Want to feel the spring breeze? Slide that wall out of the way.
Have an unused room draining resources? Detach it.
Prefabricated modular homes can lead in sustainability by
maximizing space flexibility and incorporating green design — and
they cost about the same as conventional buildings.
Worldchanging.com
(Oct. 30, 2005) features a number of these updated
double-wides.
Our favorites:
The Lovetann modular home is a dream for those
who love control; its customizable options foster owner-builder
collaboration. Walls fit onto an adaptable framework, so the house
expands and contracts with the needs of the owner. Each futuristic
home comes with built-in appliances and electronics, and options
include rooftop gardens, solar panels, and organic food delivery.
The Norwegian firm is partnering with architects and designers to
make its homes available worldwide.
EcoMOD is the University of Virginia’s
sustainable answer to a lack of affordable housing. By 2009
students and faculty at the UVA School of Architecture will build
three earth-friendly modular houses in low-income neighborhoods.
Each home will serve as an environmental guinea pig, with designers
testing insulation, window shapes, and light quality to find the
most energy-efficient ways to make a home comfortable.
Designer Michelle Kaufmann’s Breezehouse melds
indoors and out with a wing-shaped roof that allows air to pass
through the dwelling. It also boasts movable walls, countertops
made of recycled paper, water- and energy-saving appliances, and
toxin-free paints. Adding an extra room is a snap with this
environmentally built, two-bedroom, two-bath retreat.
