Green Modular Homes?

[TheAllusionist]

Thought I would share this site, it is kind of a commercial for the company, but it is a cool concept and worth sharing:

LivingHomes


Here is another similar company:

ecospace-architecture, naturally.

How about cardboard houses:

Houses of the Future

Modular homes:

Modular

[TheAllusionist]

Now this one, I didn't no about and it is from the city I live in. Check out cargo container homes.

Hybrid Seattle

[Jake]

Originally Posted by TheAllusionist

Thought I would share this site, it is kind of a commercial for the company, but it is a cool concept and worth sharing:

LivingHomes


Here is another similar company:

ecospace-architecture, naturally.

How about cardboard houses:

Houses of the Future

I had a big fight with a guy about the Living Homes project. It received a Platinum LEED rating. I think that is a first for a residence and Platinums are far an few between. The guy I was fighting with was telling how much BS the LEED thing was and that he could do better and that it was a totally crappy project. I disagreed and a battle ensued.

I like it. It cost an arm and a leg but it's a living lab for modern residential sustainability. Beautifully done and a good example of what can be done.

I have a forum friend, Greg La Vardera, that has nice container design homes proposal he put together for a competition. Here's the page.

LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog: IBU modular houses

Here's a cool youtube video about a place called Container City.

YouTube - Shipping Container Homes by Container City

YouTube - Shipping Container Homes by Container City

The EcoSpace House is really cool. My wife and I are going to build a two-person shelter in out backyard as a place to escape from the kids. I'm going to try to work under the zoning restrictions for storage sheds so I don't need a permit. Could be interesting to design something like that. There are lots of companies making these things now.

I have some links somewhere. I'll grab them and post them later in another thread.

[Jake]

While not modular, you can't have a recycled green shelter conversation without mentioning the work of Rural Studio, the brainchild of the now deceased Samuel "Sambo" Mockbee.

This is from the Rural Studio history page:

In 1993, two Auburn University architecture professors, Dennis K. Ruth and the late Samuel Mockbee, established the Auburn University Rural Studio within the university’s School of Architecture. The Rural Studio, conceived as a method to improve the living conditions in rural Alabama and to include hands-on experience in an architectural pedagogy, began designing and building homes that same fall. Professors Mockbee and Ruth sought funding to begin the studio and, through the years, it has received additional funding which has helped it become what it is today: a vision of a process to make housing and community projects in one of the poorest regions of the nation.

The students who attend the Rural Studio expand their design knowledge through actually building what they have designed. Utilizing the concept of “context-based learning,” the Rural Studio asks the students to leave the university environment and take up residency in Hale County, Alabama. In doing so, the student joins a poverty-stricken region and “shares the sweat” with a housing client who lives far below the poverty level. The goal of this exercise is to refine the student’s social conscience and to learn first-hand the necessary social, cultural and technological concepts of designing and building. This exercise requires the collaboration of the practicing architect.

http://www.ruralstudio.com/

A Flicker set of a few of the homes:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanalof...lstudio/page2/

The stuff that Rural Studio did was really cool because most of it was built by students with recycled or repurposed materials. One house used recycled carpet samples that you see all over the place in any architectural/interior design business. Look closely at the walls.

http://cadc.auburn.edu/soa/rural%2Ds...jects_lucy.htm

[TheAllusionist]

Very nice posts with great info and links with strong architectural value and significance. Also cool to see someone passoniate about it sharing background information as well as an opinion.

LEEDS system, you could argue that it is a points system catering to industry to some extent, but first and foremost, it is a system in place making a difference in our world and shaping the way things are done. Maybe something better will come along, but for now at least there is something.

The younger generation will have no problems with the green movement, the older generations have to adapt to the concept which takes a bit of effort.

[neil]

It is a great thread and to me it is one of the best thread. Lots of informations and nice conversations going on. Thanks to Russell and Jake.
Here I am posting a link. This is not very releted with this thread but I found it is very interesting site. We had made this site may be 1 year ago. Here you can go to room planer button where you can get a 2D drawing and arrange the objects as you like.
Here is the link:
ATTITUDE

[TheAllusionist]

Yet some more:

Micro Home

Office of Mobile Design

[Jake]

You could create an entire village overnight using the Micro Home. Very nice. All these modular home designers always park a Smart Car outside too! The illustration with them clustered and cascading down a mountain side is pretty cool. I would like to see that for real.

Thanks for the Office of Mobile design site. Had not seen that one before.

[d.sign]

Hey, seem that I missing some serious discussion here... I need to prepare to step in... so far I am very much impressed... not my area, but I am gratefull to you guys for pointing out another dimension of architecture, and very important one... very interesting sources... thanks...
Personally, I am more interested in sociall and economical aspect of architecture, and its realation to aesthetic dimension, but this theme is also very intereting and somehow related to it...
I do not know how someone can say that livinghomes is crappy project... it is obviously very well thaught out and executed... if nothing else...

[Jake]

Originally Posted by d.sign

Personally, I am more interested in sociall and economical aspect of architecture, and its realation to aesthetic dimension, but this theme is also very intereting and somehow related to it...

Well, then you must surely be interested in the work of the Rural Studio. Doesn't get much more social or economic than the work of the Auburn students, albeit at a very small scale.

Do you have any examples that you can show us to help illustrate your point?