Prefabricated Houses is a directory of modern, modular homes and modern prefabricated homes. We provide images, data and contact information for many of the newest prefab home designers and builders. Here you can browse home designs, view images, and compare details for many prefab homes.
Building a prefab home is environmentally friendly. Prefabrication techniques reduce waste, offer energy-saving designs and improve manufacturing and construction efficiencies. More green thoughts; reduce your carbon footprint, recycle waste, and car donation.
Showing posts with label prefab house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prefab house. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Americans are moving on up to smaller, smarter homes
When architect Sarah Susanka remodeled her kitchen, she didn't use pricey granite or edgy concrete for her countertops. She used laminate. Her cabinets: Ikea.
"You can save thousands of dollars" by using simple materials in a well-designed space, says Susanka, author of the best-selling 1998 book The Not So Big House.
For more than a decade, she has urged people to build better, not bigger. Now, as the U.S. economy struggles to climb out of a tailspin and environmental concerns rise, her message has gone mainstream.
New homes, after doubling in size since 1960, are shrinking. Last year, for the first time in at least 10 years, the average square footage of single-family homes under construction fell dramatically, from 2,629 in the second quarter to 2,343 in the fourth quarter, Census data show.
The new motto: living well with less.
"There's a shift in the culture," says Susanka, whose new book, Not So Big Remodeling, helps homeowners use existing space better. She says the economy has forced people to rethink McMansions and focus instead on what they need.
Other architects agree.
"It's a return to common sense and what really matters," says architect Marianne Cusato, who designed the Katrina Cottage, a modular kit house for people who were displaced by the 2005 hurricane.
Cusato says the banking collapse last fall prompted her to co-design what she calls "The New Economy Home." In 1,500 square feet, it has three bathrooms, a half-bath and four bedrooms, one of which can be used as a rental unit. "It's a small house that lives large," Cusato says. She plans to begin selling the floor plan on her website as early as April.
"It's sad that it took a complete economic meltdown" for people to appreciate smaller homes, but at least something good can come from it, says Michelle Kaufmann, author of Prefab Green, published last month.
Kaufmann, a California architect who designs compact, factory-built, eco-friendly homes, says she's busier than ever because "these concepts are resonating on a mass level." One of her modern homes is on display in the backyard of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
She says new gadgets, such as the iPhone, have helped consumers see that bigger is not always better. Now, she says, "we want more out of less."
The shrinking dream
Kaufmann and others expect the shift in attitudes to persist even after the economy recovers.
"This will remain a trend. I don't expect this (home size) to come back up," says Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president of research for the National Association of Home Builders. Nine of 10 builders surveyed by NAHB this year say they're building or planning smaller, lower-priced homes than in the past.
"We don't need big homes," he says. "Family size has been declining for the past 35 years."
Home sizes tend to stagnate during recessions, says Kermit Baker, chief economist of the American Institute of Architects. He expects that when the economy recovers, many first-time or middle-income buyers may want more square footage than they can now afford.
Baker says plummeting home values, however, have caused many people to stop seeing houses as an investment but rather as a place to live. He says home-size declines probably will continue among high-end buyers, who began scaling back even before the recession.
Steve Alloy, president of Virginia-based Stanley Martin Homes, says he started seeing that shift a few years ago and as a result began offering smaller floor plans. In the past eight months, he has introduced two models that are each under 2,000 square feet.
In the Tucson area, Jeffrey Mezger says two-thirds of his houses that have sold in the past 90 days were less than 1,600 square feet.
"In these economic times, people are more practical," says Mezger, chief executive officer of KB Homes, one of the nation's largest home builders. He says consumers, who were hit by record gas prices last summer, are also more concerned about utility bills, so energy efficiency has become more important.
Two years ago, he says, the average KB house was about 2,400 square feet, which can easily accommodate four bedrooms and three bathrooms. He expects it could drop to 1,500 or 1,600 this year. In many communities, his models now start at 1,000 square feet. In Houston, KB Homes has an 880-square-foot house for $63,995.
"We could have gotten a bigger home" but chose instead better flooring, lighting, countertops and cabinetry, says Jennifer Kovatch, 24, an accounting manager. Next month in Corona, Calif., she and her fiancé are buying their first home. It has three bedrooms, not four. "We traded an extra bedroom for upgrades."
