Future House Now

Totally Awesome 'Penguin House'

2008-03-28T20:31:00.005-04:00

You know I'm a huge fan of Japanese modernist houses. This one is genius.

'Penguin House' (aka Skin House Project #2) by Yasuhiro Yamashita of Atelier Tekuto.

Via the girl in the green dress

Project Outrage

2007-12-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Tired of uninspiring, consumptive, toxic homes? Tired of the traffic jams, ugly mini-malls, crowded burbs and urban sprawl? Then check out Project Outrage from Slow Home. Sign their online declaration. Join others in voicing your disdain for the bad development. It's a cool project, and if nothing else, a great example that people are finally realizing how bad our housing and community planning really is, and are standing up for better.

I Like It, I Actually Like It

2007-12-15T13:20:00.001-05:00

This is the first coffee table I've seen in ages that I actually like. Pretty cool, though not cheap at $3,500.

Via Inspire Me, Now!

Happy Thanksgiving From Future House Now

2007-11-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for ...

The extremely generous support of architect Greg La Vardera, Matt Olson of rolu|dsgn, Max Mead of Building Green, and Justin Anthony of materialicio.us - cool people I have come to know through this blog, and the many other people I have met via blogging. That's the best part, for sure.

My wife (who is too good to me) and my wonderful kids, Owen and Parker. Unfortunately, Owen broke his arm a little over a week ago. He was so brave. He never cried, not when it happened, not on the way to the emergency room, not when the doctors were poking him and putting in an IV, or when they set the bones. That little five year old has more guts and composure than almost any adult I've ever met. He's doing great, even with a heavy cast on up almost to his shoulder. I am sooo thankful that he is okay.

Modernist Japanese residential architecture - for challenging and inspiring me always. So much good stuff.

The Detroit Lions, my football team who I get to watch on Thanksgiving day. A really nice tradition for us Lions fans. Let's hope they win one for a change (doubtful).

Dwell and Pugh+Scarpa's entry to the Dwell Home II Competition, both of which inspired me to start this blog. My inaugural post is still the beacon.

Thanks everyone for visiting my site.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Modern Farmhouse

2007-11-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

Modern farmhouse sounds like an oxymoron, but I've seen more than a few great looking modernist takes on the American homestead. One of my favorites is Farmhouse One, by the architecture firm of Durkee, Brown, Viveiros and Werenfels. It's a simple, traditionally inspired Rhode Island farmhouse with modern twists. Take a look.

And if you're in to modern farmhouses you'll also be pleased to know there's a great blog dedicated to the genre - the appropriately named Farmhouse Modern. It's definitely worth a look (I found it on the LiveModern Blog Directory, where Future House Now is also listed).

If you want to completely overdose on cool modern farmhouses, pick up the book Farm Houses: The New Style by Neill Heath. It features the houses I mentioned above, and many more, in 185 full color pages. Great book.

Image credits - Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels site, Amazon.com Listing

Bits 'n' Pieces

2007-11-17T05:44:00.001-05:00

Just a couple of quick things:

The wonderful blog DO Research has closed shop - it is already missed. The upside is they've bought land and are building a Flatpak. I am wildly jealous!

Read the story behind the sea container Holyoke Cabin on the Hive Modular blog. So cool.

Skinny Japanese Houses on eye candy (via Things Magazine). Only in Japan [sigh].

The amazingly hip Alan Family Happy New House is complete. Check it out in The New York Times. It turned out just like the renderings - very, very cool. It shows you just how much you can do with a remodel.

I just picked up a good book, Small Eco-houses. Loaded with interesting, green, modern homes from all over the world. Two thumbs up!

image credit - Amazon.com listing

HOUSE kn by Kochi Architect's Studio

2007-11-01T11:02:00.000-04:00

Another Japanese wonder, HOUSE kn by Kochi Architect's Studio. Beautiful [sigh]. The floor plan is very nice and the outdoor space is wonderful.

Nice treatment of parking space too. My pet peeve is nice homes ruined by ugly attached garages and bad driveways. HOUSE kn gets it right.

Via the girl in the green dress. It's a wonderful design blog, so please do click over and take a look. You'll be delighted.

Image credit - Kochi Architect's Studio site.

Modern North

2007-10-23T19:05:00.001-04:00

A week ago or so the good folks at DO Research posted a nice pic of a new weeHouse they drove by. I think it must be the Oeschger house shown on the Alchemy site. Sure looks like it.

I've never been to the Twin Cities but it occurs to me that most of my favorite modernist architecture and related firms and websites are based there:

DO Research - A favorite Minneapolis-based modernist blog
rosenlof/lucas - the hippest modern landscaping duo going, with a cool blog to boot
Alchemy Architects - you cannot resist the appeal of their weeHouses
Flatpak - I drool over these Eamesish beauties
City Desk Studio - recently in Dwell, awesome Skyway Retreat
Bark Design - I'm in love with Doris
Hive Modular - The B-Line is an instant classic modern prefab

What is it about Minnesota????? So much good stuff is coming out of there right now. It makes me want to move. I think a weekend trip to finally see the Twin Cities is in order.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T17:51:00.000-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day, a single day for all bloggers to post about one important issue, the environment. Most people think that Future House Now is a green site. It isn't. My primary focus is interesting modern homes, particularly those that are in the realm of realistic affordability for real families. But having said that, I frequently post about "green homes," and today is a good day to clarify my views on the subject.

First of all, why do I often post about green homes, even when my site is not purely focused on green issues? Well, for starters, green makes a lot of practical sense. It's laughable how much emphasis we put on greening our cars when we spend way more energy in our houses. It should be obvious every week when we take out the trash that our homes are the epicenter of our consumption habits. And I care about my family's health. I want them to live in a safe household environment, not one that is riddled with toxins and allergens.

Second, green isn't that hard to do anymore. You don't have to live in an Earthship made of tires pounded full of dirt, and old aluminum cans to be green (though that's pretty cool if you ask me). You also don't have to be an eco-warrior living off the grid in Northern California, growing all your own food and living off $10,000 worth of yearly organic produce sales. I guess what I mean is that being "green" isn't really an extreme lifestyle choice, it's part of everyday life for everyday people all over the USA. We have to stop treating green as extreme. Frankly, I think that alienates more people than it attracts. That's why I try not to overplay my green views, just as I don't downplay them either. To me, the important thing is that we're all constantly raising our awareness and incorporating green practices in our lives one little step at a time.

There are so many good ways to green any home, any style, old or new, anywhere. How about more efficient appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs, better insulation, and low-VOC paints? These are pretty easy things that can make a big difference. How about not using those toxic cleaners in your kitchen and bathroom? Use good ol' white vinegar - it works great and is non-toxic. Inexpensive too. And great technology is here, with real strides in renewable energy being made every day. The reasons for not taking advantage of better technology for greener homes are becoming fewer and fewer. We're pretty much at the point where going green isn't about making tough choices, it's about making smart choices. The difference now isn't as much about toughness as it is about awareness.

I like to show interesting modern homes, and some of them are not particularly green. But lots of them are, in lots of different ways. Some are green just because they are compact. Some are green because they have a broad sheltering roof and good insulation. Some are green becaues they make good use of recycled materials, or new materials like steel framing that will last a long, long time without a lot of costly maintenance, and that can be recycled someday if need be. Maybe they aren't all perfect, but we can learn something from them. My site is about ideas. Some of the good ideas I like to show are about environmentally friendly homes, and some of the ideas are about other things. They're not mutually exclusive. And we have to stop thinking in those terms. Green fits with modern because they are both about good design. Good design has logic, economy and beauty all rolled into one. I see green as a part of that, not a whole unto itself.

Don't get me wrong, I don't take green for granted. I accept green as a matter of fact. That's how it should be - a natural part of life, not a radical philosophy. I view the recent mainstreaming of green as a sign that we've finally turned the corner. It won't be long now before we build the momentum to make lasting positive change. The challenges are real, but humanity, in spite of itself, is a problem solving species. We can do it.

Cool Modern Homes from Bark Design

2007-10-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

I have an announcement to make. I'm in love with Doris. Actually, I should point out that Doris is not a woman, Doris is a house. And she's beautiful.

Doris is the work of Bark Design, a firm with a modern bent that FHN reader Mike was kind enough to point out (thanks again, Mike!). Doris is swell gal, with lots of attractive features. In particular, I adore her flat roof, her expansive banks of windows - and she's got a carport! Oh, I really like carports.

Doris also has a wonderful floor plan with possibly the greatest kitchen in the world - made so by the overhead door out to the patio. It incorporates a screen that can be rolled down when the door is up to keep bugs out while letting breezes flow. Perfecto! My wife would love that.

Doris has a brother, Boris, and a good friend in Leroy G. Cooper.

Here are a few pics Bark shared with me of the Burbank, another model that isn't shown on their site yet. I really like the window placement on this house - it looks like it has pretty good solar orientation.

I must say, I find a whole lot to like aesthetically about Bark's homes. There's definitely a signature style with the flat roofs, carports, window arrangements and the way outdoor living spaces are approached. But what I like most is their attitude and approach to bringing modern homes to the market. I e-mailed Bark, and was very impressed with what they had to say about their direction.

"We are a team consisting of a developer, architect, and
contractor who were getting frustrated by the dismissive response to
modern design by clients and real estate professionals in our area,
so we decided to do our own thing with incredibly positive results.

We couldn't understand why people would seek out the latest design
and technology in cars, electronics, etc., but new builder/spec. home
construction seemed to be stuck in the year 1900. How many people
would go to a store for a new computer and happily walk out with a
univac the size of a refrigerator that only did addition and
subtraction? Yet people were making a similar decision every day with
a new home. We just didn't get it.

So, we design and build homes that respond and complement modern
life, are extremely efficient in terms of energy, space, livability,
constructability, and are affordable."

I've had exactly those same thoughts for a long time. I like what Bark is doing, and they must be hitting the mark - they have seven projects "on the board" for 2008!

Very exciting!

Image credits - Bark Design

Felix Jerusalem's Stroh Haus

2007-10-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

I complained the other day about not having seen anything really interesting in a while, and then my buddy Justin at Materialicio.us answers the call with this amazing find - the Stroh Haus by Swiss architect Felix Jerusalem. This home has several things going for it that really appeal to me. First, it has a simple, clean plan. Second, that green exterior is my favorite color. Third, I am fascinated with translucent panels, and the Stroh Haus uses them as exterior sheathing to groovy effect. Lastly, the house utilizes a really interesting type of construction material - straw pre-formed into structural elements. That's a slick approach that ought to have some legs.

Thanks Juzz!

Image credits - Stroh Haus site

Greg La Vardera's Dream Will Come True!

2007-10-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

Finally, someone is building Greg La Vardera's intriguing Porch House plan. I always pictured this house in my home state, Michigan, as a summer camp on a lake up north, but this one is being built in Texas! It sounds like a neat project, one with some nice green touches, and the possible addition of a Plat House down the road. Nice.

Via Materialicio.us (here and here).

Image credit - LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog

Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office's House t

2007-10-07T07:07:00.000-04:00

I hate to say it, but I haven't spotted anything really interesting in a while that I wanted to post on. Yes, things have been going on. I check my feed readers every day, I see them. But I've sort of found it to be more of the same. Nothing really turned my head.

Finally, I saw something that sparked a little daydreaming again, which is really what I'm after. It's "House t" by Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office (HAO) of Tokyo, Japan. Of course, it's Japanese. Is there any place in the world that produces more unique, original, thought provoking houses than Japan? NO WAY!

The approach to a second story and the division of spaces in the home is totally different. I get lost just looking at the roof line and the placement of the windows. It's bright, clean and sculptural in a way that only Japanese houses are.

Via Things Magazine (October 3rd, 2007)

Image credits - HAO site

Rammed Earth is for Everyone!

2007-10-07T06:45:00.000-04:00

If you're into rammed earth building, don't miss this blog: Rammed Earth is for Everyone. You can't beat the enthusiasm of that name! The site highlights rammed earth projects all around the world, offers nice Youtube and Flickr finds, and has a great selection of links in its sidebar. It's proprietor is a rammed earth consultant who shares both interesting technical information as well as an intriguing and thought provoking world view. Definitely worth a look if you're an earth building enthusiast and/or you find yourself pondering the nature of man's impact on the Earth on a regular basis.

Via Earth Architecture (of course!).

Bare Hill Barn House

2007-09-15T10:23:00.001-04:00

Without question, the coolest thing about doing Future House Now has been hearing from people who share my interest in better family homes, modern design, and greener living. I really didn't expect that when I started blogging but it's definitely got me hooked. And sometimes I'm fortunate enough to hear from someone who already took the plunge and is building their modern dream home.

That was the case again this week when I got an e-mail from Ben, who pointed me to his site, Bare Hill Barn House. Ben's blog chronicles his very cool project of dismantling, moving and then transforming a once forgotten barn into a totally hip modernist house.

What a fabulous study in recycling and reclamation. America is dotted with old barns, full of big hardwood timbers you can only buy at very high prices today. I really enjoy seeing someone make good use of these materials. There's an old barn not too far from where I live and every time I pass by it I look at those heavy oak beams and think "hmmm ... what if." Ben and his family have taken that idea to reality, and with a modernist twist.

Ben's site is really great. He does a wonderful job telling the story of what it's like to take on a project like this. He has lot of thoughtful posts about the nature of the project and some of the choices they've made, as well as the inspiration behind it. And besides seeing pics of the house's progress you'll also find video as well as great links to barn home resources.

Ben and his family should be in before year end. I know I'll be following along on Ben's site, watching as things progress. I can't wait to see the finished home!

By the way, Ben is working with JASONOAH Design Build on this project. The firm does some really unique and interesting work. Their theme is "designing and building for healthy, inspirational living." You can't beat that. Very nice. It's awesome to see yet another firm promoting great green design. Definitely check their site, especially their Chatham House. Really nice.

Image credits - Bare Hill Barn House site and JASONOAH Design Build for elevations and renderings (copyright).

745 Navy For Sale [sigh]

2007-09-09T09:22:00.000-04:00

One of my dream homes is for sale. Sadly, it's in California, is listed for $849k, and only has one bedroom and one bathroom - while I live in Michigan with a family of four and a budget smaller than a postage stamp.

