Thin-Slice Modular

When asked by my sister, What is Modular? Is it more expensive, can it be green? I thought, not necessarily and sure it can, and here’s a quick rendition of how!

One of my favorite Modular House designers is Michelle Kaufman. She has a Basic Process section of her website that you can click to here.

A group that I am a part of does Modular housing too. We are called Online Green Design. Click that to see our website. If you go to Interiors, that is me. Online Green Design is a group of Engineers, Landscape Architects, Architects, & Energy people, that give you a holistic approach to building new. The idea is that all of these people play an integral role in the building of a sustainable building. We work with Haven Homes, a modular builder in Pa.

You can custom design your prefab home or get a predesigned plan. Modular just means that most of the house is made in a controlled environment. That the wood and materials to build the home aren’t exposed to the elements of weather during construction. Your construction loan period is less, there is less waste when homes are built this way and companies have a factory-like system for building your house in parts, then delivering it onto a site, setting it on a foundation, then ‘zipping’ it up. Because the foundation of the house and the house can be built during the same time frame, the construction loan can be less.

The cost of construction is comparable when comparing a ‘modular’ to a ‘stick built’ house. Because Modular is more assembly line in the making, the price is easier determined prior to construction.

Check out the plans Michelle Kaufman has on the bottom of the site I sent you to. Glidehouse Breezehouse, & Solaire.

All ‘modular’ and ‘stick built’ buildings can be green. It just depends on what materials you are selecting. I’ve got an extensive list on my blog. Click that to see. It also matters when building green that the right building systems work together. Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Position of Building/House, Coordination of architectural and interior elements to maximize space, and natural light.

Go Fab, Be Mod, FabMod, think Modular.