Architect Patrick Tighe’s Nodul(ar) House Uses Plug In “Apps”

The pursuit of modular building has produced many unique ideas, but perhaps one of the most intriguing is the Nodul(ar) House by Architect <a href="http://www.tighearchitecture.com/">Patrick Tighe</a>. A form follows function design approach the house is based on a simple <a href="http://inhabitat.com/la/david-hertzs-panel-house-made-with-prefab-industrial-refrigeration-walls/">panelized </a>core with plug-in nodes for services. Think of it like buying apps for your house, you have the basic cube where you can plug in the type of kitchen you want or add another bath. The core living unit is composed of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?cat=17">prefabricated</a> aluminum panels making for a unapologetically contemporary look.

The design is very much a hybrid of prefabricated building, modular design, and plug-in technology

Rectangular living spaces made from a panelized system of 4x8 foot infill panels which are treated with<a href="http://inhabitat.com/house-77-is-a-modern-home-sheathed-in-a-funky-perforated-aluminum-facade/"> laser cut aluminum</a> sheets to add flare as well as filtered light into the interior.

The panels can also be wood or glass to suit the owners needs. Panels can be stacked two high to create great rooms or second floors and set to various footprints based on cube units.

The application of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/plug-your-hexagonal-house-into-this-vertical-city/">plug-in service modules </a>completes the home, adding versatility and expandability to the core building.

The 12 foot diameter <a href="http://inhabitat.com/prefab-friday-remote-igloo-shelter/">fiberglass units </a>make up the kitchen, bathroom and stairs and connect to the exterior of the core living space. They have all mechanical services installed at the factory that can be connected into another stacked unit to service multiple floors.

The building system adds levels of customization and easy addition long promised by prefab design but rarely delivered. We can easily see additional Nodul(ar) “apps” like a sauna, closet or office available to add to the versatility of design.