The luscious 745 Navy is on the market. Here are a few pics from the real estate site Curbed LA, and a few more from The Value of Architecture - Los Angeles, a site that showcases architectural properties with the goal of raising awareness of the value of good design. For the best pics, though, check out this excellent slide show from Bulldog Realtors.

745 Navy is a bright and breezy little bungalow of just 700 square feet. It's clean and casual. Just look at that translucent wall! Amazing! I just love that. I also like the concrete floors, the funky carpet treatment in the bedroom, and the fact that it's a remodel of an existing home. It's the kind of place I can easily imagine myself living in.

However, it's not quite the kind of place I can imagine my wife and two kids living in with me, although apparently there's an existing, approved plan for a two-story addition! But for now I think I'll just have to be impressed with it's sunny, groovy design and store away a few ideas for another day.

Thank You Design Public!

2007-09-05T20:48:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a minute to share a little furniture shopping experience I had this week. I have two small children, Owen (5) and Parker Jane (3). P.J is way overdue on getting out of her crib, and Owen needs a bed frame to spruce up his room. We've been putting off a lot of other furniture purchases in order to save up and buy some nice beds for the kids. The time had finally come.

We wanted something modern and cool, and a little more substantial than a regular "kids bed." There are a lot of neat beds on the market but the modern offerings tend to be really pricey and are too often the kind of thing that will look silly in your kids' rooms by the time they're ten. My wife and I finally settled on a pair of these great-looking platform beds from TrueModern. They cost more than we wanted to pay, but were priced reasonably compared to a lot of other modern offerings on the market (many not as nice), and I think they look great, look well made, and will last the kids a long while.

Now, you can get these from a lot of places but for whatever reason we ordered ours from Design Public. I'd never bought anything from them before, but I'm one of those people who shops online a lot and it's not a really big deal for me to try a place completely new, even for a big purchase - throw caution to the wind, reckless abandon, all that jazz. I really don't recall why I picked them for my order.

So anyway, the beds get ordered, it takes about two weeks for them to ship, and then I get the call from the freight company who will deliver them. Long story short, there is a problem, possibly some confusion, and I am concerned about it. The problem was the freight company, not Design Public or TrueModern, but rather than tackle it solo I decide to call Design Public for help.

I must say, I was absolutely impressed by the extremely friendly and helpful response. I won't get into the details, but I thought that the Design Public staff went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me. I spoke to Jonathan, who was unfailingly courteous and diligent in his follow-up on my issue. I felt like they really cared, that I was valued as a customer, and that Design Public genuinely wanted to take care of me. It was really nice!

Like I said, I shop online a lot without giving it much thought. And I guess I've learned not to expect too much. But really, I thought Design Public were wonderful to deal with. If you want some really cool modern stuff, check out their site. It is loaded with amazing furniture, accessories, lighting, gifts, etc. - you name it. Very nice. It's a small company that's really living up to its mission. I was totally impressed.

Bravo and thanks!

Image credit - Design Public site

Tom Kundig's Sublime House - "The Brain"

2007-09-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I was hanging around the architecture section of my local Barnes & Noble, looking for something new. I found a nice book on houses by Tom Kundig of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects. I also just caught this post on Shedworking covering several of the firm's brilliant cabin-like houses.

Tom Kundig: Houses

I resisted buying the book, though I'd really like to have it. It's very nice and Kundig's work is amazing. The house on the cover, Chicken Point Cabin, has been shown everywhere, and for good reason. It's pretty spectacular, and that giant, tilting window and the unusual mechanical folly for opening it are sublime.

Visiting the OSKA site, I found that the house I liked most wasn't one of the groovy cabins I'd spotted in a lot of the blogs and architecture mags. I was taken by the "The Brain," a fascinating concrete monolith built for a filmmaker.

"The form is essentially a cast-in-place concrete box, intended to be a strong yet neutral background that provides complete flexibility to adapt the space at will." - OSKA site

That's wonderful. I love the way the house rests on its site, half hidden, with creeping vines growing all over it. I hate big ugly garages hanging off the side of a house, parasitic, distorting proportions, so I was delighted to see this house with the garages tucked neatly underneath, buried into the slope of the landscape. No yard either - excellent!

The austere concrete exterior belies a more playful space inside: wonderful bookshelves (just look at 'em!), interesting lighting, a fireman's pole, and an amusing custom staircase.

Yes, this is a house I can see myself living in. The only exception I take with it, and with most Kundig houses frankly, is that they all look like bachelor pads. I'm married with children. But I think the wife and kids could adapt. Who wouldn't want to live in a house with a fireman's pole?

_____________________________________________________
Addendum:

I should have pointed out this very good Seattle Times article about "The Brain." I've realized since writing this post that "The Brain" is a garage/studio, not intended to be a residence. Thanks to those who left comments pointing that out. It is also worth noting that Kundig received an AIA award for "The Brain" in 2004.

Oh well, even though it's not technically a house I'm still very inspired by it!

Image credits - Amazon listing (book), OSKA Architects site

My Thoughts on Greg La Vardera's "Our Re-Modern Movement - The Tipping Point?"

2007-09-02T08:40:00.001-04:00

I got really fired up this morning after I read a great post in architect Greg La Vardera's blog. In "Our Remodern Movement - the tipping point?" Greg suggests that now might finally be the time for modernist homes to find a place in the mainstream. I really hope so. I see the momentum. And I believe in "tipping points." I know exactly what the tipping point was for me personally, the one thing that got me really excited about modern homes. I picked up a copy of Dwell at the newsstand for the first time, the April/May 2005 issue with Charlie Lazor's Flatpak house on the cover.

I had always been interested in homes. I always dreamed of something better and more exciting than the standard fare of suburban cul-de-sacs, though I wasn't totally hooked on modern yet. But when I saw this cover, with a real family in a cool-ass house, it was like a lightning bolt. I can't tell you how badly I'd like to live in a Flatpak. It's one of the top three contenders for me. It just fits me and my family so perfectly. When the time finally comes to really build a new home I will be giving them a call to talk.

It's funny though, how "weird" most people think modernist homes are. My mother said "you want to live in a white box?" with a look on her face that was pure disbelief. Talking houses with some neighbors I could detect their nervous smiles when I mentioned concrete and steel, as in "uh, okay, sure, as long as it's not next door to my house." And look at the real estate markets. That's all you need to know. You don't see a lot of developers building modernist spec homes. Just pick up a real estate magazine and thumb through it for a minute. How many cool modernist homes will you find in the listings. Maybe one or two in a hundred page book. And they're mostly really big, expensive houses, probably built in the eighties after watching too many episodes of Miami Vice. Good, simple, modern homes for real families are hard to come by. Your best bet is a fifties ranch. Even those are a minority in the market compared to the grand total of everything else.

But I think Greg is right. This is the right time. Dwell has been so successful that some other similar publications have started to appear. Blogs like mine are popping up like daisies. Sarah Susanka's "Not So Big House" movement has a lot of followers (because it makes a lot of sense). Or consider John Brown's Slow Home Movement. And green is suddenly king. People finally realize that their choices have a real impact. Now is definitely the time of Less is More, and modernism fits that bill perfectly.

Probably the biggest helper in all of this, in my opinion, is going to be the bursting of the real estate bubble. I say that for one simple reason: it will make people change their view as to what their home really is - a home to live in and not an investment to make a fortune off of. I really believe that people won't/can't build what they really want because they are too hung up on resale value and growing massive equity. I don't know if this attitude caused the housing bubble or vice versa, but either way they combine to create an effect where the resultant high cost of housing distorts our views, closes our minds to new ideas, prices lots of people out of the market for a good home, and places too much power in the hands of developers, not in the hands of consumers where it should be. And so, here we are. With the bubble busting and home prices correcting I think we may also see home buyers making very different decisions about what they want to live in. I know this is the case for my wife and I, and I hope, at least, that this is the case for others.

It's definitely time for America to focus its attention on things like better homes, greener communities, reliable energy, even better communications technology, education and health care. These are the things that make up the infrastructure of this country. We won't have to worry about foreign threats for long if we allow ourselves to fall apart from the inside.

This whole country is at a tipping point, or near one. Modern homes are just a tiny, tiny part of that. We can choose a better way to live without giving up all the really great things we already enjoy.

Better living through design. Work smarter, not harder. Find the holistic solutions.

We can do it.

I Like Homes Where Books Live

2007-08-31T21:11:00.000-04:00

Books are very important to me. I'm one of those people who would rather sit at home reading than go to a party. I get lost in stories, and read coffee table books over and over again, scanning pictures repeatedly to glean every last detail. Books are good friends. They deserve good homes.

The Maison de Verre in Paris (via NY Times via rolu|dsgn). This house is absolutely brilliant.

Image Credit - NY Times

The Upcher house by Bates Masi Architects (via DO Research). Beautiful.

Image Credit - Bates Masi Architects

Mill Valley Straw Bale Residence by Arkin Tilt Architects - the entire main inner wall is one great bookshelf and art gallery.

Image Credits - Arkin Tilt Architects

The Wall House by FAR - unusual triangular approach. Fascinating.

Image credit - FAR

The Hughes/Kinugawa House by Andrew Lister, with rare bookshelf/window intermingling. Note that some shleves can also be accessed from the second floor (if you have long arms).

Image Credit - Andrew Lister site

In my house there will be books. Lots of them. Message to architect - be ready.

Interesting Homes Around the Blogs Yesterday

2007-08-25T07:17:00.001-04:00

Several of my favorite blogs posted interesting homes yesterday.

On the ever-cool BLDGBLOG Geoff Manaugh points out the compact Single Hauz from front architects. They remind him of the billboards outside his LA home. You can put them practically anywhere, even in the middle of a lake, which is what Manaugh says he'd go for. Personally, I've always wanted to live in a meadow.

Jetson Green brings us a sleek Cape Cod beach house by Independence Energy Homes. At 7,000 square feet it's probably not quite in my price range. I also usually frown on very large homes, but this one uses geothermal heating and photovoltaics to meet all its energy needs. It also has an air exchange system and low or no VOC materials for good indoor air quality, a permeable driveway, water conserving fixtures, and is built from "rapidly renewable materials." Very nice. Still, give me a 2,000 square foot, $200,000 home with all these features. Now that would be an accomplishment.

Finally, on the LamiDesign blog, Greg La Vardera shows off a final pic of the completed Vermont Plat House. You can follow the entire process of building this house, from start to finish, on Greg's blog. I think it turned out really well.

Image credits - architects sites

Building Studio Site Updated - Great Modern/Green Projects

2007-08-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

I was checking back in on some of my favorite architects' sites and noticed that Building Studio has done a major update since my last visit. There are several projects on the new site that I don't remember seeing before. Here's a sampler of four different projects:

The works cover the full spectrum of residential building, from private homes to vacation cabins to urban infill. All of them have a serious sustainable bent. Click over to the Building Studio site for lots more images and full details on all their projects.

Image credits - Building Studio site

The World House Project - "We Can 'Grow' Buildings"

2007-08-20T19:24:00.001-04:00

Here's something I saw on Inhabitat today that looks extremely interesting - the World House Project:

"The Evolution of Home

The WHP is a multi-year, collaborative initiative led by the Institute without Boundaries (IwB) that will explore the evolution of shelter and plan for the next generation of holistic housing design. The project will build on the research concepts of IwB’s inaugural project, Massive Change, using the same method of interdisciplinary design innovation.

The home is the intersection between the individual and society. On one end of the spectrum, urban sprawl and monster houses consume huge amounts of energy and pollute the atmosphere. On the other, over a billion people live in urban slums or in the streets without shelter.

The ambition of the World House Project (WHP) is to generate a system that achieves a balance between these extremes, and operates on the principles of sustainability, universality, technological responsiveness and balance, so that we may create dwellings that promote the long-term health of nature and human cultures."

They're benchmarking homes from around the world, old and new, studying them to gain an understanding of important implications of "climate, culture and terrain." The team, international and interdisciplinary in nature, will examine housing in the framework of twelve core elements of housing design and work to "create dwellings that are grounded in the principles of ecological design and that promote the long-term health of natural and human economies." The twelve core elements are: identity, social, communication, spatial, constructional, air handling, energy, water, waste, food, mobility, and finance. That's a very compelling list, indeed.

Here are a few images from the World House Project scrapbook on Flickr that I really like:

I've always imagined that homes could (and should) be built in this way!

It will be very interesting to see what comes out of this project. I'll be looking forward to watching it.

Image credits - World House Project Flickr photo album

Rammed Earth Homes With SIREWALLs from Terra Firma Builders Ltd.

2007-08-19T18:13:00.001-04:00

I've admired rammed earth homes for a long time, even though they're not really appropriate for the climate I live in. It's just that rammed earth walls are mesmerizing to look at. I get lost staring at the different layers of soil, in varying subtle shades of earth tone, flowing gracefully along along a wall. To my eye, rammed earth walls epitomize the very essence of natural beauty.

I can't think of any rammed earth builder that does it better than Terra Firma Builders Lt d. They have a way of crafting the most gracefully curved walls. Their designs blend with the surrounding landscape. Inside, massive earthen walls and sturdy timbers comfortably intertwine with delicate, artistic finishing. It's a totally unique aesthetic.

Terra Firma's website is fantastic. There's a wealth of images of their work in their portfolio. There's also a great explanation of why rammed earth is an effective, sustainable building solution.

Probably the most interesting thing I found on their site is that they use an unusual insulated rammed earth wall approach called SIREWALL (SIRE = Stabilized Insulated Rammed Earth). SIREWALL was developed by Meyer Krayenhoff, an environmental builder of over thirty years, who also founded Terra Firma. Here's an explanation from the SIREWALL site:

Stabilized, Insulated, Rammed Earth (SIRE) walls are made using rebar and insulation enveloped with the mass of 14 – 20 inches of rammed earth. This combination, along with SIREWALL®’s system for quality control and soil blending, builds walls that exceed current standards for energy efficiency and compressive strength. SIREWALL’s customizable forms refined over the last fifteen years by SIREWALL’s expert builders, work seamlessly with unique designs and modern finishes that have timeless appeal.

