Just in time for outdoor entertaining and BBQ, Loll Designs introduced a new line called the Fresh Air Collection derived from a flat-pack design for furniture originally intended to be shipped in a prefab, disaster-relief home.  The home never materialized but that didn’t stop Loll from finishing their designs.  The collection is made with paper-composite Richlite for structural bracing and recycled and recyclable HDPE (from milk jugs).  Fresh Air includes a table at $760 and benches from $210.

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I’ve seen a ton of interest in these panel-built structures by Sett Studio, so I thought it’d be appropriate to share a short video for your viewing pleasure.  In the video, these Austin-based builders share details of the construction, materials, and installation of a typical Sett Studio.  Mike Speciale of Sett Studio also talks about why they use SIP construction and how they’ve tweaked shou-sugi-ban to treat their siding.  For the pretty photos, check the original Sett and the twin Setts.

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This is Canada’s first LivingHome, and it’s located on 20 Senlac Road in Toronto, Ontario.  The home, registered for LEED and seeking LEED Platinum certification, is complete and furnished, though the exterior still needs landscaping.  The modern prefab LivingHome was developed by Nexterra Green Homes, a company that builds individual and enclave homes that are modern, upscale, and environmentally friendly.

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Update 07/30/2012 – Sunset Idea House Prefab in Healdsburg

Last year Sunset Magazine chose a container home as the Idea House, but this year prefab is taking over with an energy-efficient Breezehouse from Blu Homes.  The home will be built in Blu’s Vallejo factory on the West Coast and can be seen at a “Factory Preview” on Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 1-3 pm (RSVP here).  After that, it’ll be shipped to Healdsburg, California, and open for tours in August 2012.  We’ll try to follow up with more detail when the home is complete.

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In September 2010, I mentioned the winning design in a competition involving steel SIPs from OceanSafe.  The REOSE Sunshower SSIP model, designed by Tulane University professors of architecture, Judith Kinnard and Tiffany Lin, is now complete and demonstrates a home that can withstand hurricane-force winds and extreme weather while still incorporating the latest in energy- and water-saving technologies.

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