Carole Conley and her husband had $1 million to spend when they went house-hunting in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. They could have bought a 5,000-square-foot home but decided against it. "We're a couple looking to our elderly years," she says, adding they want a house that will be easy to maintain when they retire. So they're buying a well-designed 2,000-square-foot rambler and plan to add 700 square feet.
As an interior designer, Christine Brun sees a "complete reversal" from a decade ago. Now, she says, her clients are clamoring for less square footage, and manufacturers are responding with smaller furniture and appliances.
"You're almost unpatriotic to live so large," says Brun, author of Small Space Living, published last month. She says Baby Boomers want to downsize, and young eco-minded adults "don't care if they live in 500 square feet. They just want cool stuff."
Between those attitudes and a crashing economy, she sees big prospects for smaller houses: "It's like a perfect storm."
"The key to small homes is connectedness," Cusato says, adding that people don't need as much interior space for entertainment or exercise if they live near parks, shops or other people. "I grew up in Alaska, and we played outside all the time. We could walk everywhere in our neighborhood."
How to live well with less
For years as an adult, Cusato lived in New York apartments with less than 300 square feet. She says she lived outside, in her community, as much as inside, where she simplified her belongings. She told her family not to give her any more "tchotchkes."
"Build what you need. Build what inspires you," Susanka says. "Don't build to impress your neighbors."
As a best-selling author, Susanka could have built a grand home. She chose instead a 2,200-square-foot Cape Cod with a big front porch and "three perfectly proportioned" dormers on a lot that looks like country but is close to the airport, a good grocery store and a beautiful lake with walking paths.
"What more could we ask?" she writes in her new book. She later added 200 square feet for her office. She and her husband both work from home, so office space accounts for one-third of their square footage.
"I don't feel we need more space," she says. If designed right, she says, less space can work well. "There are lots of things that can be done without spending a lot of money," Susanka says.
She tells readers to think about how they really live and, if they feel they're short on space, to repurpose rooms that are rarely used, such as formal living and dining rooms.
She says rooms can and should do "double duty." If they still feel more space is needed, she says, often a small addition will suffice.
Susanka says the push to living smaller "at some point had to happen," because McMansions use more resources and are not environmentally sustainable.
"We're in the midst of a pendulum swing," she says. "What will come of this will be a more balanced home."
READERS: What's the square footage of your home? In how small of a space could you manage?
"You can save thousands of dollars" by using simple materials in a well-designed space, says Susanka, author of the best-selling 1998 book The Not So Big House.
For more than a decade, she has urged people to build better, not bigger. Now, as the U.S. economy struggles to climb out of a tailspin and environmental concerns rise, her message has gone mainstream.
New homes, after doubling in size since 1960, are shrinking. Last year, for the first time in at least 10 years, the average square footage of single-family homes under construction fell dramatically, from 2,629 in the second quarter to 2,343 in the fourth quarter, Census data show.
The new motto: living well with less.
"There's a shift in the culture," says Susanka, whose new book, Not So Big Remodeling, helps homeowners use existing space better. She says the economy has forced people to rethink McMansions and focus instead on what they need.
Other architects agree.
"It's a return to common sense and what really matters," says architect Marianne Cusato, who designed the Katrina Cottage, a modular kit house for people who were displaced by the 2005 hurricane.
Cusato says the banking collapse last fall prompted her to co-design what she calls "The New Economy Home." In 1,500 square feet, it has three bathrooms, a half-bath and four bedrooms, one of which can be used as a rental unit. "It's a small house that lives large," Cusato says. She plans to begin selling the floor plan on her website as early as April.
"It's sad that it took a complete economic meltdown" for people to appreciate smaller homes, but at least something good can come from it, says Michelle Kaufmann, author of Prefab Green, published last month.
Kaufmann, a California architect who designs compact, factory-built, eco-friendly homes, says she's busier than ever because "these concepts are resonating on a mass level." One of her modern homes is on display in the backyard of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
She says new gadgets, such as the iPhone, have helped consumers see that bigger is not always better. Now, she says, "we want more out of less."
The shrinking dream
Kaufmann and others expect the shift in attitudes to persist even after the economy recovers.
"This will remain a trend. I don't expect this (home size) to come back up," says Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president of research for the National Association of Home Builders. Nine of 10 builders surveyed by NAHB this year say they're building or planning smaller, lower-priced homes than in the past.
"We don't need big homes," he says. "Family size has been declining for the past 35 years."