I always thought that would work. We've seen that concept applied to concrete walls, so why not rammed earth too? Actually, reading their FAQ, and noting that they're in Canada and do their building in British Columbia, I've learned that rammed earth can be a solution for climates other than hot, arid deserts, especially with the SIREWALL approach in place.

Note that Terra Firma builds complete homes only on their home turf. But they will build walls elsewhere, and let your builder finish the house. They also train and certify builders in the SIREWALL system, and offer design and consulting services. Wherever you are, whatever type of rammed earth project you might be considering, I think these would be the people to talk to.

I have new hope of living in a rammed earth house yet!

Image credits - Terra Firma site

A Brilliant and Wonderful Story on the rolu Blog - CITYDESKSTUDIO Turns Minneapolis Skyways Into Modern Homes

2007-08-17T21:39:00.001-04:00

I was really delighted this afternoon to find a new rolu post waiting for me in my feed reader. I clicked on over (because rolu posts are best enjoyed on their own page) and was absolutely blown away. With all due respect to the many other fine blogs I enjoy reading, to me rolu|dsgn has the most original, interesting, and brilliantly told architecture and design related posts on the web. This latest piece is something special, and I cannot recommend strongly enough that you give it a look.

The post describes an almost daydream of a vision, one of Minneapolis skyways converted to chic modern cabins, that was actually turned into reality by the firm CITYDESKSTUDIO. It's a great story of people connecting through common love of design, of seeing interesting things in unusual objects, and turning inspiration into reality.

Here's a quick look at the project. Read the rolu post for the details.

First sea container homes, now this. Wonderful!

I enjoyed browsing CITYDESKSTUDIO's work on their site. They've done a lot of nice projects. For some reason their kitchens really appeal to me. They're bright and cheerful and clean. I'm a morning person, and kitchens are morning person places. I can easily see myself in any one of them, having banana pancakes and hot tea, and reading rolu posts on my laptop (though I very seriously caution you against mixing maple syrup with keyboards). Take a look at a couple of examples:

Did you see the blue Eames chair? It's like they're reading my mind.

By the way, Matt was incredibly kind to mention Future House Now in his post. I'm not writing this gushing praise as a reciprocal gesture, but I must admit it pleases me endlessly to be included in such a good story in any way.

The rolu blog is my favorite site on the web. I say that in all honesty. If you haven't given it a look yet click on over and say hi. You will not be disappointed.

Image credits - CITYDESKSTUDIO site

More Case Study Love - Rapson Greenbelt by Wieler

2007-08-15T21:06:00.000-04:00

As I've said in recent posts, I've fallen really hard for the Case Study Houses. I like the Eames' CSH#8 a lot, yes, but I'm probably most drawn to the simplicity of the never-built CSH#4 by Ralph Rapson. It's just two simple rectangles, one for public spaces and one for private spaces, simultaneously separated and connected by an atrium. Every room is offered a view of nature, and the flow of the occupants is affected by its extreme proximity to the otherwise totally man made industrial space. Rapson named the house "The Greenbelt" after the organic space formed between the two structural boxes.

Look at this illustration of the home, featured on a cover from Architecture magazine (March '05):

I love the commuter chopper. Even in the early post-WWII days, sprawl and the disconnectedness of suburbia were on the architect's mind. I guess back then the answer seemed obvious. A Jeep, the original fashion/lifestyle vehicle, first SUV, toy of new wealth in a prospering nation, resides in the driveway ready for fun weekends. Despite modern trappings, Wifey is hanging clothes to dry on a line outside. I still remember when my grandparents, people of that generation, hung their clothes out. The last time I saw that anywhere was probably over twenty years ago. I bet it would come back into fashion today as a green alternative to the energy consumed by clothes dryers, except that subdivision association bylaws wouldn't stand for it for a minute. Carports should come back in style too. I hate garages.

As I said, the Greenbelt was never built. Was it too weird? I can't believe it was. I wonder what the story was, why it wasn't built, even when so many Case Study Homes were. I like it. It's the kind of simple yet fascinating house I go for.

You can have one now, sort of. Wieler makes prefab "Rapson Greenbelts," in many different versions, inspired by the original CSH#4, and actually designed by the man himself, and his firm, Rapson Architects. Rapson, a native Michigander like me, is alive and active as ever at age ninety-three.

Here are a couple of looks at Wieler's Rapsons:

They're not quite as groovy as the original. The greenspace is toned down considerably, turned into a regular room in the house, and the simplicity of the original is kind of gone. Still, I like them. They look very bright and clean. My favorite is the split level version, though I'd still rather live in the original CSH#4 design.

I suggest that if you build one you also invest in a very appropriate Rapson Rocker. It's almost as cool as my beloved Eames.

And definitely get yourself a "Ralph" model modern birdhouse to place outside your kitchen window. No Wieler Greenbelt would be complete without one. Even a humble sparrow deserves to live in stylish modern digs.

It's great to see the Case Study legacy live on, in any form. It's even better to see the original architect still involved in bringing great design to life. Ralph Rapson does rule!!!!

Image credits - all images from Wieler site

Nice Finds on a New Blog - Modern Residential Deign

2007-08-14T18:42:00.000-04:00

I found this new blog, Modern Residential Design, after its proprietor, Nick, left a comment on one of my posts. Boy was I glad! What a cool site. Take a look at a couple of his boss finds ...

The Hughes\Kinugawa House in New Zealand by Andrew Lister. Compact Japanese-inspired beauty. Dig that bath. I can see myself living peacefully here - reading, writing, relaxing.

And the amazingly groovy Casa Calamuchita by Miguel Angel Roca. Love it - just looks like a fun place to hang out with Corona in hand, a bunch of friends around.

Nice blog, Nick. Officially added to the "Favorite Sites" in my sidebar. Keep on finding great stuff for me to drool over.

Image credits - noted architects via Modern Residential Design blog

Invoking Eames - Take Two - LaMiDesign's Steel Case House

2007-08-13T19:00:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I was daydreaming of the Eames House and posted up some newer homes that give me the same vibe. I mentioned the 6040 and 6030 EcoSteel houses designed by Greg La Vardera, but somehow I overlooked his Steel Case House. I wanted to bring it to the attention of all you Eames fans out there, because Greg directly references CSH#8 as a point of reference for this design:

The Steel Case House has emerged out of requests from early visitors to the site for a steel house that was a "simple box". This request has been repeated many times. For inspiration we turned to the Case Study houses built in the late 1940s and 50s by Arts and Architecture magazine. Case Study house number 8, the Eames House is probably the quintessential "simple steel box" and is a point of inspiration for this design. When the Case Study houses were built it was hoped that the industrial might of the US built up during WW2 could now turn to producing modern houses of standardized industrial components at a scale that would make them affordable. As we all know that industry never materialized, and stick framed houses remain the status quo. We see this design as an evolution of the Case Study goals. By combining readily available residential building components with a simple steel frame we hope to arrive at a hybrid that makes the house easier to realize.

This image of the house takes me right where my mind's eye wants to go ...

... and I like the floor plan too.

The interior spaces are really roomy for a house of 2,000 square feet. It looks like it would live much bigger than its footprint. Not too many houses that size have three bedrooms and a double height living room. There's a more intimate nook off the main living area too, just like the Eames House. And I really, really like the roomy kitchen and dining space. I could go with this plan with very few changes.

With tons of glass on three sides, this house was meant for a site with good views - maybe not urban infill lots. If you think this design might not be appropriate for your cold climate (like mine in Detroit) take comfort in the fact that there's a SIPS version with much more insulating value in the walls - around R30. And if the steel frame isn't your thing there's also a another version called the Timber Case House that utilizes engineered lumber members. Additionally, the Amount of windows can also be varied to suit the climate and site conditions for optimum energy efficiency. A very well thought out home by Greg, and an option I personally would seriously consider.

The legacy of the Case Study Homes and Eames is very much alive and well!

Image credits - LaMiDesign

Quick Links to Some Cool Houses

2007-08-12T08:13:00.000-04:00

Just taking a moment to turn your attention to a couple of cool houses featured elsewhere ...

I like this NY Times Magazine slide show of Thomas Phifer and Partners' intriguing Salt Point House. The Times piece just gives you a taste. Look at the slides on the architect's site. The exterior treatment is very unusual but the effect is great. Bravo. I love the interior too. Here's a couple of pics to tease you on over to both sites to look at the rest.

Image credits - NY Times Magazine

I dig this eco-infill house from Living Space 21 in the UK, highlighted by treehugger. The Brits are racing ahead with sustainable home design and alternative energy for real people and the country as a whole (while the U.S. lumbers out of its sleep). It's a good read - illustrates how to do it right to get more green projects actually built - so check their post.

Image Credit - Living Space 21

Kudos to the blog House for pointing out the Phinney Ridge House and Blip Design a little while back. It's a major remodel of an existing house that features Built Green certification. Love it.

Image credit - BLIP Design

Finally, the good folks at rolu dsgn have a great flickr page with lots more pics of the sea container vacation cabin being built by some of their friends at Hive Modular. If you couldn't get enough from rolu's post check there for more.

Thinking of Eames ... Retro Modern Groove In Newer Designs

2007-08-11T14:45:00.001-04:00

I'm really in to the Case Study Houses right now. My favorites are the simple ones like CSH#4 (which never got built) and CSH#21. But the more I think about what I want in a place for my family though, the more I start leaning toward something roomier like the the Eames House, CSH#8. I'm also inspired by the sort of retro vibe at DO Research, which always makes me think of the Eames. And I always really dug the Eames furniture, all of it, in a big way.

This documentary short by the Charles and Ray Eames gives you the spirit of the house:

A lot of recent designs evoke the Eames' groove:

Flatpak House from Lazor Office (images from the Flickr set)

EcoContempo 6030 and 6040 by Lavardera (images from LamiDesign Blog) - Greg, leave us a comment - were you inspired by Eames?

Royal Homes Muskoka Modern (images from Royal Homes site). By the way, nice mudroom. My chief gripe about most modern homes - no good entry for muddy feet. Come to Detroit in February and see what I mean.

I'd have said, "build me a house around this ..."

Image credit - Design Within Reach

... but Eames already did. And any one of these three new designs would do the trick too.

Blog and Book About Place, Sprawl, Community Planning

2007-08-10T14:30:00.000-04:00

I just found this interesting blog, Where - "a blog about urban places, place-making and the concept of 'place.'" It's relatively new. I saw a link to it on BLDGBLOG. It's good. As much as I write about houses, and the need for better housing in America, the real truth is it's a macro problem we're facing. We don't just need better houses, we need better places. We need smarter cities, we need to tackle sprawl, we need to be able to access our jobs and communities by something other than automobiles, we need green spaces where we live and shop, and we need vital cities where people can live comfortably with higher population densities so we don't have to keep tearing up forests, farmland and coastal beauty.

Today's post on Where is particularly interesting to me. It's about Detroit, and I think it gives a great insight on the unusual dynamics of this city, and why for change to happen Detroit has to follow its own unique path to revitalization. I really enjoyed reading it. This is a blog I'll be watching.

By the way, I've been wanting to post about a great book I picked up a while ago. A Field Guide to Sprawl by Dolores Hayden is a handbook to all that's gone wrong with American suburban development in the last sixty years.

You'll learn about and see aerial pics of "Zoomburbs," "Boomburbs," "Category Killers," LULUs," "Privatopias," "Ozoners," "Pods," "Edge Nodes," and more. I'd say I live in a combination "Low Density/Greenfield/Sitcom Suburb" (I hate to say that, but it's true). You won't have any problem recognizing the landscape depicted in this book all around you either, wherever you live in the USA. It's a fabulous and entertaining book with a critical message - planning the greater environment matters, and we're doing it all wrong.

Image credits - Where site and Amazon.com listing

Subtle Sneak Preview on hiveMODULAR Blog????

2007-08-07T21:10:00.000-04:00

Check out this fun post on the hiveMODULAR blog. It looks like it's about cars ... or is it? Look closely at this pic of their cabin:

Looks like a sea container project to me! I hope we get to see more of that!

____________________________________________________________________

POST SCRIPT: My favorite blog, rolu|dsgn, has done it again. Matt just put up a great post on his visit to the cabin. It's really cool. I agree with him, this container home has a different feel to it. I really, really like it. Can't wait to see it finished.

Check the rolu post.

Image credit - hiveMODULAR blog

Tezuka Architects "House to Catch the Sunlight"

2007-08-07T19:29:00.000-04:00

At the suggestion of Jeffrey Pena, who just finished an apprenticeship at Tezuka Architects in Japan, I took a look at the firm's "House to Catch the Sunlight." You can read Jeffrey's comments in this post. He made some great remarks about families staying connected in smaller, smarter homes. He held up this tiny, 282 square-foot marvel as a perfect example of a home that has only what you need, yet lacks nothing, and through great design lives large and well.

This house definitely has that signature Tezuka style - clean, casual, natural. The public spaces are upstairs, while the private spaces are on the lower floor. I love the very simple treatment of the bedroom - meditative. The built-in storage keeps objects out of sight and helps make the space feel larger than it is. The placement of windows for play of light is masterful.

Jeffrey closed his comment with "We need to think about making our homes not keep us captive." Well said. That strikes a chord with me. The reason I do this blog is because I really believe that what we live in affects how we live, and that most American homes don't enhance our living experience, and can actually be a burden to us. I'm a huge fan of Tezuka Architects for creating great homes that function beautifully, with an economy that results in purity of purpose. Truly, in Japanese spirit, the limitation becomes the strength. Brilliant.

Jeffrey, thanks for your comment, and for pointing out this wonderful home.

Image credit - Tezuka Architects site

Soren Korsgaard's Woven House

2007-08-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

I was looking at Soren Korsgaard's MySpace page. His mood is "happy," he thinks TV is "all crap!" (except for The Office), and his Zodiac sign is Aquarius. He's single. He's six feet tall. His architecture is brilliant.

Soren's MySpace page showcases his work, and has some things I hadn't seen on his website. In particular, I was immediately taken with his Woven House concept.

I asked him about it. He said:

Concept

A house designed as a showcase to promote bamboo as sustainable building material, must be unusual and eye-catching.

