To use the words of Bouroullec Design: the Floating House is a studio for resident artists and authors invited by the Cneai, national contemporary art center for publication.  Initiated in 2002 by a public commission and finished in 2006, this habitable barge was realized in collaboration with architects Jean-Marie Finot and Denis Daversin.  The simple lines of the structure are a pragmatic and poetic answer to the thin budget dedicated to this challenging project.  An aluminum skin enveloped by a wooden trellis delimits the long alcove laid onto the rectangular platform of the boat (23mx5m) … 

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Those of you that follow the container architecture scene know the name of Adam Kalkin.  Here, he's the designer of the Push Button House, which was exported by a company called Illy for display in Europe.  At the push of a button, the container opens like a flower, transforming a simple, rectangular box into a fully furnished, functional space.  Using hydraulic cylinders controlled by a computer inside the kitchen, the house container literally expands into a six-room apartment with a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, living room and library in a mere 60 seconds.  The entire house was created from recycled materials, showcasing the best of Kalkin's industrial creativity.  More images below. 

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This is MOMO, a prefab concept designed by Thomas Lind.  The word MOMO comes from the truncation of Modernistiskt Modulhuskoncept, which is Swedish for modern modular house concept.  MOMO homes are put together using 107 sf modules that aren’t particularly made with any special green elements other than to be built with high quality, healthy materials.  That said, the concept also calls for a living roof with a blend of native water-storing succulents and grasses.  The large, wind-sail looking outdoor roof blurs the boundary between interior and exterior with shade and a congregational patio — and if you’re in the right climate, it’d be quite nice to chill in and out of the home.  Modules price in at roughly $25,000 each, and the first MOMO summer houses will be built in Sweden in mid-2008.  So, the final product won’t necessarily be huge, but it’s certain to be sufficient. 

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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. 

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