Non-profit Homeward Bound of Marin and California-based Blu Homes recently announced a partnership to build an affordable housing project for homeless families in Marin County. The Oma Village project will replace a former drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with a community of 14 net-zero energy one- and two-bedroom homes.
The concept of using off-site fabricated modules for core elements of a home is not necessarily new. In fact, most recently Proto Homes introduced a hybrid-prefab system with the Proto Core, which is a chase for mechanical, plumbing, and electrical. It’s also being used in the form of “wet-cores” for The House of the Immediate Future with Habitat for Humanity (Seattle/South King County) at the Seattle Center.
Today my alma mater Southern Methodist University celebrates a new master’s degree program in sustainability and development. The degree covers sustainability-related topics from policy to design in both developed and developing worlds. SMU will kick off the endeavor mid-day Friday with London sustainability strategist Peter Bishop and the unveiling of a low-cost Pallet House prototype designed by I-Beam Design.
This is Brookwood Terrace, an affordable project by ROEM Corporation and Eden Housing, Inc. that recently opened in California. The $24.9 million multifamily building has 84 homes, units ranging in size from 636 to 1094 square feet, and amenities like a community room, fitness room, business center, and a laundry room. The place is also designed by KTGY Group, Inc. for LEED Gold certification and to exceed Title 24 by 17%.
California-based ZETA Communities recently announced a new project worth noting. It’s an affordable, net-zero energy community with 22 starter homes in Stockton, California called Tierra del Sol. ZETA says the homes are being built in Sacramento in an off-site fabrication process that results in higher quality, faster construction, lower first costs, and lower operating costs.
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