Bamboo has been used for making everything from kitchenware to buildings for thousands of years in most Asian countries. Among the many beautiful methods of treating bamboo, highly sophisticated weaving techniques have been developed. Woven house is an attempt to take this tradition and use it in modern architecture and in a much larger scale than anyone have ever seen before. Birds are using weaving for making their nest from materials in their habitats.

Using the unique flexibility and strength of bamboo for weaving a vacation house, that appears futuristic and dynamic and gives a unique architectural experience, where walls, floors and ceiling is one continuously surface, that also can be shaped into sitting areas and shelves.

The woven bamboo surface can be a closed surface or open to let in light.

Location:

Can be anywhere in south – and Southeast Asia. Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia. Most importantly in an area where there is a tradition of weaving bamboo, and on a site where Bamboo is growing, so less transport is needed, meaning less impact on nature.

Construction:

Heat shaped construction bamboo is used for making the framework of the building.

Roof is covered with bamboo shingles. Internal walls, floor and ceiling is woven bamboo. And in between there is lots of space for insulation.

It's a nest. For people. Soren, dude, you're blowing me away. That's totally cool.

I only hope a Panda Bear won't eat it. The big, bad wolf has nothing on a hungry Panda.

Great Green Home in British Columbia - The Andrew Powter House

2007-08-03T21:33:00.001-04:00

Today I got a huge boost - something to get me posting again! I was so excited to receive a nice e-mail from a reader of this blog, Andrew Powter, who has been kind enough to share with me images of his own house. It's being built in British Columbia, Canada, and Andrew is hoping to break ground later this month!

Take a look at how cool this place is:

But the house isn't just a flashy modern pad, it's loaded with environmentally conscious design features, such as:

Reclaimed cedar siding
Concrete floors with hydronic radiant heat
Recessed compact fluorescent lighting
Ecosmart fireplace
Double glazed windows
Construction with insulated concrete forms
Low-flow toilets, faucets and showers
On-demand hot water heating
Good passive solar heat gain

Nice, huh! This is a very inspiring home. That's such a good list of green features, and all things that can be incorporated into any style home, anywhere. This home is a great model for the way we should be building all homes.

Andrew is the homeowner. He's working with Mark Simone of Dynamedia. Take a look at the portfolio on their site. Some nice stuff. Some real talent there.

Well, I just feel great. Andrew, thanks so much for sharing these pics and letting me post them up! I can't wait to see how your house progresses. It looks great and you've done a fantastic job including green elements in your home.

Image credits - Andrew Powter

Just Like When I Was a Kid - I'm "It"

2007-08-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

Hmmm ... I've been "tagged" by Justin over at Materialicio.us. I'll play along, since I haven't had the energy to do any real posting lately, which you've probably noticed. Sorry. There are times when my kids and my job take everything I have. And I still haven't quite recovered from whatever nasty bug I picked up in India either, which is probably the reason for my recent total lack of energy. So instead of the normal dose of cool modern homes you're going to get a dose of me, John Commoner, the man himself. Apologies in advance.

Here goes:

Four jobs I've had

Spent two weeks one summer as a temp making fifty photocopies of a thousand page technical manual. I guess they hadn't heard of Kinkos but it beat my earlier assignment testing parts in a lab. As boring as the copy job was, that one was even worse.
Worked one summer as an intern at the waste treatment plant of a General Motors transmission factory. I subsequently quit my major in environmental engineering.
Was staff writer at the Purdue Exponent for about one school year. It was a large campus daily newspaper (now they have a website). Paid eight bucks a story, which meant all I had to do to eat for a day was write one story. Not bad. I didn't stick with it because the news was too boring to do everyday, and also because the clear bias of the Liberal Arts majors who held all the editorial positions meant that an Engineering student was never going to get to do anything else (sports, features, op ed, etc.). Oh well. Got a lot of front page stories though, and the Senior Editor (one of only two non-student, full time professional advisers we had) really liked my writing and I learned a lot from it. Finally quit when I was appointed to the Supreme Court of Purdue Student Government. That was a riot. We got to hear student parking ticket appeals. I have some fabulous stories from that one!
My current real job - I manage about $100 million in sales of automotive parts to a very large U.S. automaker. I only talk about the "big money" I watch after because otherwise my job has zero glamour whatsoever.

Four movies I can watch over and over

The Royal Tenenbaums
Office Space
Out of Africa
Sideways

Four countries I have been to

Mexico
India
Germany
United Kingdom

Four places I'd rather be right now

Golfing in St. Andrews, Scotland
Golfing in Bandon, Oregon
In my great grandmother's kitchen, circa 1977, eating candy and cookies
At Garcia's Pizza, W. Lafayette, Indiana, circa February 1993, next to the fireplace

Four places I have lived

Saline, MI (where I grew up, just outside Ann Arbor)
Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana
Naperville, IL - burbs of Chicago
Brighton, MI - my current home - about 30 miles from where I grew up

Ah, yes, and four blogs I'm tagging now. Actually, I can only think of one. But I think they will have interesting things to say if they indulge us:

rolu|dsgn

Well now, that was fun!

Modern Furniture Sunday - Meyer|Wells Tables

2007-07-29T07:36:00.000-04:00

Meyer|Wells is the firm of craftsman Seth Meyer and designer John Wells, who teamed up last year in Seattle to "combine a modern design sensibility and high level of furniture craft with an ecological ethic for sourcing our materials." Bravo. The duo works with mills to find high quality timber that might otherwise be discarded, or partners with arborists to claim beautiful mature urban trees at the end of their lives and ready to come down. Each tree is carefully cut into slabs that enhance the unique character of the wood and reveal its natural beauty.

The results are spectacular. Meyer|Wells produces catalog as well as custom pieces for both residential and commercial settings. Their pieces, in various tables and benches, have a rugged modernity that express very honestly the beauty of wood.

The pieces also count toward LEED credits, and Meyer|Wells has the noble goal of getting at least one piece of furniture in every LEED building project in their local Seattle.

Image credit - Meyer|Wells site

Fourteen hiveMODULAR Animations on YouTube

2007-07-24T20:54:00.001-04:00

One more great development last week that I failed to mention yesterday: the hiveMODULAR blog directs us to YouTube where they have fourteen different video animations of various models. My favorite is this B-Line Small with a walkout basement.

Really cool. Definitely check out the rest. Nice animations of various B-Line, X-Line, M-Line, and C-Line, as well as their appearance on HGTV's What's With That House?

Video credit - hiveMODULAR on YouTube

Highlights From Last Week - LamiDesign IBU News, DO RESEARCH's Big Move, MKD mkLotus

2007-07-23T18:51:00.000-04:00

So hard to get back into the swing of things. I'm one of those people heavily governed by inertia. When I have momentum I keep it until something slows me down or changes my direction. When I have to build up speed again it goes sooo sloooowly.

To make things easy on myself I'll recap some interesting developments that happened while I was away:

Michelle Kaufmann and her firm MKD introduced a new model of her very green, prefab homes - the mkLotus. As usual, top marks for modern style, sustainable design and materials, and viable prefab. Love the green roof on this one. Via Prefab Wednesday on The Good Human.

Image credit - MKD site

The wonderful blog DO RESEARCH sprang back into high gear and fired off a flurry of nice posts in the last week or so. It has such a wonderful feel to it. If you haven't visited in a while check back with 'em. The big news is that they're soon relocating back to the USA from Reading, and now the time has come to put research into reality for a new home ... what will they DO?

Finally, the biggest news of all. Greg La Vardera posted a sneak peek of the LamiDesign IBU Building System on his blog. This is his take on a viable, modular, sea container based housing system that can be convincingly pitched to building authorities. I think that Greg's experience with stock plans and the EcoSteel houses puts him in a good position to succeed. Should be really interesting to see what happens with this. These concept layouts show just how versatile the IBU system could be.

Image credit - LamiDesign Blog

I saw some other neat things around the web, and as always put them in my shared Google Reader in the sidebar (does anyone ever look at that????) so you can browse that if you want. But these three were the real biggies of the week. I'd say I missed a pretty big week :( but the good news is it looks like there'll be more to come!

I'm Back

2007-07-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

I finally made it home from India yesterday. An incredible trip, for sure. But very hard, absolutely the longest trip of my life. Coming home, from the time I left my hotel in India to the time I landed in Detroit yesterday morning was 24 hours. To top things off I came down with a really bad flu the last two days I was there. Burning chest, fever, night sweats, cough, runny nose (no, it isn't malaria). I have no appetite whatsoever. Almost anything I try to eat makes me feel ill. I have pretty bad jet lag too. But I will go to the doctor today and I'm sure I'll feel a lot better tomorrow.

What can I say about India? Unfortunately, I find it hard to put into words. It was a business trip, a training conference. I had very little free time and anywhere we went we were hermetically sealed inside a tour bus. We only went to top shelf places. Most of what I saw of real life was viewed from behind a window. But I did see a lot. We drove through many towns, and the roadways are jammed with throngs of people living hard alongside everywhere you go. All I can say is, the living conditions I saw were extremely rough. Very hard to look at but at the same time you can't take your eyes off of it. I found myself crying in my hotel room one night after thinking of something I saw, something I will never, ever forget for as long as I live. It is all a little shocking (for an Upper-Midwestern American anyway). After a while though you see that daily life goes on. There is beauty. And while what I observed stirred a hundred unanswerable questions my sense of humanity was profoundly touched.

India is absolutely booming and the mood of the people is good, confident. There is construction everywhere. Changes are happening at an incredible pace. And the benefits are reaching down to regular people. It's a very exciting time for India.

One thing I will say is that the problem of effective, affordable housing is very apparent. Sanitation is a huge problem, as are energy and appropriate response to a somewhat difficult climate. I'm not sure they're on the right track yet, because what I saw were a lot of of concrete high rise apartment buildings being erected. But I only had a very limited view so I'm not speaking from a particularly well informed perspective.

Thankfully, the trip wasn't all business, and I had one free day to spend visiting the Taj Mahal with my colleagues. Amazing! Whatever you think of this New 7 Wonders, the Taj Mahal belongs. It is really spectacular. Here are a few pictures I took.

It's really something, isn't it? For me it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to see it, and I'm very glad I had the chance.

I'll be back to normal pretty soon. Regular posts should resume shortly, so keep an eye out. Sorry for the long time off, it wasn't easy for me to ignore my site for over a week like that. I was having bad blogging withdrawals!

It is good to be home.

Off to India!!!

2007-07-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm leaving in about an hour for India. I'm participating in some management training there for my day job. I've never been anywhere quite that far away or exotic (by American standards). Should be really interesting.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to work on the blog while I am there. So probably no new posts for over a week. Sorry about that. I really enjoy doing this site and it pains me to take so much time off from it. But you will definitely see the posts resume when I return, so please check back.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the great sites I've listed in my sidebar, or rummage around in my archives. Also take a look at my Google Reader clippings. I usually have time to at least share some favorite posts from other sites to that, even when I'm on the road. I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Cheers!

Rural Studio Still Going Strong - and Blogging!!!

2007-07-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

The first straw bale house I ever saw was the (now very famous) Hay Bale (Bryant) House by Rural Studio, Samuel Mockbee's groundbreaking do/learn program at the Auburn University School of Architecture. I was hooked!

I've been a fan of Rural Studio ever since. Sadly, Mockbee passed away a few years ago, but Rural Studio is still going strong. Did you know they've got some blogs going to chronicle their amazing work? Yep, they do! Five of them, in fact.

The blogs give you a great peek at all the hard work that goes into making their projects happen. Since I focus on residential work, my favorite is naturally the Outreach Project $20k House Phase III blog. As the name implies, this is the third in a series of projects aimed at very low cost homes, in Rural Studio's great tradition of building for low income families. Here's some pics I've sampled from the blog's year of posts, to give you a feel for what they're building.

The other blogs are great too. They cover community projects, which is another area that Rural Studio has made amazing contributions to.

I know Rural Studio is very well known, and that I'm not breaking any ground talking about it here. But I wanted to remind everyone that the program is still going strong, and that you can get an up close and personal look inside Rural Studio projects on their great blogs. Go visit them, and leave them a comment, just to show your support.

Great List of Ten Things from Good Human

2007-07-09T20:12:00.000-04:00

Here's a nice list of ten things you can do to make your home more eco-friendly, from the Good Human.

1. Use only low-VOC interior paints and wood sealants.
2. Go with spray foam insulation
3. Radiant heat
4. Make sure your windows and doors are sealed.
5. Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs
6. Buy Energy Star Appliances
7. Use reclaimed wood as much as possible
8. Open up those windows to improve indoor air quality
9. Build with finished concrete
10. Install Low flow plumbing fixtures and water filters

Great list! Do just a couple of these and you're on your way to a healthier and more efficient home. Do them all and you're my hero!

Architecture Week on Materialicio.us

2007-07-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

Click on over to my buddy Justin's site, materialicio.us, where he's having architecture week! He's been posting up some great houses, many of my favorites, but several I haven't seen before. I really, really, really like this one, the Box House by Nicholas Murcutt.

I can soooo see myself in this picture <sigh>. Nice.

Image credit - NY Times article

Interesting Concepts From Danish Architect Soren Korsgaard

2007-07-08T19:05:00.000-04:00

Everyone, everywhere, is working on prefab. New ideas are popping up like dandelions on the first pretty spring day. I was just browsing YouTube (inspired by this post on Equity Green) and hit on this concept:

Interesting. It's from Danish architect Soren Korsgaard. I checked his website, and the house is actually a vacation cabin. It has an interesting sliding doors strategy that allows the occupants to reconfigure the house for different views, privacy, shelter from changing winds, etc. Kinda neat.

I also saw this other cool house concept on his site, the "Standard House." It's anything but, though it would be great if it were, and everyone really lived in something like it. Check it out:

The house is designed to be built fast, to take advantage of passive heating and cooling principles, and will incorporate "root zone water purification." It's decidedly modern, and I like the simple solar shell concept.

It actually reminds me very much of a solar house some family friends lived in back in the 1980's when I was growing up. The design was very similar to this. On a cold but sunny winter day they'd have to open the windows to let out extra heat, yet in the summer all the thermal mass kept the house nice and cool.

