House RR, São Paulo by Andrade Morettin Arquitetos
The RR house in Sao Paulo by the Brazilian Andrade Morettin Arquitetos lies close to the sea in a humid climate surrounded with thick vegetation.
The quasi-industrial feel of the generous 220-square meter house is offset by the towering wall of greenery that surrounds it, and the inside-outside feel of a platform in the jungle is enhanced by the hammocks hung casually on the wooden frame.
A combination of full-height wooden and glass opening screens allow these compartments to become part of the main double-height living area, six meters high, which in turn can be opened up to the outside world. Pre-fabrication kept costs down and speeded up construction and means the entire structure sits lightly on its idyllic site.
Project7ten Millwood Avenue
Project 7ten Millwood Avenue is an example that engaging in environmentally conscious habits does not have to be expensive, difficult, or have a boring look and feel to it.
Solar panels are incorporated in the cutting edge design of the house that produces its own energy. It is built with numerous recycled materials, including insulation, concrete, counter tops, Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber, reuse rain water to irrigate landscaping, recycle Grey water, etc.; is surrounded by trees to provide shade in the summer and sunlight during the winter.
Zero House by Scott Specht Architects
Designed by Scott Spect Harpman uArchitects, the “Zero House” is a 200 square meters self dependent prefabricated “green” home. It generates its own electrical power, collects and stores rainwater, and processes all waste. Shipped to a site on two flatbed trailers, it can be field-erected in less than a day.
OUTin house by ecoMOD
ecoMOD is a collaborative research and design/build project at the University of Virginia School of Architecture focused on creating well-designed and well-built homes that cost less to live in, minimize damage to the environment, and appreciate in value.
Quik House by Adam Kalkin
The Quick House is three bedrooms and two bathrooms built in 2,000 square foot plan. This prefab is designed by Adam Kalkin and inspired from shipping containers. The basic kit comes with five modified containers witch you can modify such as a stainless steel kitchen with appliance and fireplace, mahogany door package, custom designed carpets…
At $76,000 it’s one of the cheapest and quickest prefab houses currently on the market.
Sport: a Scandinavian Prefab
The Sport is a prefab house designed by Maria Rutenskold, Johan Lionell and Jan Rustenskold. Some people call it the modern version of the classic weekend cottage. The particularity of this prefab house is that you have a large panoramic window in a great big open floor plan.
Thanks to its clean lines and its timeless character, this house blends as well in a seaside environment as in the country.
KitHaus
Kithaus is a perfect modular house that can be used as a studio of vacation. But the best thing about Kithaus is that you have the freedom to design the space any way you want because the modules are built with a patented MHS frame and clamping system. You have different modules tailor made which can be built like a jigsaw puzzle.
Studio 4601 Development Project
This prefab was designed by the students of Texas Tech University. With built forms, only forty percent of the site is occupied, the remainder is left to the public. The possibilities to change the layout are endless.
The project strives to connect the community with the residents in a seamless fashion. The proposed site development gradually moves from an extensive public park to be enjoyed by all, to the intimate confinements of overhead living space.
Baumraum Treehouses
I always dreamed of living in the trees. It’s not that I want to be a monkey, I just love to be surrounded by nature. When I was a kid, I thought the tree houses I built were the greatest in the world. That was until I discovered the ones that a German company called Baumraum builds. These are the most beautiful tree houses I’ve ever seen.
Australian Prefab By Andrew Maynard
I’ve been very excited by the modern prefab housing industry for some time now. The best designs and concepts I’ve seen lately come from an Australian designer, Andrew Maynard. He thinks that the production scheme of modern housing has to mimic the car industry. For him, prefab houses have to be well designed but also provide cheap housing. Maynard’s work makes the future look like a very nice place to live.
Hariri Pontarini Architects
The greater unifier of the spaces of this prefab house is the house’s exterior, a formidable assembly of teak window framing, copper detailing, and deliriously long, Algonquin limestone blocks: all enable the house to appear delicate and fortresslike at the same time. Living spaces anchor the center point from which the building’s two wings protrect. Yet what might otherwise be a bulky transition between zones is smoothed and unified by the use of gentle angles and curves: the roof slopes gradually upward over the gallery spaces and a corkscrew staircase connects the first and second levels.
