Sloan Ritchie, the same developer that brought us the beautiful, green Alley House, just launched a new endeavor called Backyard Box.  As the name indicates, the Seattle-based company helps homeowners add extra space — whether for an office, studio, mother-in-law apartment, or income property — to lots with room and flexible zoning.  Backyard Boxes, commonly referred to as accessory dwelling units, come in three sizes, three finish packages, and have a Smart Box option, which includes some geeky green technology. 

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Ideabox's newest prefab model, the Fortino, is on display at the Portland Home & Garden Show this weekend, so you'll want to check it out if you're in the area.  The Salem-based prefab company teamed up with Crate & Barrel to design the interior and several landscape designers to transform a 50'x100' show space into a contemporary landscape setting.  Jim Russell, president of Ideabox, says it's a complete "living experience" on an urban lot. 

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Developer Steve Blanchard set out to build one of the greenest homes in Orange County, and he may just have accomplished that.  In fact, this home, the Costa Mesa Green Home, is the first custom residence in the OC to receive LEED Platinum certification.  Although 5,000 square feet in size, the home exceeds California Energy Code by 40% and isn’t expected to generate an electricity bill outside of standard add-on fees.

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A few weeks ago, we mentioned the strong flat pack prefabs designed by Andrés Duany for Haiti.  That effort is moving forward, and we've been able to catch a photo of a built prototype (see above).  InnoVida Holdings, LLC, manufacturer of the lightweight fiber composite panels used to build the prototype, today announced plans to build a factory near Port-au-Prince and donate 1,000 of these houses to Haiti.  It's a massive endeavor that could lead to the production of 10,000 homes per year and 250 direct jobs in the country. 

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We like to keep a pulse on the evolving world of green prefab, but there’s an Austin-based company that we’ve yet to mention.  Ma Modular, a venture of design-build firm KRDB, turned to modular construction to make modern design approachable, affordable, and convenient.  The company is also committed to good design and green building and aims to deliver projects with a quick turnaround.

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