Korsgaard's other works are interesting as well. I like this industrial-inspired multifamily concept, curiously called "commune housing" (made me think communist bloc, not communal living).

Cool stuff, I think Korsgaard is one to watch.

Image credits - Soren Korsgaard site

Modern Furniture Sunday - Case Study Beds and Bedside Tables

2007-07-08T07:57:00.001-04:00

I've been reading a lot about the Case Study Homes (more on those in a future post) and I've taken a real liking to the Case Study line of furniture from Modernica. My favorites of the line are the bedroom furniture. I like the platform beds and the wire legs. It's the kind of furniture I go for - simple and casual, yet not unrefined or slouchy.

You can buy direct from Modernica, or at Design Within Reach, an authorized retailer.

The Modernica lines are great. They make everything from bedroom furnishings to shelving to dining tables to side tables and coffee tables. Lots of great chairs too. This is the hardcore modernist line.

The furniture is iconic, the real deal, and as such not particularly cheap. But if you're handy with tools you can go the DIY route and build your own - check out this post from materialicio.us.

Image credit - Design Within Reach

Layers Man, Layers - The Amazing Wall House by Frohn & Rojas

2007-07-07T11:28:00.000-04:00

I'm so tired of living in a regular American house - 2,200 square feet, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, study, basement - blah, blah, blah . When I see something really different I get excited. I am so blown away by this house in Chile by FAR - Frohn & Rojas that I saw on Your Abode .... Environmentality. The Wall House defies convention in so many ways. It's one of the most impressively different and innovative homes I've seen yet.

I really can't describe it any better than what FAR has written on their site:

"Suburban residence. As opposed to the general notion that our living environments can be properly described and designed “in plan”, this project is a design investigation into how the qualitative aspects of the wall, as a complex membrane, structure our social interactions and climatic relationships and enable specific ecologies to develop. The project breaks down the “traditional” walls of a house into a series of four delaminated layers ( concrete cave, stacked shelving, milky shell, soft skin ) in between which the different spaces of the house slip. From the inside out the layers build upon one another, both materially and geometrically, blurring the boundary between the interior and the exterior and creating, through the specificity of the different materials used (many of which are not common in architectural applications), a series of qualitatively distinct environments. The building's most standout feature, an energy screen typically used in greenhouse construction, constitutes the outermost layer, creating not only a diffused lighting and comfortably climatized zone inside but also, through its folding and sometimes- reflective/sometimes-translucent surface, contributes to the diamond-cut appearance of the structure."

Suburban residence?????? Not in my neighborhood, unfortunately. I applaud the approach, the originality, the materials, the style, the unconventional take. Just out of this world cool.

I love the idea of layers. That's something different for a house. It works for clothing, it should work for a house too. I don't think the outer "soft skin" would last long in a Michigan winter. But I don't know why we can't build a house that can adapt and change more for the seasons with multiple layers, maybe some that are removable/retractable/reconfigurable to respond to different climate conditions for different times of the year. Why just have one wall system that has to do it all, all the time? Something to think about.

The Wall House is something really different and very intriguing. I'm still continually amazed by how many unique solutions there are to the problem of housing, and I'm hopeful that we'll open our minds to the possibilities.

Via Your Abode .... Environmentality.

Image credits - FAR site

Greg La Vardera's Work and Stock Modernist Plans Featured by New York Times

2007-07-06T21:48:00.001-04:00

Today is a banner day, as architect Greg La Vardera's work and his excellent Vermont Plat House have been featured by the New York Times in the Great Homes section. It's a nice article about great architects who bring quality design to stock home plans, plans you can buy right on the Internet.

Greg does awesome modernist homes. I've mentioned the Vermont Plat House several times on this site. It's a modification of the standard Plat House plan, shown here. What can I say, beautiful house, great plan, amazing look. Soooo cool. It's little wonder this plan is a huge hit.

Here are a couple of other homes from his stock plans that I really like:

The Tray House - really nice floorplan. Absolutely nothing missing in this plan. I'm super picky about floorplans and yet I can't find any faults with it. This house would easily fit right in any suburban neighborhood, where I think modernist houses actually look out of place because everything else looks so McMansionish (at least here in Detroit), and where they are often - sadly - not welcomed by suspicious and closed-minded neighbors and their evil homeowners' associations. I don't mean to insult the design by saying it could fit in such an environment, I just mean this home has a very universal appeal (and as such is very appropriately categorized in Greg's "Zeitgeist House Group" of plans).

The Cube House - a cool three-story design. Another great plan, packing five bedrooms and a study in 2400 square feet! If you have big family this could be a great option. What kid wouldn't want to have one of those rooms on the third floor? I could also fulfill my Star Trek fantasy of belonging to the Borg Collective (where do I plug myself in?). Just kidding - I really love this house. I think I can safely say it's my personal favorite.

There are many others, and Greg introduces new ones from time to time. Check out his Modern House Plans site to see more. And don't miss Greg's great blog for lots of updates on his projects and many great pics of his work.

Want a totally custom home? Greg does that too. Give him a call or drop him a note. He's a super nice guy and a real talent. I think he'd be great to work with.

Congratulations Greg on the great recognition in the NY Times! Pretty cool. Well done.

Image credits - LaMiDesign

Green Roof Links, Eye Candy from Dwell

2007-07-05T19:40:00.001-04:00

Following my enthusiasm for green roofs yesterday, here are some links for more info:

greenroofs.com - extensive info, articles, examples, etc.
What is a Green Roof or "Living Roof" - via BuildingGreenTV.com
Sweet Sedum - nice article on Metropolis.com
greenroofs.org - "Healthy Roofs for Healthy Cities"
Wikipeida Entry - actually some good info and links
Seattlepi.com - good news article
materialicio.us - good post

Of course, I wouldn't do this post without some eye candy - I'm looking forward to seeing the completed Dwell Home II and it's living roof (I really love this house)! Apparently, they're finally clearing all the pre-construction hurdles and will start building soon!

I also really liked this house in Dwell, and its green roof:

Image credits - dwell.com

Cool Modern from Denmark - Christensen & Co Arkitekter

2007-07-04T21:25:00.000-04:00

Today I came across a hip blog called Design Spotter, and they had a post on a small rural cabin by the Danish architecture firm Christensen & Co Arkitekter. I clicked on over and was thrilled with what I saw: fresh, modernist designs with a green streak. The houses the firm shows on its site include lots of modest homes for real people. They're really cool looking too, really sharp.

One thing that struck me was how original the floorplans are. When you're talking about modernist homes you see a lot of the same thing, and a lot of it isn't really that good. Christensen has some super layouts. They do small bedrooms too, which you probably know by now is something I'm in favor of as a way of saving space for larger rooms where you do most of the real living.

Here's what they say about their approach to environmentally friendly design:

"Sustainability is no longer a field for pioneers; it has become a legal requirement and consensus in the building process. However, visionary solutions are rarely derived from the mainstream. At CCO our ambitions far exceed the revised building regulations of 1 January 2006. Several of projects are at the absolute forefront in this field."

What a great attitude! Embrace it and better it! Be the leader!

Here's a few pics of the residential projects I really liked:

That's some impressive stuff. Lots of green roofs in their work! And some interesting geometry, not just the typical plain modernist box. Nice integration of outdoor living spaces too. I'd move my family of four right in to any of these homes. I can't say that about a lot of stuff I see, but with these plans I really could.

Via Design Spotter.

Image credits - Christensen&Co site

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

2007-07-04T19:25:00.000-04:00

So, today I went to the bookstore, and of course the new issue of Dwell is on the rack. And, of course, even though I am a subscriber mine hasn't come yet. When I got home I happily skipped down the driveway, hopeful that I'd find it in my mailbox. Then I remembered, no mail today , it's the 4th.

America isn't perfect, by a long stretch. We need to show some awareness and appreciation for the rest of humanity, because we are only abut 300 million in world of over six and a half billion. We need to do a lot more to take care of the planet we all share. We need to remember that the freedoms we have are delicate, that they shouldn't be taken lightly, and that a lot of people enjoy far less than we do. In many countries I couldn't do this blog, or even speak my mind, or vote, or live without daily fear of violence, or have safe drinking water.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

For my liberty, I am thankful. For those without liberty, I am hopeful.

Happy Independence Day.

Image credit - ushistory.org

Green Roofs in a Great Book - Sustainable Environments by Yenna Chan

2007-07-04T15:17:00.001-04:00

I picked up another cool book today, Contemporary Design in Detail - Sustainable Environments, by Yenna Chan. It was just published in April, and it's really good.

Sustainable Environments is absolutely loaded with some of the coolest houses going, many of which I've talked about here in this blog, like: Steven Holl's Little Tesseract House, the ever-exciting C2C Home winner, and Shigeru Ban's Bamboo Furniture House. Other featured works are from noted firms like Arkin-Tilt, Pugh+Scarpa, ZEDFactory, and the good folks at Rural Studio.

One of the neatest things about the book is that roughly half the projects shown in it have green roofs. I love green roofs, I've already decided the home I build someday will have one, and I can't understand why on earth every new home shouldn't have one.

I like the green roof in the book done by Balmori Associates for the Solaire Building, a green residential tower in NYC which was chosen as an AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects. They have great pics of it on their site, as well as a short video that talks about all the benefits of green roofs, like helping to reduce the urban heat island effect, mitigating air pollution, absorbing stormwater and reducing runoff, and providing a green space for residents. There's another great video on the Solaire's green features here.

Green roofs rule! We need a green roof revolution in America!

Sustainable Environments is one boss book. Find it and read it.

Image credit - Rockport Publishers, AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects,

Boyd Cody Architects On rolu|dsgn Blog

2007-07-04T14:20:00.001-04:00

I was reading this great rambling post on the rolu|dsgn blog, which has a style I really dig. They made a reference to an Irish firm, Boyd Cody Architects, who look like they are doing a lot of cool modern stuff. The Alma Rd. House, shown below, is very appealing to me.

Definitely take a look at the Boyd Cody site. They have tons of pics of lots of projects. And drop in a check out rolu|dsgn if you haven't yet.

Image credit - Boyd Cody site

Eureka $mart House Energy Efficiency Challenge

2007-07-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

I love science fiction, and naturally enjoy the Sci-Fi Channel from time to time. Of course, the new Battlestar Galactica is one of my very favorite shows. Now I have another reason to enjoy the Sci-Fi Channel - their $mart House Energy Efficiency Challenge. It's part of Sci-Fi's Visions for Tomorrow program, which promotes a positive vision of the future enabled by empowered individuals. The challenge highlights energy saving tips and technology by giving one lucky winner a $25,000 home energy makeover, including:

Overall energy audit to identify energy problems and document what might be undertaken to make the home more energy-efficient by CMC Energy Services

Whirlpool ENERGY STAR-labeled kitchen and laundry appliances

Computer and energy-efficient electronics and wiring of the home by Consumer Electronics Association and their member companies

Energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting by OSRAM Sylvania

Sealing of all air leaks by The Dow Chemical Company

Appropriate insulation for the winner's particular climate

Programmable thermostat

Low-flow shower head

Faucet aerators

Ventilating fan, and much more

Sounds good. Enter here.

Via Climate Progress

Another Example of the technOrganic Future - C2C Home Winner

2007-07-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

Speaking of the technOrganic future in my post yesterday, I'm reminded of another brilliant example - the C2C Home Winner, which I blogged about before. That was six months ago (have I been doing this that long???) so I don't think there's any harm in showing it again. Anyway, it's that awesome. Anyone who hasn't seen it should. For those of you who have, tell me is this not the coolest of cool. Personally, I can never get enough of it.

The most exciting element of the house is the organic skin used to generate electricity:

"Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It is collected and returned. This design utilizes timeless passive solar strategies by shielding unwanted summer sun and absorbing heat from low winter sun through its thermal mass. Active solar collection provides the main source of necessary electrical energy. The core extends vertically, clad with a super-conductive photosynthetic plasma cell skin that is able to generate 200% more electrical voltage per area than contemporary photovoltaics. Building on current research involving extracted spinach protein, this living skin is photosynthetic and phototropic it grows and follows the path of the sun, generating electricity in excess of single family needs. excess power is distributed to neighboring homes and street lighting infrastructure."

Incredible. But why? Plants generate energy from sunlight. Surely we can understand and apply photosynthesis in human structures. Check out the house's other systems, and how they harmonize with nature, here.

Some pics:

Without question, this is one of my favorite homes, ever, period. Amazing.

Image credits C2C Home Winner site

ARCHiNODE Studio, and the Fab Tree Hab - the technOrganic Future

2007-07-01T22:25:00.000-04:00

I've seen this concept so many times before, in so many places, that I just didn't want to show it. But it's soooo cool, and today when I saw Shedworking post a YouTube video on it I just couldn't help myself. So here it is, the amazing Fab Tree Hab.

I must say, I blog about modernist houses, and yeah, I'm one of those people who love the "white box." But I really do believe that the future, the distant future that is, will be highly organic and deeply integrated with technology. We're already learning how living systems are vastly superior, how nature has solved problems that we can't yet touch, how adaptable and elegant it all is. To achieve sustainability, in the end, we'll inevitably arrive here.

Fab Tree Hab is the work of Mitchell Joachim and MIT colleagues Lara Greden and Javier Arbona. Joachim's practice, ARCHiNOD STUDIO, is firmly rooted in a brilliant vision of "architectural + urban + ecological design." I want to live in the future his work is pointing to:

Incredible. Want more? Check out the ARCHiNODE blog. Or check out Terreform, the nonprofit Joachim started with fellow architect Michael Sorkin (equally brilliant vision of an organic future) to "ascertain the consequences of fitting a project within our natural world setting."

These guys are doing radical stuff. They present a very exciting vision of the future. I wonder what it will take for us to get there, how long, how much pain before (will the world get worse before it gets better?), what will we lose, what will we give, what will we discover? I don't know, and even though I'm only in my mid-thirties I can't imagine I'll see it in my lifetime. But I know what I'm teaching my children.

From now on, I'll be on the lookout for more examples of this highly organic, technologically intertwined, vision, which I'll file in the category technOrganic Future.

