LEED Platinum Boulder House First in US to Use German System

 

While a relatively new concept in the US, the German company Weberhaus has long been developing prefab house construction technology for 50 years. Designed by Studio H:T Architects the 2002 Alpine House in Boulder CO, is the first to use the state-of-the-art German system in the US. This new LEED Platinum home shows how high-scale design, sustainable principles and prefab can come together to create an attractive home. Additionally, some of the home’s most impressive features include a super-low energy requirement, a 9kW solar array and a host of other low impact features able to assuage the environmentally aware owners who were looking for the perfect $3.5 million pad built to last a hundred years.


The upscale residence is two stories of modular walls and ceilings, complete with windows doors, and electrical and plumbing set on an ICF base. Overall construction reported only 5% in waste materials, compared to the national average of 17%. The shell of the home has reduced the energy demand by 1/5th of the average home, but air quality is improved by low toxic material and fresh air exchange.

The 4,340 square feet interior is heated with a high efficiency boiler, lit with LED lighting, and finished in Earth Clay plaster. Water is heated through a solar thermal system and reclaimed as grey water. Outdoor and indoor spaces blend together beautifully, and the overall effect is a clean, highly refined modernist feel with a naturalist bent.

Dwell’s Super Minimalist Prefabs Make Small Living Swell

Dwelle’s Super Minimalist Prefabs Make Small Living Swell

by Yuka Yoneda

UK-based Dwelle has unveiled a brilliant set of prefabs that illustrate how small living is the new way to live big. With a tiny footprint (the bigger of the two is 253 sq. feet), understated modern design, and sustainable features like insulation made from 100% recycled newspapers, double glazed windows and the ability to achieve zero-carbon status, these sophisticated houses definitely are overcompensating for their small size — and we like it!

Recently, we were flabbergasted when a reader commented on Facebook that 700 square feet hardly seemed like enough room to live. True, some people might need more space, but there are plenty of perfectly livable tiny abodes – like Dwelle’s beautiful line of modern prefabs. Called the Big Dwelle.ing, the larger of the two models measures 6.7 meters by 3.5 meters (22×11.5 feet or 253 square feet) and costs around £35,000-£50,000 ($52,000-$75,000).
One thing we love about this prefab is that it can be clad in almost any material from timber to rubber, and it even has the option of being fully planted with foliage that will cover the whole structure in about 12 months. 253 sq. feet may not seem like a lot of room at all but look at how cavernous the interior feels! In a smart move Dwelle doubled the ceiling height over the main living area, giving the illusion of a much roomier space. The external timber louvres add spiffy detail to the exterior of the house while letting you control daylighting and shading

The smaller of the homes, named the Little Dwelle.ing is 4.9 meters by 2.65 meters (16×9.5 feet or 152 square feet) and costs around £20,000-£35,000 ($30,000-$52,000). Unlike its big sib, it’s meant to be more of a retreat, office or storage area than a main home, but it has almost all of the awesome features mentioned before. Just like in the Big Dwelle.ing, there is enough room for a bed that is lofted about the kitchen and main living area.
In addition to using FSC-certified timber, every Dwelle.ing has the ability to be fitted with renewable energy options that allow them to operate off-grid. The walls, floor and roof are insulated with cellulose fiber that is extracted from 100% recycled newspaper. The prefabs are heated by electric underfloor heating, and the windows are double glazed to further boost thermal performance. Plus, if you suffer from allergies or just want to live a healthier life in general, you’ll be pleased to know that all of the interior fittings and finishes are designed to improve air quality, health and general safety.

 

Shipping Container Pavilion Springs up in San Francisco Presidio

by Moe Beitiks

Here on Inhabitat we’ve brought you shipping containers arranged as homes, schools, observatories, and stacks of glory. While you may say you’ve seen every arrangement there is to be had, we say you need to check out this container trifecta by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects! Besides boasting the usual specs incorporating recycled materials, this award-winning angular building comes complete with a collection of art-homes made just for the local flora and fauna. An incredible forward-thinking exhibition pavilion built for Presidio Habitats in San Francisco, this design has just received a 2010 Design Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC). Read ahead to learn more about this site-specific project and the local wildlife it supports.

The Presidio is an army-base turned national park located within the San Francisco city limits. The park hosts a thriving, and in some cases, endangered collection of native flora and fauna. The For-Site Foundation invited a series of artists into the park to create installations that would be able to host its native neighbors. Design challenges included creating a race challenge for the elusive Black-tailed Jackrabbit, a series of ceramic nests for the Western Screech Owl, and a few bright yellow perches for humans from which they could view the Great Blue Heron. But these were only some of the proposed projects for Presidio Habitats, and the overall exhibition pavilion displays a number of other ideas from well known eco-designers such as Amy Franceschini to Michelle Kaufmann.
The site itself is aligned along the northern San Francisco coast framing a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and catching the maximum amount of natural light. The deck, flooring and outdoor seating have been made from surplus Presidio Cypress, harvested onsite through a reforestation program. The entire structure was built off-site and put into place with a crane to reduce impact . Visitors can watch exhibition videos and learn a little bit more about their native neighbors until 2011, when the exhibition closes.

