We have covered the Sustain MiniHOME on Inhabitat before - but this is the first time we’ve gotten a real photographic look at the gorgeous eco-friendly prefab. We go on and on about how sick and tired we are of seeing prefab in renderings and models and never the real thing. Of late, of course, we’ve had a few, such as Living Homes and a small army of sheds. But when we feasted our eyes on the most recent images of Sustain Mini Home’s first house, it was like getting a piece of 3-layer cake after endless courses of brussels sprouts. We could stare at these all day.
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One of the most beautiful, flexible, and complex prefab systems we’ve covered in the last year is the Ray Kappe designed Living Home. For better and worse, it was covered this week in the LA Times by writer Christopher Hawthorne in the article “Such a deal?” Although he addressed several shortcomings that bother us about the current prefab industry, we can’t help but feel he cast a harsh light on prefabs in general based upon this high end model.

“…the last thing the fledgling prefab movement needs at this point is aggressive marketing or more hype. What it needs is a reality check.” –Christopher Hawthorne, LA Times

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We’ve waxed lyrical about many a mini backyard prefab, (the FutureShed, the Modern Cabana, the MetroShed) but the EcoSpace Garden Studio really takes the cake. This stylish little prefab is green in almost every way: it is constructed from sustainably harvested cedar, employs eco-friendly materials throughout the structure and interior, and even comes outfitted with a pre-built green roof! Starting at £15,850, its reasonably priced as well - although bathrooms, kitchens and necessary amenities cost extra.
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Prefab Friday has been a great way to build up the Inhabitat prefab archive, giving us a weekly reason to look for new developments in the industry, or add in old favorites. The weeHouse from Alchemy Architects definitely fits into the latter category — already widely-known (and one of the few prefabs actually available for purchase!), this mini mansion is a gem among the super-tiny prefab set, and relatively affordable at $125 per sf.

Like the Loft Cube or the Micro-compact Home, the weeHouse is a single module that can be plopped on just about any site, including a rooftop.
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We are really excited about the potential of Zenkaya, a great new prefab out of South Africa that has been making the rounds lately. Based on the idea of providing “a headache free process with cutting edge design,” Zenkaya literally references a Zen approach to housing (kaya meaning “home” in the vernacular South African language.)

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Sustainable design and prefabrication are two of our central obsessions here at Inhabitat. So when they come together in one sleek package, we take note. Lest you think we have been ignoring or overlooking innovative LA-based design firm Marmol Radziner, think again. We were just waiting for the right moment…and since Sarah got a chance to see the firm at CA Boom last week, we decided the right moment has finally arrived.

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Many of our readers have commented lately that some of the recent prefab, modular, and kit housing projects that we have written about do not address real living - whether in the context of lifestyle, environment, or price. This week’s Prefab Friday is dedicated to you; your concerns are not lost on our ears! We easily agree that many of the projects we have profiled do not reflect the initial rationale for utilizing prefabrication as construction process. For those of you concerned that the true spirit of prefab has gotten lost in all the hype - check out Rocio Romero, the original queen of affordable, practical prefab.

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“Can you see yourself in an iT house?”

Linda Taalman, Alan Koch, and the iT house designers ask this question, examining what potential homeowners desire in a machine for living.

Utilizing an aluminum frame structure manufactured by Bosch, the all glass house is constructed within an 8 week timeframe - from pouring the “Smart Slab” to appliance installation. Thoroughly designed to be an intelligent dwelling, radiant heat flooring and rooftop solar panels are incorporated within the rapid-build construction system. At a mere 1,000 sq-ft, the units offer separate public and private wings, as well as exterior courtyard space.

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Inspired by the intimate scale of a Japanese tea house and the compact efficiency of a smart-car, students working on a joint project between the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have come up with a tiny, transportable dwelling called the Micro-Compact Home (m-ch). The lightweight structure is only 2.65 m cubed (roughly 77 sq ft), but incorporates everything a person needs in a home in its super compact design.

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Being a young New Yorker and realizing that I am never going to be able to buy property in New York has got me thinking about prefabs. Specifically about buying an inexpensive prefab house and sticking it on a rooftop. This seems particularly appropriate to the vertical landscape of Manhattan, where there is nowhere to go but up. Apparently wealthy Londoners are taking to the idea of rooftop living. Treehugger reports on a company called First Penthouse that puts chi-chi penthouses on top of London roofs. Sounds lovely, but with the $3,000,000 for 2,000 square feet price tag, this is a little out of my price range.

The Loftcube, built by Werner Aisslinger, is more what I had in mind, at ?55,000. Its specifically designed for rooftops and is transportable by helicopter. Still this is a little too Jetsons for me. Aren’t there any companies out there doing inexpensive, eco-friendly wood + glass prefabs for rooftops? I know you are out there. I am waiting for you!

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