit home.

Bachkit’s philosophy states that purchasing a new modular home should follow a similar process as purchasing a new car. Make your choices of options and customizations and they’ll do the rest — handing you the keys to your low impact modern home after a 12-week construction schedule.  Simplicity, flexibility, and sustainability are all features of bachkit’s approach.

Designs take advantage of New Zealand and Australia’s climate by creating generous surrounding decks and a flow that maximizes indoor-outdoor living, comfort and views.  Whatever the climatic conditions, the sliding glass and aluminum louvre shutters mean year-round flexibility.

Some customizable, eco-friendly features:

more info @ bachkit

Garrison Architects creates their green modular home designs from their DUMBO studio in Brooklyn, NY.  Their ‘Red Hook Zero Modular’ design (pictured above) features wind and solar installations, energy-efficient HVAC and appliances.  The 4,000 square foot home/office which is designed to be a net zero energy building (ZEB), is expected to be completed in late summer 2010.

The small footprint ‘Tread Lightly’ prototype (above) was created for an environmentally sensitive location next to wetlands.  The structure is envisioned as a prefabricated, factory-built modular home to reduce cost and facilitate rapid production.  Sheep are extra.

The ‘Koby Cottage’ (above) was designed and created for use by visiting families and children at the Starr Foundation located in Albion, Michigan.  The prefab modular plan features two intersecting diagonal axis centered around the dining room table – a traditional family meeting place.  The home’s weld factory-built frame features large windows and a roof deck to provide extensive exposure to nature and the environment.