Via Shedworking

Image credits - ARCHiNODE and Terreform sites

Modern Furniture Sunday - Eco-friendly by inmodern

2007-07-01T08:29:00.000-04:00

How about this: Rainforest Alliance certification, FSC certified real wood, 100% formaldehyde free, eco-friendly finishes, water-based stains, no tools assembly, no hardware required, designed and manufactured in the USA? Not bad. This is brought to you by inmodern, a new brand that popped on the scene a few months ago and that has some really fresh products.

Take a look at a few examples of their pieces:

The company currently has four collections: rekindle, surfin, intown and linear. They started with just a few simple tables, but keep expanding their catalog. The website shows a lot more great products coming soon. So far they have tables, shelving, desks, media centers and accessories (like magazine holders) in the product portfolio. Prices aren't too bad either. I usually get sticker shock when I'm shopping for good modern furniture, but these struck me as being relatively reasonable, especially considering the green practices inmodern follows.

My wife and I desperately need some new end tables. We're giving inmodern a serious look.

Image credits - inmodern site

Prefab Modular "Option" from Bauart Architekten and WeberHaus

2007-06-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I finally bought the last of the Mini House books I didn't have - the first in the series actually (nothing like working backwards!). Great book, of course, and full of interesting homes. One in particular caught my eye, the "Option" house, sold in Europe by WeberHaus.

The Option is a modular prefab box originally designed by the Swiss firm Bauart Architekten, and called the Small House. And small it is, only 678 square feet. But it packs a lot of living in its two stories, thanks to its simple plan and clean, minimalist aesthetic. Take a look:

See what I mean? I really like it. Need more space? You're right, 678 square feet is pretty small. No problem. You can combine multiple Options to form a single structure. Some really interesting variants have been produced.

Like this one ...

... and this one.

Again, I must recommend reading the three Mini House books. They're excellent. The pics of the Option in the first book are great, and you'll see tons of other cool, small houses.

Image credits - WeberHaus

Dwell.com's Video Series "Building Green in Harlem" - Green Brownstone Remodel

2007-06-30T14:03:00.000-04:00

I really don't know how I missed this, but the good news is I found it just in time. Dwell.com has been running a series of videos on their website about the Building Green in Harlem project - a modern and eco-conscious brownstone renovation. There's a new episode every Tuesday, and they're up to episode #9. Episode #10 is supposed to be the finale, so in just a few days you'll see the finished house as the homeowners move in. That's great, because if you haven't been following it already you've got some time to catch up before seeing the conclusion.

To get you started, here's Episode #1. Click on over to Dwell to see the rest.

Joel Karr Wants You! Group 41's Unique Offer to Design Your Sea Container Home

2007-06-29T21:06:00.000-04:00

So I have to ask you, dear reader, are you up to the challenge? Because Architect Joel Karr is, and he's throwing down the gauntlet. The principle of the San Fran based firm Group 41, Inc., Karr is making a very unique offer. He's looking for an enthusiastic client, with land and ready to build, and he's willing to chip in the design for free. The catch? He wants to do a sea container home.

When I got the PR statement on the offer I was more than a little intrigued by Joel's bold bid to attract a client, so I spoke with him on the phone today to find out more. We had a great chat. Like so many architects, Karr is really excited about building with sea containers. He likes the green aspect, the reuse of something discarded. "So many of them are just designed and built for a single use," Karr said, and "you see yards full of derelict boxes." He called building with shipping containers "a solution to a blight." Well said. I couldn't agree more.

Karr is also fascinated with the design possibilities afforded by the unique nature of sea containers. He likened working with sea containers to playing with kids' building blocks, and talked about "creating an architectural language that is truly scalable, but modular." "You really can think limitlessly," Karr said. Listening to him, I got a great sense of his passion for design and his desire to challenge himself, and challenge paradigms, with the unique possibilities that sea container building affords.

Much to my surprise, Karr's unique offer is born out of frustration. He's been trying to find a client to do a shipping container project with, but although many people are interested, none have been willing to go that route. And to make matters worse, Karr sees far more enthusiasm being turned in to action outside the U.S., and he wants to change that. "When the rubber meets the road the vast majority just don't have the guts." He said his offer is "a challenge, a call to arms."

I'm with him! We talked about how hard it is in the U.S. to really do something different. Everyone wants to, but at the end of the day our culture just doesn't support it. In my opinion (John Commoner talking here, not Joel Karr) we still have too much of a Puritan conformist streak to really let ourselves go for it. The so called Silent Majority, for lack of a better term, has a way of quietly discouraging that. We all know we're supposed to cut our grass, and keep our house looking the right way. Nobody wants to be that character in the neighborhood that everyone is whispering about. I think a lot of architects, like Joel, want to see that change. It's in their nature. I hope they succeed.

I asked Joel what his ideal client would be. "Do they have the imagination?" was his response. He's looking for someone who is willing to do something really different. He remarked that lots of architects do concept sketches to satisfy their need to build. Karr prefers not to do that, so as not to limit his clients' imaginations. "My outlet is to shake people out of their complacency."

This is not a contest where Karr will select just one winner. "I'm willing to do as many as come my way if people are serious." Karr is looking for people who have land, and who can show a financial commitment (he isn't going to do a design for free, then not see it built). And he really wants a site in a rural area, where it is easier to work through the permit process for something so unique as a container house, and where the site and surroundings will provide him with more freedom to explore the design possibilities of such a unique system of building.

Karr is ready to go green to, very green. So all comers, be ready to talk about alternative energy. "I'd love to do one completely off the grid," said Karr. Of course, he noted that whatever he does will be in the best interests of the site and the client's desires. But he wants someone with an open mind who is willing to explore green design with him.

I'd love to take him up on his challenge. I want something as different as Joel is describing, but my wife and I are still a few years away from starting our dream home. But I'm sure some of my readers must be ready, and for those of you who are I really encourage you to get in touch with Joel and talk to him about it. It was a great pleasure speaking with him today. I could hear his enthusiasm and I got really excited listening to him talk about sea container homes. It could be a unique way to get a great design at a bargain rate. It's worth checking out.

You can e-mail him at joel@group41inc.com (please, serious inquiries only) or follow the general contact info listed on the Group 41 website.

Landscaping of La Vardera's Vermont Plat House Underway

2007-06-29T05:51:00.000-04:00

Ever since running across rolu|dsgn's great modernist treatment of the first hiveMODULAR house I've been on the lookout for other examples of appropriate landscaping for modernist homes. It's been harder than I thought it would be. But here's something to watch: the cool Vermont Plat House by architect Greg La Vardera just kicked off its landscaping. I'll be curious to see how it turns out. But if it is like the rest of the project it will be great.

Definitely drop in on the project, which is chronicled in Greg's blog from start to finish in twenty-six posts (and counting).

Image credit - LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog

Slow Home Wants to Empower You to "Take Control of Your Home and Community"

2007-06-27T21:12:00.001-04:00

You've heard of slow food, and maybe slow cities. Now this great post on WorldChanging is introducing us to a great site called Slow Home. The slow home concept is introduced as a counter to mass produced housing, which it likens to unhealthy and unsatisfying fast food. It presents a lot of great ideas about what's wrong with American housing, and offers a different way.

The meat of the site is a rich folio of projects, products and people that exemplify slow home concepts. There are tons of pics of great houses. I'm like a kid in a candy store clicking through them. There's even a "Slow Home TV" section with lots of cool videos. There are interviews with architects and product designers, videos of their houses, and many episodes of the "Slow Home Reports."

The site is interesting and informative. It's an instant favorite for me. I've only been able to get through a small fraction of it - there's a lot of material - but I just couldn't wait to bring it to your attention. You'll want to read the WorldChanging post, and visit the site yourself, but let me leave you with one more thing from Slow Home, the best part of all - the Slow Home "10 Steps:"

1. GO INDEPENDENT
Avoid homes by big developers and large production builders. They are designed for profit not people. Work with independent designers and building contractors instead.

2. GO LOCAL

Avoid home finishing products from big box retailers. The standardized solutions they provide cannot fit the unique conditions of your home. Use local retailers, craftspeople, and manufacturers to get a locally appropriate response and support your community.

3. GO GREEN

Stop the conversion of nature into sprawl. Don’t buy in a new suburb. The environmental cost can no longer be justified. Re-invest in existing communities and use sustainable materials and technologies to reduce your environmental footprint.

4. GO NEAR

Reduce your commute. Driving is a waste of time and the new roads and services required to support low density development is a big contributor to climate change. Live close to where you work and play.

5. GO SMALL

Avoid the real estate game of bigger is always better. A properly designed smaller home can feel larger AND work better than a poorly designed big one. Spend your money on quality instead of quantity.

6. GO OPEN

Stop living in houses filled with little rooms. They are dark, inefficient, and don’t fit the complexity of our daily lives. Live in a flexible and adaptive open plan living space with great light and a connection to outdoors.

7. GO SIMPLE

Don’t buy a home that has space you won’t use and things you don’t need. Good design can reduce the clutter and confusion in your life. Create a home that fits the way you really want to live.

8. GO MODERN

Avoid fake materials and the re-creation of false historical styles. They are like advertising images and have little real depth. Create a home in which character comes from the quality of space, natural light and the careful use of good, sustainable materials.

9. GO HEALTHY

Avoid living in a public health concern. Houses built with cheap materials off gas noxious chemicals. Suburbs promote obesity because driving is the only option. Use natural, healthy home materials and building techniques. Live where you can walk to shop, school and work.

10. GO FOR IT

Stop procrastinating. The most important, and difficult, step in the slow home process is the first one that you take. Get informed and then get involved with your home. Every change, no matter how small, is important.

I like those a lot. Not a bad manifesto. Slow Home is a site you won't want to miss. Check it out.

Make a Plan - Yahoo! Green Interactive Site

2007-06-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

I was looking at the Yahoo! Green site. It has a really nice interactive "green house" that guides you to sustainable living tips, room by room. You can also calculate your impact, then use the site's tool to help you "make a plan" for reducing the impact of your own home. You can submit your plan, along with your zip code, and then the site sums up the total of all users' commitments to green up their homes, and how much CO2 is being saved as a result.

I think it's pretty neat. This weekend I'll be making my plan and submitting it. Check it out and give it a try.

New Australian Mag on Sustainable Architecture

2007-06-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

A cool new mag to look for: Green - Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design. From Australia. A quarterly publication that's right up my alley. First issue just got published this month. I'll see if I can find it and do a proper review. For now, check out their website.

Via treehugger.

Image credit - Green magazine site

Go Underground with Architect Malcolm Wells

2007-06-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

When I was in middle school my science teacher, Mr. O'Leary, showed the class a film about an underground house (this was back in the '80s, with the really bad projectors and everything). The movie was all about how underground houses are not cold, dark, or wet. Rather, they can be very inviting and very energy efficient. In retrospect, Mr. O'Leary was a pretty cool guy, and I think now he showed us that film because he wanted to live in an underground house. Can't blame him.

In college I came across the work of architect Malcolm Wells. If you want to learn about underground houses, run - do not walk, to your nearest library and find one of his books. Wells has been a genuine pioneer and his work in underground or earth sheltered building, and passive solar design has inspired so many people for many years. He's done a ton of great books, full of his brilliant designs and illustrations. I used to keep checking this one out of the Purdue library, over and over. My name must have been on the book card twenty times by the time I graduated (yeah, back then they didn't just scan the ISBN number into the computer, you signed a little card in a pocket in the book's back cover, for you youngsters who've never heard of such a crazy thing).

Wells has done several notable homes, most famous of which is probably this one on Cape Cod. Lovely, isn't it? Wells is a beautiful artist. His books are filled with his wonderful sketches. Very inspiring.

I like his vision. Change from the sad old spec house (like the one I live in right now) to something natural, beautiful, and efficient.

Wells is really one of the greats. As far as natural housing goes, don't miss out on his work. Check out his website, and go find some of his books. You'll really like them, and you'll learn a lot.

Image credits - Malcolm Wells' site

Google Map of hiveMODULAR Projects in Twin Cities

2007-06-24T08:33:00.000-04:00

I am so loving hiveMODULAR's new blog. They're homes are so cool, and it's great to learn more about hive homes, and their philosophy, in the blog. Check this post - the have a Google map of Hive projects in the Twin Cities.

These guys are busy - they've got a ton of projects going on! Take a look, you'll see images of the houses at each location. I like this B-Line Small:

Image credits - hiveMODULAR

Modern Furniture Sunday - Eames Shell Rocker

2007-06-24T07:55:00.000-04:00

I want to start talking about furniture. This is probably because I'm tired of all the lame Pottery Barn stuff my wife and I have. Tastes change, y'know. Time has come to redecorate. So I thought on Sundays, since I spend most of the day lounging on the sofa anyway, it would be okay to talk less about houses and give a little time to what you put in them.

For our first Furniture Sunday I have to give the nod to my all time favorite modernist piece: the Eames Shell Rocker from Herman Miller. Part of a large line of molded chairs, the rocker is my fave, though I like all the versions. I like the colors. I like that they are recyclable. I like that they were designed to be mass produced and to be affordable. Introduced in 1948, they're now iconic. They're versatile, casual, and as Herman Miller says, the materials are "expressed honestly and unselfconsciously."

You can buy them just about anywhere online. Try these places:

hive
retromodern
Design Within Reach

About $399. Not too bad for an all time classic.

Image credit - Herman Miller site

Check Out Architectural Record Online

2007-06-23T21:46:00.000-04:00

I don't really know why I got interested in houses, especially modern and green houses, but I do know when: I was in college. I went to Purdue, and I spent a lot of spare time in the libraries looking for good books and digging out and going through old magazines. My favorite thing to do was to go up into "the stacks" in the HSSE Library. The stacks were five floors of old periodicals, filed neatly on massive shelves. The levels had low ceilings and narrow rows, and there were no windows, only bad fluorescent lamps. It was kinda creepy up there. I was always on the lookout for weirdos, but mostly I just ran across the odd grad student looking for a quite place to study, or once in a while some young couple making out.

I guess I was kind of a dork. Sadly, not much has changed! But there were bright spots. I came across Architectural Record, and soon started digging out all the "Record House" issues. And there I fell in love with modernist houses.