 

The Signal Shed: A Modern and Micro Prefab Cabin

by Andrew Michler

This simple, but modern little cabin was recently featured in Sunset Magzine as a micro-hideaway in the woods. Designed by an enterprising couple with the desire for a getaway, the pair sought to build a small home with a very limited budget, but not at the price of short-handing the planning stages.  What resulted from their diligent efforts was an uncomplicated yet eye-catching design where accommodations have been programmed to take advantage of the fantastic views while also keeping a pleasing and proportioned form. A perfect addition for anyone looking to create some extra space, the Signal Shed is now being offered as a prefab, quick to plant in any choice of scenery.

Sitting on pier footings similar to a deck, the inside floor measures a scant 8 by 16 feet, for a total area of just 130 square feet. Heat to the interior is provided by a wood stove, and by placing a bunk over the small dining space, the total floor area is kept open. However, what keeps the space efficient is the over-sized 8 foot shed door which opens up to a small deck overlooking Oregon’s stunning Wallowa Lake – in effect extending the overall feel of the home’s scale. Movable screens cover the windows nicely, and a vertical weathered cedar screen contrasts beautifully with the natural boards lined horizontally on the veranda.

Read more: Signal Shed: A Micro Modern Cabin Prefab | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World 

Beautiful Bamboo Living Houses Take Two Days to Build

by Jorge Chapa

Our fascination with prefab buildings knows no bounds — but add bamboo to the mix and you’ve really got our attention. These two beautiful houses in Hawaii were recently built using bamboo as the main building material. The total construction time? Two days.

  

The Hawaiian houses were designed by David Sands of Bamboo Living Homes. The owners decided on Bamboo because it is lightweight, incredibly strong, and a rapidly renewable material. The company designed the houses, assembled them in Vietnam, and then shipped them to Hawaii to be set up on-site. The company has been building bamboo houses for 14 years, but these two were by far the fastest builds they’ve every assembled.
Sustainably-sourced bamboo is one of the best green building materials around. It’s as strong as timber, grows quicker, and looks fantastic. Combining this versatile material with prefab construction strikes us as a great green idea

Shipping Container Housing/ Building

Prefab Housing Pyramid Puts Students in a (Container) Box

by Jorge Chapa

From its modular modern design to its shipping container components, Olgga’s student housing complex struck us as a pitch perfect project for prefab friday. The French architecture firm designed the complex to be constructed from 100 repurposed shipping containers. Talk about putting your students in a box!

The project was developed for a contest promoted by the Centre régional des œuvres universitaires et scolaires (CROUS) of Haute Normandie (an administrator of student assistance in France. The contest challenged architects to explore creative designs for student housing complexes that utilize shipping containers, with the aim of creating the first such structure in the country.
Olgga came in second place with their design, which comprises 2,900 square meters and would cost around 4.5 million euros. Each container is a room for one student, complete with a study area, bathroom, and living room. For more amazing shipping container abodes, check out Flavorwire’s assortment here.
+ Olgga Architects

Beautiful Shipping Container Sunset Observatory Rises in South Korea

This beautiful sunset observatory made from recycled shipping containers was recently constructed in the harbor of Songdo New City in Incheon, South Korea. Designed and built by AnL Studio, “OceanScope” is a composed of five recycled containers, each one angled at a different height to provide 3 distinct views of the harbor.
             

Dominican Authorities Approve Container Cities For Haiti Housing Relief

Numerous disaster relief housing projects have been proposed to help in the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake last month, and while many of them seem workable, none (as of yet) will actually be implemented. But a new shipping container project designed by Richard Moreta and his team may change all that. Dominican Authorities just recently gave approval for Moreta’s “Container Cities” project, which utilizes a modular construction system along with recycled shipping containers, to be built in the Dominican Republic to supply housing for victims of the earthquake.
Read the rest of Dominican Authorities Approve Container Cities For Haiti Housing Relief

Stacked Shipping Container Medical Complex in Sudan

by Yuka Yoneda

You know how much we love shipping container architecture here at Inhabitat, and we get especially excited about buildings that contribute to the greater good of an area or community. Well, we couldn't have found a more shining example of that than this beautiful medical complex in Soba, Sudan. The breezy complex sits right near the Nile river around a courtyard of mango trees, and is constructed of discarded 90 ft x 20 ft containers taken right from the construction site of the adjacent Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery.

Designed by Italian firm, Tam Architecture, the idea for the complex was conceived when the architects noticed the leftover containers lying around the construction site and wanted to reuse them. Using them to provide the international staff of the cardiac center with a place to stay seemed like the perfect opportunity. The housing units are 20 sqm and consist of a bedroom, a bathroom and a small veranda on the court side. There is also a cafeteria which is made out of smaller 7 ft x 40 ft containers.
In addition to being fabricated out of shipping containers that were already at the site (no extra fuel costs or shipping emissions!), Tam took extra measures to make the complex energy-efficient. The containers are insulated with a layer system: 5 cm insulating panels on the inside and a second insulated roof and a bamboo brise soleil panel system on the outside, meaning that the sun’s rays never make contact with the containers. Solar panels supply hot water for the compound and an air conditioning system that utilizes photovoltaic panels and chilling machines has been tested for the complex.

