UPDATE: 5/1/08 – you can buy the original Inhabit now at Dwell.

Imagine stacking 50 to 100 prefabricated, modular units to create a high-tech, green, multifamily apartment building.  That’s what Unico is all about.  Over the last 18 months, Unico has been perfecting the development of a 15′ x 45′ foot box referred to as "Inhabit."  The company started with idea of using shipping containers, but they later decided to build the box from scratch (and may revisit the use of containers later on).  They partnered with Mithun and Hybrid Architecture, both major innovators in the modern and green space. 

Read more »

Have you ever wanted to walk through a prefab or see what the excitement is about in person?  If you live on the west coast, the opportunity to walk through a prefab happens fairly frequently.  Just wait for the right conference or event and you'll hear about a tour or walk through.  Now, two hours north of San Francisco in Napa County (Pope Valley), there's a Rocio Romero prefab open for tour, rental, or even for commercial photo, movie, and production shoots. 

Read more »

Many of you have probably seen this house by Stuart Tanner Architects, it was the Architectural Record House of the Month in July 2006.  But I just noticed it and want to post a few images.  It’s a small house of 1,184 sf located near Eaglehawk Neck on Tasmania’s Tasman Peninsula.  As you can see, it juts out into the air, blending the boundary between the wildlife and sea.  I’m sure the owners have witnessed the grandeur of nature at its best, being enveloped by the eucalypt forest and the sea.  Due to the location, the architect had the home partially prefabricated — framing was complete in two days.  The home also has many of the green features most homes should have, such as energy-saving lights, heating, and appliances.  It’s well-insulated throughout and designed to maximize cross ventilation.  And there’s an on-site waste management system, greywater recycling, and fresh water catchment and storage, too. 

Read more »