Home sizes tend to stagnate during recessions, says Kermit Baker, chief economist of the American Institute of Architects. He expects that when the economy recovers, many first-time or middle-income buyers may want more square footage than they can now afford.
Baker says plummeting home values, however, have caused many people to stop seeing houses as an investment but rather as a place to live. He says home-size declines probably will continue among high-end buyers, who began scaling back even before the recession.
Steve Alloy, president of Virginia-based Stanley Martin Homes, says he started seeing that shift a few years ago and as a result began offering smaller floor plans. In the past eight months, he has introduced two models that are each under 2,000 square feet.
In the Tucson area, Jeffrey Mezger says two-thirds of his houses that have sold in the past 90 days were less than 1,600 square feet.
"In these economic times, people are more practical," says Mezger, chief executive officer of KB Homes, one of the nation's largest home builders. He says consumers, who were hit by record gas prices last summer, are also more concerned about utility bills, so energy efficiency has become more important.
Two years ago, he says, the average KB house was about 2,400 square feet, which can easily accommodate four bedrooms and three bathrooms. He expects it could drop to 1,500 or 1,600 this year. In many communities, his models now start at 1,000 square feet. In Houston, KB Homes has an 880-square-foot house for $63,995.
"We could have gotten a bigger home" but chose instead better flooring, lighting, countertops and cabinetry, says Jennifer Kovatch, 24, an accounting manager. Next month in Corona, Calif., she and her fiancé are buying their first home. It has three bedrooms, not four. "We traded an extra bedroom for upgrades."
Carole Conley and her husband had $1 million to spend when they went house-hunting in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. They could have bought a 5,000-square-foot home but decided against it. "We're a couple looking to our elderly years," she says, adding they want a house that will be easy to maintain when they retire. So they're buying a well-designed 2,000-square-foot rambler and plan to add 700 square feet.
As an interior designer, Christine Brun sees a "complete reversal" from a decade ago. Now, she says, her clients are clamoring for less square footage, and manufacturers are responding with smaller furniture and appliances.
"You're almost unpatriotic to live so large," says Brun, author of Small Space Living, published last month. She says Baby Boomers want to downsize, and young eco-minded adults "don't care if they live in 500 square feet. They just want cool stuff."
Between those attitudes and a crashing economy, she sees big prospects for smaller houses: "It's like a perfect storm."
"The key to small homes is connectedness," Cusato says, adding that people don't need as much interior space for entertainment or exercise if they live near parks, shops or other people. "I grew up in Alaska, and we played outside all the time. We could walk everywhere in our neighborhood."
How to live well with less
For years as an adult, Cusato lived in New York apartments with less than 300 square feet. She says she lived outside, in her community, as much as inside, where she simplified her belongings. She told her family not to give her any more "tchotchkes."
"Build what you need. Build what inspires you," Susanka says. "Don't build to impress your neighbors."
As a best-selling author, Susanka could have built a grand home. She chose instead a 2,200-square-foot Cape Cod with a big front porch and "three perfectly proportioned" dormers on a lot that looks like country but is close to the airport, a good grocery store and a beautiful lake with walking paths.
"What more could we ask?" she writes in her new book. She later added 200 square feet for her office. She and her husband both work from home, so office space accounts for one-third of their square footage.
"I don't feel we need more space," she says. If designed right, she says, less space can work well. "There are lots of things that can be done without spending a lot of money," Susanka says.
She tells readers to think about how they really live and, if they feel they're short on space, to repurpose rooms that are rarely used, such as formal living and dining rooms.
She says rooms can and should do "double duty." If they still feel more space is needed, she says, often a small addition will suffice.
Susanka says the push to living smaller "at some point had to happen," because McMansions use more resources and are not environmentally sustainable.
"We're in the midst of a pendulum swing," she says. "What will come of this will be a more balanced home."
READERS: What's the square footage of your home? In how small of a space could you manage?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The End of the Road for Modern Prefab? This Just Might Be The Beginning!
"I just wanted to say, like Monty Python in the bring out your dead skit, we ain't dead yet..."
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Prefabricated Steel Buildings - the Best Solution for your Money and Time
Prefabricated steel buildings are the sections of building which are manufactured in a factory, so that they can be easily transported to and rapidly assembled onsite to construct the buildings unit. In other words Prefabricated steel buildings are portable and ready-to-assemble architectural style steel buildings.
