The Philadelphia home builders John Westrum Homes have recently built a model modular home in Seaside Heights, NJ, the area where last year’s hurricane Sandy destroyed or damaged 2,200 of 2,400 bungalows and homes. The prototype was constructed to exceed post-hurricane Sandy construction standards of modular components.
Shipping Containers will be used in a luxury multifamily home build; the site of construction is located in Detroit and will start in early 2013. Recycling 93 Shipping containers, this project is thought to be the first in the US and the hope is to easily replicate the build.
Three Squared Inc (environmental consulting firm) is the company behind the Rosa Parks condo project and it was designed by local architect Steven Flum. The containers will be converted and stacked to make a 4 story dwelling which will make 20 separate liveable units, each with ducted reverse cycle air and tankless water heating. The actual construction time per unit and cost efficiencies make this project attractive, though the total costs will be a test as to the feasibility of future multifamily container home projects.
This is an interesting project, as it will offer a significant price reduction on singular dwelling container home projects. We will follow this closely and keep you updated on the progress when more information is released.
Popular Science just published an interesting roundup of green communities in an article now titled, "Nine of the World's Most Promising Carbon-Neutral Communities." You'll recognize several of these communities as we've mentioned them previously. What's important is the notion that reducing an environmental impact can be ultra effective when done on a large scale.
Green One Construction Services just completed phase one in Sage Green, an ultra energy efficient community in Beaverton, Oregon. The entire project will have a total of 18 homes, and the first five are now on the market with pricing between $257,900 and $259,000. I guess you can say it's a small price to pay for the desirable, but still rare, benefit of zero net energy living.
Living Homes today announced the launch of its expansion into Canada with an eco-enclave of four modern homes in North Toronto. Steve Glenn, founder of Living Homes, was kind enough to share with us some detail of the upscale project, which will be fabricated by Conquest and developed by a new company called Nexterra Green Homes.
Recently, Newsweek asked three well-known architecture firms to explain what cities will look like in 2030. Using New York City as the location, these firms — HOK; Cooper, Robertson & Partners; and Richard Meier & Partners — responded to the hypothetical with The Future of Work and other musings as to how we will work, live, interact, and move around in 20 years.