I still love checking out this mag, and the good news is you can see Record Houses online (at least a few years worth), and they also have featured houses in lots of neat categories like "California's Anti-sprawl," "Built Into Their Sites," and "Off the Beaten Path."

There's always something cool. Actually, I like the section on Unbuilt Houses the best. There are some really different designs. My favorite of the bunch is the "Distributed House" by OMA, which was designed for a beautiful island site in the Bahamas. To take advantage of the many different spectacular views available the home was programmed into many individual freestanding pavilions.

"The house’s diffuse site plan capitalizes on the many different views and landscape conditions on the island. A rolled-steel master bedroom rests on dunes and is connected to the beach with a bridge; a tower for children’s bedrooms on a hill provides sweeping views of the island; and a guesthouse overlooks the ocean and allows for autonomous hospitality. At the center of this group is a square-shaped dining room, which the architects liken to a “mini acropolis.” Its four counter-weighted walls easily open to transform the volume into a covered, outdoor eating area."

Sounds cool. Too bad it was never built! I always wanted to live in a "house" like that. I know what I want each room to do, what always spoils it for me is how do you put the rooms together in a way that makes sense. I guess that's what a good architect is for. Here are a few pics of the Distributed House concept:

There are more images online, plus lots of other neat houses, both constructed and never built. Give it a look. You don't have to be a dork to enjoy Architectural Record, and you don't have to dig around in dusty libraries either. There's a lot of great content online, and Borders (which was just a single campus bookstore in Ann Arbor when I was growing up there) is now a nationwide chain and you can usually find it on their shelves.

Image credits - Architectural Record site

Green in the UK - ZEDFactory Ltd.

2007-06-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

The UK is one country that's really, really caught the bug when it comes to green building. The nation appears poised to take a real leadership role, and there's a lot of great stuff happening there. It tends to be a little groovier, and usually a whole lot greener, than what's coming out of the USA. Not that we don't have great stuff here - we do - but I like what I see the Brits doing.

Here's a great example of the UK's finest: ZEDfactory Ltd. ZED stands for Zero (fossil) Energy Development. The firm does everything from urban design and master planning to multi-family residences to individual homes to eco-refurb to landscaping. Everything is low energy / low impact.

In the HomeZED, timberframe construction is combined with high thermal mass and heavy insulation. Passive strategies compliment the construction methods for simple, natural heating and cooling. The home has ample daylighting, and produces more than its own energy needs via renewable energy sources and sells the excess back to the grid. Prototypes are already being built. I think a HomeZED would be well suited to our climate here in southeast Michigan , and I could definitely see myself living in one.

Here are two other examples of ZED's great green homes:

The stunning, earth sheltered "Bath Springs" house (I'd move in here in a heartbeat).

The RuralZED Carbon Neutral Kit Home - a timberframe kit house with "fully integrated renewable micro-generation technology." These houses are highly flexible and can be built by the DIY types, or by developers who choose to combine them into multi-family units.

Shouldn't every neighborhood look more like that? I really like what ZED is doing. Their homes look very practical. I think this is what the future of green design really looks like - affordable and realistic, yet not sacrificing in sustainability. Something that is adaptable to differing development scenarios. I hope to see more work like theirs here in the United States.

Image credits - ZEDfactory Ltd. site

Flat Roofs are "Flat Out Better"

2007-06-21T21:22:00.000-04:00

The flat roof is a defacto modern standard. Curiously, it's often hotly debated whether a flat roof is better than a pitched roof, or if it is an inferior design. Personally, I like them. So I was very happy to read this post, Flat Out Better, on the great blog From the Ground Up. If you haven't been following it, From the Ground Up chronicles the design and construction of a modern home in Minnesota - a nice one. And it has a flat roof, as many modern homes do.

Here's an excerpt from the post, explaining why flat roofs are a great way to go:

"What you never seem to hear about flat roofs are all the great benefits they have over pitched roofs. Flat roofs are generally better insulated than pitched roofs which leads to reduced heating and cooling needs. Although they generally cost more to install they usually last much longer before needing to be replaced and can reduce your heating and cooling needs. Many flat roofs can be designed and engineered to incorporate green areas that reduce the over-all Carbon foot print of the home, as well as utilizing the space for functional or entertaining purposes. And if that doesn’t convince you than maybe this will — most insurance companies offer a discount on your rates if you have a flat roofs as they are less likely to suffer from wind or hail damage and often times more resistant to fire."

Very interesting. There's a lot more to the post, so click on over and check out the whole story. If you're designing your modern home and wanted a flat roof, but were afraid of doing it because you'd heard a lot of negative things about them, this article helps explain what to watch out for, and why flat roofs are a good option.

Image credit - From the Ground Up site

Prefab Wednesday on The Good Human

2007-06-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

I like the Good Human. He's a man - he's every man - he's every man's hopes for himself and others - it's a blog - whatever. As green blogs go I give this one two thumbs up. And as a bonus, the Good Human has been doing "Prefab Wednesday" the last few weeks. Today it's LivingHomes by Ray Kappe, last week was Greg La Vardera's 6040 House, and the week before that MKD's Breezehouse.

So, something special to look forward to every Wednesday. But I'd recommend adding the Good Human to your feed reader, because it's full of great green living ideas every day.

hiveMODULAR Launches Blog

2007-06-20T19:42:00.000-04:00

Hey - hiveMODUALR started a blog yesterday. Cool! I love their houses. Can't wait to see what they do with it. So far they have a forum and an image gallery. Niiiice!

Image credit - hiveMODULAR blog

Architects Perrine and Maynard Tell it Like it Is - Respond with Cool Prefab Solutions

2007-06-20T18:16:00.001-04:00

Over the past couple of days my Google Reader has been buzzing with good posts on cool modern prefabs. Here's a couple that I really liked:

The Perrinepod,via Equity Green. This statement from the Perrinepod site nails it:

"My design is about appreciating the beauty of simple, uncluttered space." The perrinepod is very functional, very sexy, very simple, with the form of the spaces inside following the function, there's no pretense, just simple, beautiful designs. It's a really cool thing to have no falseness - for example, the bathrooms are simply designed as a place to wash, backed up by quality materials.

Living spaces have become as transient and irrelevant as clothes. It's no longer a look for a generation, the look of 'now' only lasts for a three to four year period.

That approach is not sustainable and people are putting themselves under a lot of unnecessary pressure trying to keep up. The Perrine Pod is the antithesis of all of that - simple design, beautiful materials that will remain classic. It's not a 'look at me' statement, but a home that is comfortable, stylish and above all, functional." - Jean-mic Perrine

And, the Quon Modular, via Materialicio.us and via your abode .... environmentality. The Quon is the work of Australia's Andrew Mayndard. This guy's stuff just blows my mind. Every time I look at his site I get a boost. He has some of the funkiest designs. Maynard's firm is hot as the sun right now.

The Quon's manifesto, described in this quote from Maynard's site:

"We believe that the housing industry is in the dark ages, and as such are offering Quon as a premium modular housing product rather than a traditional hand built house. Delivery within 10 weeks of order, infinite arrangements based on our modular system and a procurement process more like purchasing a car than a home. It is our belief that more and more people are interested in fast, efficient and affordable living, and we intend on becoming the industry leader in Housing. Let the revolution begin."

Give me the party flag and tell me where the front lines are - I'm in, Comrade Maynard. Several are being built now - from off the grid in the boonies, to a rooftop of a seven story building in a densely populated urban jungle.

Perrine and Maynard are telling it like it is, and they're responding with some slick solutions.

The future of housing really is NOW.

Image credits - Perrinepod and Quon sites

Showcase House: Wired Home by Living Homes

2007-06-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

I wasn't at all surprised to get the press release today on the Wired Home by Living Homes. Wired has for a long time given good coverage to modern, green homes that embrace technology as well as good design. And working with Living Homes is a perfect match. Living Homes produces stunning modern luxury homes to the highest LEED standards. The house will showcase many aspects of green design and construction including prefab, reclamation and reuse, infill, sustainable materials, LED lighting, efficient appliances, the latest in solar power ... you name it this house will have it. As for technology, you don't have to worry, the house will have the latest and greatest of everything, of course (c'mon, this is the Wired Home, so expect a lot - you'll get it).

It's a big home, over 4,000 square feet, and it will cost millions. I tend to advocate smaller homes and affordability for regular families, but I'm not about to fire any criticism at the project, because it is meant to be a showcase house, and all showcase houses are top end. This project is already underway, and will be completed and open to public tours by this fall. A percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to Global Green USA.

I think we'll see a lot of neat stuff come out of this project, and I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's done. Should be cool. Certainly looks great. Read the press release on the Wired Home site for full details.

Image credit - Wired Home site

Ane Weissheimer in Brazil - Modern Stunner

2007-06-17T22:01:00.000-04:00

So, the other day I mentioned my friend and colleague Fernando, who is from Brazil. He's the friend I am sending on a mission to find the Slice House, because he lives in the city where it is. Anyway, I was talking to him and showing him my site, when he mentions that his wife is an architect. How cool! And she's just done a house for her sister, who lives in Camaqua, Brazil. Here are some pics Fernando sent me today.

Stunning, isn't it. Fernando's wife certainly has an eye for spectacular modern style. Her name is Ane Weissheimer, and she practices in Porto Alegre, Brazil. I'd like to learn more about her work. It's very interesting to see how houses in different parts of the world are constructed (I threw in some of the construction pics too). You don't see very many concrete houses like this one in the USA. The house is just now about 95 percent complete, and the homeowners are moving in.

It's so fun to meet people from different parts of the world. The company I work for is very international, and meeting nice people like Fernando is a real perk of my job. The training program Fernando and I are on is taking us to some interesting places. We're going to India next month, and possibly Slovenia in August or September. I bet I'll see some really interesting stuff along the way. Maybe something more for this blog. We'll see ...

Image credits - Ane Weissheimer

Great Little Stone House in Texas - Designed by Architect Chris Krager of KRDB

2007-06-17T14:26:00.000-04:00

As I often do, I was watching HGTV's show Small Space Big Style (episode HSSBS-410), and was very happy to find this hip little stone house in Texas. Besides its great modern style, modest footprint (1,000 sq-ft), and simple plan, I really like the massive walls. Made of large stone blocks, lifted and set in place by the owner and friends (with lots of determined DIY elbow grease ), the house blends well with the rugged surroundings of the site. It's a very natural construction method that is quite appropriate for the hot, dry climate of the site. It looks amazing too.

Inside, the house has a single great room for living, cooking and dining, and two small bedrooms in the back; one for parents and one for their two small sons. The bathroom is in between the two bedrooms. The large expanse of glass on the great room looks out onto a nice landscape, and combines with a cantilevered patio to melt away the differences between inside and out, and expand the effective living area. It looks like a very casual and comfortable little house. Definitely not short on style.

The house was designed by Chris Krager of KRDB. The firm does slick modernist housing that is also meant to be affordable to people on real budgets. Great looking stuff. You can see more images of this stone house and other awesome projects on the KRDB site - the URL is lividpencil.com - how cool is that!

You can also see a lot more nice pics on the owner's site, Primitive Modern. I was figuring the house to be a vacation cottage, but actually I was wrong. On the KRDB site this house is called the "San Marcos Guest House." When I contacted the owner, Max, he sent me some pics of the house, and the new main house that is being built nearby. Max and his family have been living in their future guest house while their regular house is being built.

Pretty nice, huh? Max says it is almost done, and I can't wait to see what the completed house is like. I see that it has the same great modern style and rugged stone walls. But I'm still most infatuated with the little guest house. I like its natural stone walls, its simple style, and the fact that the owners did so much of the construction themselves. It must be very satisfying to build with your own two hands, using the simplest construction material offered by nature, one that will stand the test of time.

Image credits - Small Space Big Style (HGTV site), Primitive Modern site

Sycamore Ceiling Fan - Inspired by Nature

2007-06-17T06:55:00.000-04:00

It's always been wise to study and duplicate nature, and the recent push by designers to do so is wonderful. Results are often quite amazing. Case in point, look at this elegant ceiling fan from Australia. Modeled on the wing-like shape of a seed pod from a Sycamore tree, the Sycamore Ceiling Fan can create the same airflow as conventional flat-winged fans but at much lower speeds. The result is lower energy consumption, far less noise, and great modern looks. Nice.

Personally, I dislike air conditioning for a lot of reasons. A nice fan or two, in combination with good insulation and shading, proper siting of the house, and cross-ventilating windows, ought to do the trick in many parts of the country for most of the time. This nature-inspired fan would be a nice part of that simple cooling strategy.

Via Your Abode .... Environmentality

Image credit - Sycamore Ceiling Fan site

Visit shedworking - Great Blog on Working at Home in Backyard Structures

2007-06-16T12:47:00.000-04:00

I was pleased to get an e-mail today from Alex, who has a delightful U.K.-based blog called shedworking. It's dedicated to working from home in backyard offices, and it's a really fun read. Alex has an eye for slick stuff, including lots of modern and prefab sheds, offices, and cabins. Let me give you a couple of examples from shedworking posts:

The Colani Rotor House:

Hobby Huts from FAT Architects:

TS1 (Transportable Space One):

An interesting garden shed designed for the Chelsea Flower Show:

I think these kind of intriguing outdoor structures really help enhance your home. It's great to have a little space to get away. I've always dreamed of working from home, in a small office out back, preferably overlooking a nice little pond. Doing Future House Now is fun, but I think it would be even better in a smart shed office. Alex's site is a great resource if you're having those same thoughts.

Shedworking is doing very well. Alex has a book of the same name coming next year, and is also an organizer of the U.K.'s first ever National Shed Week to be held this July. Pretty impressive. Definitely do click over to shedworking, and say "hi!" to Alex. What a great site. I know I'll be reading from now on, and I bet you'll like it too.

Image credits - shedworking posts

See More of Uni's Inspiring Designs

2007-06-16T08:43:00.000-04:00

If you read dwell on a regular basis you've no doubt seen the work of husband and wife architects Beat Schenk and Chaewon Kim. The couple, and their unique homes in Cambridge, have been featured twice in the modernist mag. The first house was a great remodel, and then they built three more on their site. But have you also seen the website for the couple's practice, Uni, or Uni's blog, or have you watched them on HGTV's fun show What's With That House (episode HWTH-309)? You can see tons more of Uni's four great houses at these resources. The Uni main site also has lots of links to other places where their work is featured, and more great images there too.