Now a day steel buildings are becoming more and more popular forms of construction and almost all type of building are getting built by using Prefabricated steel building frames.Prefabricated steel buildings can be for anything from a small simple structure to a complex framed office building. And there are numerous advantages of using Prefabricated steel buildings over convectional one, as they are quicker to construct, more durable and cost effective. Through this article we are highlighting these major benefits of Prefabricated steel building.
The steel structure of Prefabricated steel buildings ensures stability, strength, and durability. And make them strong enough to withstand earthquakes, cyclonic wind, heavy snowfall or rain. Even they are free to corrosion because of steel body which is rust resistant. Apart form this Prefabricated steel buildings are fire protected because of non combustible nature of steel. All these features make Prefabricated steel building a much durable building structure.
Prefabricated steel buildings are usually economical than normal buildings. Since they are Ready-to-Assemble Architectural structure, so just need to be assembled in a right way. These buildings can quickly and easily be assembled and erected by almost any person; hence reducing the labor costs and saves time.
Since Prefabricated steel building is the Ready-to-Assemble Architectural structure they are provided with panels and grooves to fit perfectly leaving no gap, thus helps in keeping the building insulated for external weather conditions. This insulation of Prefabricated steel building helps thermodynamically to keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter, and thus saving energy costs.
All the above aspects supports that the Prefabricated steel building is the champion in this industry. With advancements in the industry, Prefabricated steel buildings have broken all the previous records and are being used diversely in almost complex applications. Its strong modular steel builded prefabricated steel structure allows getting the best building at the cheapest cost and in the least possible time which proves to be the winning combination for your money and time.
Now a day steel buildings are becoming more and more popular forms of construction and almost all type of building are getting built by using Prefabricated steel building frames.Prefabricated steel buildings can be for anything from a small simple structure to a complex framed office building. And there are numerous advantages of using Prefabricated steel buildings over convectional one, as they are quicker to construct, more durable and cost effective. Through this article we are highlighting these major benefits of Prefabricated steel building.
The steel structure of Prefabricated steel buildings ensures stability, strength, and durability. And make them strong enough to withstand earthquakes, cyclonic wind, heavy snowfall or rain. Even they are free to corrosion because of steel body which is rust resistant. Apart form this Prefabricated steel buildings are fire protected because of non combustible nature of steel. All these features make Prefabricated steel building a much durable building structure.
Prefabricated steel buildings are usually economical than normal buildings. Since they are Ready-to-Assemble Architectural structure, so just need to be assembled in a right way. These buildings can quickly and easily be assembled and erected by almost any person; hence reducing the labor costs and saves time.
Since Prefabricated steel building is the Ready-to-Assemble Architectural structure they are provided with panels and grooves to fit perfectly leaving no gap, thus helps in keeping the building insulated for external weather conditions. This insulation of Prefabricated steel building helps thermodynamically to keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter, and thus saving energy costs.
All the above aspects supports that the Prefabricated steel building is the champion in this industry. With advancements in the industry, Prefabricated steel buildings have broken all the previous records and are being used diversely in almost complex applications. Its strong modular steel builded prefabricated steel structure allows getting the best building at the cheapest cost and in the least possible time which proves to be the winning combination for your money and time.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
How Prefabricated Houses Work
Manufactured houses often get a bad rep. There's nothing like getting stuck behind a truck hauling half a house to get the jokes rolling. And "trailer-trash" is part of the modern vocabulary. However, just as Starbucks redefined coffee and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" redefined game shows, "prefab" modules are redefining assembly-line houses. Those who favor them tout benefits like smaller price tags, better construction, increased environmental benefits and quicker move-in times. Prefabs are growing in size, too. They're no longer two-room cottages without indoor plumbing; modular houses can grow to thousands of square feet with multiple stories and basements. The prefab industry is expected to top $10 billion in 2007, according to money-zine.com. Plus, since Hurricane Katrina, prefab houses have gotten a boost as more attractive and sturdier alternatives to FEMA trailers.
The assembly of a prefab house is based on the same concept as that of a car. Just as Henry T. Ford's production method for the Model T made cars affordable for the average consumer, assembly-line production and bulk buying drive down the cost and construction time for prefabricated homes. Prefabricated homes have evolved over the years and now come in many varieties and with lots of extras. Just as you can add a satellite radio or heated seats to your car, you can add hot tubs and crown molding to your modular home. Welcome to the world of prefab.
