BW Features LivingHomes Prefab

This week's edition of BusinessWeek has a feature on LivingHomes and entrepreneur Steve Glenn, founder of the company.  Glenn is a leader in the growing movement that is green prefab -- modern, prefabricated homes built with sustainability in mind.  The BusinessWeek feature also includes a slide show of the first LEED-H Platinum certified home in the country, and some of photos are pictured above and below.

Glenn's house is the prototype for LivingHomes.  LivingHomes sells prefabricated houses designed by Ray Kappe for about $250 per square foot (not including land, site development, or transportation).  The manufacturing facility built this house in one day, and generally speaking, green features add about 20% to the base cost of the home while generating about $1,500 in savings per year.

This house is perfect for design-savvy, eco-concerned customers.  Sometimes you have to pay a little more for nice things, so here are some green numbers that the article points out:

• Recycled Water System:  $20,000
• Ventilation (whole house ceiling fan from Tamarack Technologies):  $1,200
• Fireplace (EcoSmart fireplace from Fire Co. is flue-less):  $?
• Hot Water (radiant heating system by Apricus Solar):  $33,000
• Living Roof (garden & deer grass roof by Great Outdoors Landscaping):  $8,000
• Electricity (Scott Corp. photovoltaic panels for up to 80% of house needs):  $12,000 (after $13,000 in state rebates & federal tax credits). 
• Lighting (bright bars of light diodes from American Permalight):  $95 per bar
• Windows (double-pane glass from Pilkington Group & sliding doors from Fleetwood Windows and Doors):  $33,000 for entire house.

Photo credits: Tom Bonner for BusinessWeek.

Comments

[Michael]

The LivingHomes prototype will also have a website where you can see real-time energy produced by solar panels, electricity consumption, etc. This will be online in the next few weeks, so check back soon!

[katie]

hi. i was wondering if anyone knows how to contact Great Outdoors Landscaping? I think that roof is fabulous and wonder if they are using telescopic paver supports to leave room for drainage and ventilation. Thanks

[PK - Jetson Green]

Michael - thank you very much for that piece of information. The sustainable building world will be watching excitedly to see the results.

Katie - that's a great question. Steve Glenn is very approachable and if he's come across your comments, I have a feeling that you may get an answer on this blog or emailed directly to you. You might try to email LivingHomes directly at info@livinghomes.us. Feel free to post your findings in this comment thread as you find out the answer. Thanks!

[sabine haddad]

plz i would like to know how much does this house cost. do u ship to other countries like lebanon for example.. thank u