Here's a couple of pics from their blog that I like:

I admire Uni's minimalist style and their DIY attitude. They do great things with simple materials, and they show that high style can be had on a budget. Here's something to watch for - on their main site they show the four houses they've already built, and it looks like two more are coming! No pics yet, but the site shows an "XL," and a "+" which I can't wait to see!

There's also an "H" shown on the site, which Uni designed as their entry to a competition for a wilderness base camp (the Palisades Glacier Mountain Hut Competition). A very cool design for a cool contest. The "H" is based on modules of standard ISO sea containers clad in transparent materials, stacked like building blocks, and powered by the sun. How cool. Here's their entry board:

Good stuff. Definitely a team to keep watching.

Image credits - Uni's Blog, Uni main site

Phillippe Barriere Collective's MTGH on Prefab Friday

2007-06-15T09:43:00.001-04:00

So, finally it is Friday. Ah yes, the universal day of happiness (surpassed only by Saturday morning). I'm still sitting in my hotel, as I have been out of town on business all week, but I'm headed home this afternoon. With a little free time this morning before a lunch meeting, I am catching up on my Google Reader, and the first thing I click to is, naturally, Prefab Friday on Inhabitat. Prefab Friday, to me, is that little breath of fresh air every week, and it makes a special day just that little bit better.

Today is a great one! Oh, I love this - a very clever and neat prefab concept called MTGH (Modular Transition Growth Housing). It's from the Philippe Barriere Collective. To quote Inhabitat, "a highly-adaptable, scalable, and efficient form of building." I won't say any more, because Inhabitat has covered it so well, so please check out their post. I'll just leave you with my favorite two images. You can see a lot more on Inhabitat and on the PB+Co site.

Man, just look at that. With so much cool stuff happening right now in prefab and residential architecture, tell me you're not excited! You have to be!

Image credit - Inhabitat post

Check Out This New Site: Small House Style

2007-06-15T07:17:00.000-04:00

You know that I think small houses are great. Two reasons. One, the first rule of green building is to build as little as possible. Second, I really like the Japanese design concept of turning a limitation into a strength. You only have to look at the modern homes coming out of Japan right now to get the idea. The extra care spent on overcoming the restrictions of limited space makes for very interesting homes. Small, but spectacular.

So I was really happy to find this interesting new site, Small House Style.

"Small House Style is a web mag dedicated to all things Small House.
Visit often. Get the Small House scoop. Get inspired."

I like the theme, and the site is certainly well done. Nice book list too. I think it will have a lot to offer as it grows. Check it out.

Sorry for No Posts This Week! Away on Business :(

2007-06-14T06:56:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I am out of town on business for my day job and really, really busy. Plus the Internet connection at the hotel where I am staying is very slow and makes it hard to do anything as page loading just sucks up all the time I would have to write something decent.

But here's the good news. I am meeting with a project team I am on, and we are coming from all around the world. We have people from Japan, Singapore, France, Slovenia, and Brazil. I am the only American. My colleague from Brazil, is from Porto Alegre, home of the fascinating Slice House.

So, I gave my buddy Fernando an assignment. When he gets home, he has to find the Slice House in Porto Alegre, and send me a picture with him standing in front of it. We'll see what he can do. Fernando is very reliable about these sorts of things (he's just a super fun guy) and so I know he will come through for me. When he does, I will post up the pic.

I will be back home tomorrow night, and regular posting will resume on the weekend. Until then, thanks for visiting Future House Now, and check some of the great sites I link to in my sidebar. There's no lack of amazing, modern and/or green homes on the web right now.

Cheers!

Power Unit Studio's "Y-House" - Japanese Modern Marvel in Concrete

2007-06-10T23:39:00.000-04:00

I saw the greatest house today on HGTV's show World's Most Extreme Homes. It was yet another amazingly cool Japanese home, this time by the firm Power Unit Studio. It's called the "Y-House" and it is an absolute wonder in concrete.

The house is cantilevered over a sloping suburban lot in Nagoya. Multiple levels flow down through the house, invoking the falling elevation of the site. The owners are both designers, and work from home. Their roomy office hangs out over the main living space and looks down on it via a large window. Typical of Japanese modern homes, there's a sleek and functional kitchen tucked behind one wall. Sleeping spaces are small and simply appointed. I don't think there is a 90 degree angle in the whole place. The roof and porch space look like something out of a skate park. This is one urban (suburban, really) infill project that clearly doesn't mind clashing with the neighborhood!

I think the pics here, from the Power Unit Studio site, just don't quite do the house justice. Maybe because as depicted here it isn't really being lived in yet. On World's Most Extreme Homes (episode HWEXT-410), with the owners there and their belongings in the house, it actually looks extremely warm and comfortable. You can also see a some more pics in a .pdf file here that show it a lot better (click the first link in the Google search results that come up).

I continue to be entranced by Japanese modernist houses. They're soooo different from American homes, and for whatever reason, to me they just look much more livable and comfortable. I really can't put my finger on why that is, but I'm enjoying digging around and finding more of them. I like the Y-House a lot.

Image credits - Power Unit Studio site

Another Blog That Tracks Progress of a Real Modern Prefab Project - ModHampton

2007-06-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to point out a really interesting blog that my friend Justin over at materialicio.us discovered: ModHampton. This is definitely right our up alley here at Future House Now.

YUM!!! Check it out! That kitchen is done in absolutely my favorite color!!!

See tons more pics on the ModHampton site. This sweet modern prefab from Wieler (a luscious "Rapson Greenbelt 2" model) is almost done, so hurry over. You'll see all that it took to bring it to be, and soon see the completed project. Of course, it's always great to learn from the trials and tribulations of others. Whether you're planning your own project and want to learn from the experiences of others, of if you just want to live vicariously through them, this is a good one for you!

Via materialicio.us

Image credit - ModHampton site.

The Self Fab House - Amazing Architecture Competition

2007-06-09T20:30:00.000-04:00

I just stumbled on a really amazing and impressive international architecture contest run by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia. It's the Self Fab House competition, which invites design proposals for self-sufficient housing. This is the second running of the contest. Entries opened in April, close in September, and results will be announced by November of this year.

Take a look at the top projects from the first Self-Fab House competition. Stunning!!!!

And it looks like the first running of the competition spawned a book, which I am now officially dying to get my hands on.

Via Archidose (A Daily Dose of Architecture).

Image credits - Self Fab House Competition site

Lori Ryker's Excellent Off the Grid Books

2007-06-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

I just picked up a copy of Lori Ryker's recent book, Off the Grid Homes: Case Studies for Sustainable Living. It's a follow up to the earlier book of the same theme, Off the Grid: Modern Homes + Alternative Energy, which I bought last summer and have really enjoyed. The new book is just as good, maybe even better.

Both texts take an in-depth look at a half dozen or so houses that all employ a variety of green strategies both in design/construction and power generation. You'll see examples of passive and active strategies, PV and wind power, solar hot water systems, rainwater catchment, graywater, geothermal, and natural cooling. Featured homes range from city, to suburbs, to rural locations. Some are big, some are small. They're all really nice homes. Very inspiring.

Ryker is an architect, and the latest book features her own home, the RN House or Outside/In House (pictured on the new book's cover). It's a green, off the grid marvel that lives very large for its modest 2,200 square feet. You can read a little about it at this post on treehugger, and you can see a slide show of the house on Outside Magazine's website.

Other architects' works featured include Pugh+Scarpa, Arkin-Tilt, and Lake/Flato. Color pictures throughout will make you drool, and keep you coming back to pull these books from your bookcase again and again.

The Off the Grid books are really great. You'll learn a lot about how truly green homes are built, and how varying strategies work together to compliment the site's location and characteristics, and the needs of the homeowners. Highly recommended for your green home library.

Image credits - Amazon.com listings

See Great Construction Images of Nearly Completed Happy New House

2007-06-09T12:37:00.001-04:00

A while back I blogged about the Alan Family's Happy New House - a groovalicious remodel aimed at transforming a small mid-century home into something more suitable for a busy, modern family. It's a smart and spirited design that's sure to brighten your mood. Personally, I'm in love with it.

The remodel includes a major addition, and the home isn't finished yet, but the site has been getting updated with pictures of construction. They recently added a page on finish details, which means they're getting close. You should pop in and take a look if you haven't visited in a while. Some of the construction pics are great teasers of what the finished house will be like. Here's a couple of examples:

Nice, huh? You bet! I am really looking forward to seeing this house when it's all done. It has everything going for it: a famous architect, high style, modest size (just 2,000 sq-ft for a family of five), lots of light, and bright colors. So cool!

Image credits - Happy New House site

Urban Infill Magic - Donald Chong's Galley House in Toronto

2007-06-09T06:51:00.000-04:00

There's a neat post today on MoCo Loco about a design competition in Toronto tied to the city's architecture and design festival called Twenty + Change. One of the featured projects is Donald Chong's Galley House, a slim infill design that's really turning heads.

It's always fun to see what people do with tiny, overlooked lots like this one. The Galley House is small but stunning. Though it is only one room wide, and looks quite narrow from the outside, on the inside it gives the impression of overflowing with space. Here's a few more pics from Chong's site:

The Galley House is a head turner, but it doesn't overpower the neighborhood it's living in. Inside, however, it has a bold, sculptural quality. The spaces are flooded with natural light. I really like the outdoor living spaces Chong incorporated too. It's a great example of doing a lot with just a little space.

You can read a little more about Chong at this page on the IDS07 show.

Via MoCo Loco

Image credits - Donald Chong Studio site

Interesting Cost Detail at A Prefab Project Blog

2007-06-08T19:17:00.000-04:00

In an earlier post I pointed out the great blog, A Prefab Project, where you can follow the progress of a Res4 home being built in West Virginia. It's a great site that really gives you a feel for what it's like to undertake a project like that.

One thing I like most about the site is a dedicated budget page that keeps a running tab on costs. It's been recently updated, and gives a lot of detail, the kind of detail you don't get from glossy magazine articles. The site is tracking estimated versus actual costs, and gives great commentary on individual line items. So far only one item - the house kit itself - has an actual cost pinned against the estimate. They're a little over at the moment. It'll be interesting to see how things go as construction progresses.

If you're considering building a home of your own, prefab or not, you won't want to miss this site. It's a great chance to learn from the real life experiences of others, and hopefully that can help make your own project go that much more smoothly.

Image credit - A Prefab Project site

Inspiration from Detroit's Past - Frank Lloyd Wright's Cooperative Homesteads Project

2007-06-07T20:51:00.000-04:00

Okay. Confession time. No, I am not from California, or Oregon, or New York City. I'm not a trendy design professional, I'm not an architect, I don't come from a family of builders. Guess what I do for a living. C'mon - guess! Here it is: I'm an autoworker, and I live in Detroit.

Now, Detroit is not the pit that most people from other parts of the country think it is. The city has had a lot of rough times, true, but actually it's an alright place to live (I really appreciated this article in Dwell about Detroit). The weather is really nice here too. Kind of wet, with cold winters, but we really don't get too much snow and summertime is a dream. Spring and fall are both lovely. Actually, I grew up close to Ann Arbor, which is pretty groovy. It's where all the hippies go to engineering school, at U of M, although I went to Purdue, but anyway.

So yeah, I'm an autoworker. I don't work "on the line" or anything, but I am in the biz. My company makes car parts (darn good ones too!). And I live in the burbs of Detroit. And even though I've forever dreamed of moving to California I will always have a soft spot for my hometown.

And that's one reason I've always been fascinated by a certain Frank Lloyd Wright project from the late thirties / early forties, planned for Detroit, but never built. It's the Cooperative Homesteads Project. Wright and his team from Taliesin designed it for a coop formed of auto workers and teachers - idealists, consistent with the times (unions, socialism, progressives, artists, etc.). It was intended to offer quality but low cost housing these people could afford, in a planned community where they could return home from their factory jobs and then tend their shared gardens in Detroit's long summer evenings, growing much of their own food.

The project, was an experiment that was way ahead of its time. Not so much the community planning aspect, which is so of the era it is kind of cliche, but rather in its construction and aesthetic.

First of all, the homes were going to have rammed earth walls. That's right, rammed earth walls. Wright was experimenting with it at the time, and was going to use it in the project as a low cost wall system the future homeowners could erect themselves. Second, Wright employed earth berming to help further protect the walls, provide extra insulation, and block cold winter winds. A broad roof was planned to further shelter the earthen walls from Detroit's damp weather, and keep out summer sun.

Inside, the house had small bedrooms, one large main living space, built-in furniture, and a great hearth. Natural light came in from windows on both sides, and there was a bank of nice big floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area. There was an attached shed/cellar for storing tools and vegetables from the garden. The homes look extremely livable, despite their compact size.

Ultimately, World War II intervened, and the project was abandoned. A few units were actually started, but never finished (apparently the yet unprotected walls literally washed away from exposure). It is sad, because for a small worker's home the design was truly modern and beautiful. A simple, modest home, but really sleek. I've always thought it was one of the coolest designs Wright had done. It appeals to my populist streak, but with high style.

In his wonderful book, The Natural House, Wright mentions the project, and commented that "the nature of the scheme is apropos to so much of the building problem in our country that it is on record here for what it may be worth." Sadly, I think not much has changed, and so I present the project here as an interesting example of elegant, thoughtful, paradigm challenging, affordable housing concept that should continue to inspire us.

I think the project is also discussed in the great book on Wright's Usonian Houses written by John Sergeant.

You can read a nice writeup on the project at the website of Aaron G. Green Associates Inc. Mr. Green was a student of Wright and worked on the project. Click here to jump straight to the Cooperative Homesteads page.

Image credits - Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc. site

Future House Now is Amanda Congdon's "Blog to Follow" on ABCNews.com!

2007-06-06T21:10:00.000-04:00

Wow - big day for Future House Now. My little site was featured today on Amanda Congdon's video blog on ABCNews.com as a "Blog to Follow." It's a very short mention at the end of her weekly video, which covers a range of topics, but I thought it was pretty neat.

Watch it here.