But what exactly is a prefab house? How are the pieces constructed and assembled? How much money does it take to get a house on a plot of land? And what kind of instructional manual comes with the ultimate model kit?
But what exactly is a prefab house? How are the pieces constructed and assembled? How much money does it take to get a house on a plot of land? And what kind of instructional manual comes with the ultimate model kit?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Prefabricated Buildings
Prefabricated Buildings are manufactured off-site in standard portions and later shipped and assembled at the target location. The main attributes of these buildings are that they can be assembled very fast without the hassles of site-built construction. Not only they are cheağ, but also provide greater flexibility in design. They can even be moved from one location to another, if required. They are made of assorted materials like aluminum, wood, steel, fiberglass or concrete, so as to provide security and durability. Be it a single small room or a huge sprawling factory, Prefabricated Buildings can be easily opted for.
Prefabricated Buildings include both mobile trailers and modular structures. They can be put together inside an already constructed building. In exceptional cases, they can even be assembled on a non-concrete base. No wonder Prefabricated Buildings have been found very useful for disaster-struck areas, where immediate temporary structures need to be erected for shelter and provisions. Even earthquake-prone areas prefer to have these Prefabricated Buildings, since they are lighter in weight and lesser in cost. And if for some reason a building is required for only a very short period, then it is viable to go in for a prefabricated structure. Lot of structures, like schools, apartments, retail outlets, office space, fast food joints, guard booths, gate houses, toll booths, equipment enclosures, smoking shelters, sports arenas, observation towers, ticket booths, parking booths, storage buildings, dairy facilities, equestrian buildings, hobby areas and military establishments are frequently made using prefabricated technology.
Prefabricated Buildings can be assembled very quickly, sometimes in a few hours. They come with different facilities, including electrical wiring, doors, shelves, windows, bulletproof windows and climate control systems. Most of the manufacturers provide many years’ warranty against structural damage, leakage, and wind loads. They can even be made in multiple stories. One can select the wall panels, frames and columns, flooring, ceiling, doors and windows. Over and above these, they are available in various color schemes.
But there are a few disadvantages of Prefabricated Buildings. They are likely to depreciate more quickly than site-built homes since they are not very popular yet. Also, the look and feel of Prefabricated Buildings does not offer the diversity of a building constructed on site using traditional methods.
Most of the Prefabricated Buildings are sold by dealers, but some manufacturers can directly sell them. From wherever you buy, check the manufacturer's reputation, get in touch with references and ask them about their experience. It is best to take quotations from multiple suppliers before finalizing your order.
Prefabricated Buildings include both mobile trailers and modular structures. They can be put together inside an already constructed building. In exceptional cases, they can even be assembled on a non-concrete base. No wonder Prefabricated Buildings have been found very useful for disaster-struck areas, where immediate temporary structures need to be erected for shelter and provisions. Even earthquake-prone areas prefer to have these Prefabricated Buildings, since they are lighter in weight and lesser in cost. And if for some reason a building is required for only a very short period, then it is viable to go in for a prefabricated structure. Lot of structures, like schools, apartments, retail outlets, office space, fast food joints, guard booths, gate houses, toll booths, equipment enclosures, smoking shelters, sports arenas, observation towers, ticket booths, parking booths, storage buildings, dairy facilities, equestrian buildings, hobby areas and military establishments are frequently made using prefabricated technology.
Prefabricated Buildings can be assembled very quickly, sometimes in a few hours. They come with different facilities, including electrical wiring, doors, shelves, windows, bulletproof windows and climate control systems. Most of the manufacturers provide many years’ warranty against structural damage, leakage, and wind loads. They can even be made in multiple stories. One can select the wall panels, frames and columns, flooring, ceiling, doors and windows. Over and above these, they are available in various color schemes.
But there are a few disadvantages of Prefabricated Buildings. They are likely to depreciate more quickly than site-built homes since they are not very popular yet. Also, the look and feel of Prefabricated Buildings does not offer the diversity of a building constructed on site using traditional methods.
Most of the Prefabricated Buildings are sold by dealers, but some manufacturers can directly sell them. From wherever you buy, check the manufacturer's reputation, get in touch with references and ask them about their experience. It is best to take quotations from multiple suppliers before finalizing your order.
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