InterModal Design Launches New Prefab Shipping Container Units

by Bridgette Meinhold

Although modular by design, shipping container architecture have mostly been executed by individuals or firms on a case by case basis. Now, InterModal Design, a subsidiary of Hive Modular, is changing the game with their newly launched line of prefab shipping container living units that you can order and have shipped right to you. The dwelling comes complete with a kitchen, living area that transforms into a bedroom and (in some units) a bathroom. The interiors are fairly spartan, but the intention is for these units to be affordable and capable of shipping anywhere.

InterModal Design was started after the co-founder of Hive Modular, Paul Stankey, built a shipping container cabin in Northern Minnesota for his family. After the success of their project, they felt confident they could provide a similar service to others looking for affordable and strong living units made from shipping containers.
There are currently six different designs available already – from basic 20 foot containers with the bare necessities to double wide container houses with two rooms. The current line focuses on auxiliary structures, but the design team is capable of drawing up more complicated structures with higher end finishings. As they say, “with shipping containers, the sky is the limit.” Check out their website for more details about their designs and contact them for a sheet on pricing.

Shipping Container Cities to Shelter 2 Million Haitians From Hurricanes

by Bridgette Meinhold

There's been a lot of disasters this year, but the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake has left the country in a dire state and with hurricane season approaching, 2 million people are without adequate shelter and living in tents. Relief in the form of shipping container housing is in progress, but help is still needed. Richard Moreta and his team, Green Container International Aid, who we covered back in February, have been working on securing a large number of used shipping containers for use in their Container Cities. Moreta recently sent us an email asking for support for the people of Haiti -- specifically he needs help amplifying his message to authorities, those in power or with business connections to donate shipping containers and help save lives. Please read on and spread the word!

 

Moreta and his team, Green Container International Aid, have been working non-stop to begin construction on their Container Cities. A pilot project has already begun in Jacmel, which lies along the Caribbean Sea, in the Southern part of Port-Au-Prince. They will start building emergency shelters as soon as they start receiving shipping containers, which can be quickly retrofitted into durable structures that can withstand the hurricane season. These basic structures will include new exterior paint, plywood floors, a Green Roof (geo-textile fabric, gravel layers, humus, vegetation), fabric covers over the top to protect them from the sun and collect rain water, a screen panel at the entry doors of the containers to provide for mosquito protection, and a foundation. After enough shelters have been provided for the victims, the homes can be further built-out and made more habitable.
Richard Moreta has recently been down to Haiti trying to secure shipping containers, determine the best ways to utilize them, and prioritize their efforts. The situation, as Moreta told us, is not good. Right now there are 2 million people living in tent camps, and when hurricane season starts in June, they will have no protection. Experts are predicting that a major hurricane landfall in Haiti is likely this coming season due to a weakening of El Niño, so hurricane-resistant shelters need to be constructed NOW in order to secure the safety of Haiti’s disaster-stricken population. On top of that, many Haitians are now terrified of concrete buildings, and many do not want to be inside for fear that another earthquake will demolish it with them inside. Seismologists also fear that those cracked buildings will not be able to withstand hurricane strength winds.

This is a call for help. Moreta and his team are asking for a MASSIVE DONATION of shipping containers from around the world to be shipped to Haiti. Hapag-Lloyd, the biggest container company in the world, has already donated 5 shipping containers to their efforts, but many more are needed. This is where we start the revolution and spread the word. If Betty White can get on Saturday Night Live through a Facebook group, then surely we can get other major companies (like Costco, Home Deport, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) to donate containers and have them shipped to Haiti. There are only 2 MONTHS left before the start of the hurricane season. The Green Container International Aid team has a solution in place, but they don’t have the containers. If you want to help the people of Haiti, spread the word, visit the GCIA Facebook page and help them in their quest to acquire containers!

Gorgeous Shipping Container Art Studio in New York

by Bridgette Meinhold

Wow! We knew that shipping containers could be used to build beautiful buildings, but this art studio by MB Architecture in Amagansett, New York is truly gorgeous. The artist had a limited budget of $60,000 to work with and wanted something close to home that was both functional as a working space, but would also be inviting and reflective. The exterior is kept very simply as the shipping container, but painted gray for a sophisticated look and a way to blend the container into the wooded environment. Inside, bright white walls act as a blank canvas for new artwork and ample daylighting streams in through the large windows on either end.

   

 

The foundation for the studio is built into the earth with 9′ walls and acts as the lower level and work space for the studio. Two 40′ (9′6″) high cube shipping containers were then set on top of the foundation to create a two-story double wide structure. About 75% of the floors of the containers were cut away to create the tall ceilings with lots of natural light flooding in from the high windows.
Next to the painting area on the lower floor is a large storage area and directly above on the top floor is another work area. The container wide staircase acts as a transitional and gallery space for artwork. Each of the two containers cost about $2,500 delivered. An amazing example of how beautiful shipping container architecture can be.