Leo Marmol’s prefab Desert House has turned heads before, and is one of the attractions of the upcoming Dwell On Design conference in Palm Springs. But most recently, Marmol Radziner has announced the presale of two new prefab homes in Joshua Tree, California, that offer two bedrooms, two baths, an optional casita, and pool, all on a 1.25 acre lot included in the total cost. What’s more, the sleek, modern abodes are chock-full of some of the most environmentally-friendly and high-tech green materials on the market. Designed for LEED certification, the two homes come standard with solar panels, bamboo flooring, recycled steel frame construction, Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s), and FSC-certified wood.
Marmol Radziner, based in Los Angeles, has long been known for their clean and modern aesthetic. Only in the past decade have they been developing their line of model and custom prefab homes, all built in-house at their 65,000 square foot factory in Vernon, California. While their prefab designs have spoken to issues of sustainability, the two Joshua Tree homes take green to the next level, designed specifically to meet LEED standards and with a more active implementation of green materials. We’re looking forward to hearing more about the project and other Marmol Radziner work this weekend at Dwell On Design Palm Springs, where Leo Marmol will speaking on Saturday.
+ Marmol Radziner Prefab
+ Dwell On Design Palm Springs Conference
“take(s) green to the next level”? The material use may be commenable, but I hope a glass house with a pool built on 1.25 desert acres is not what the world aspires to.
This house is very cool. It looks great in it’s desert surroundings. I can’t wait to see them in the city/suburban infill lots.
looks great, but the solar panels are actually available as an option, not standard.
How cool – a LEED certified building in a hostile and irreplacably fragile landscape. This brings green to a new (low) level of meaninglessness.
“Abe Says: I hope a glass house with a pool built on 1.25 desert acres is not what the world aspires to.”. You’re right. I aspire to live in the people’s dormitory heated by a fecal matter stove and cooled by the open air. We can preserve our food in ditches cooled by evaporation.
The house is the show model for their prefab line of homes. The desert location was chosen, I believe, because it was about the cheapest parcel of land in the very expensive Southern California market.
Try to achive exelant minimalastic form and try get maximum avilabilty of nature
this project is for the elite… nothing truely affordable, green or sustainable about it. SIPs are still overpriced & over rated, and most bamboo flooring comes from overseas… fast growing / renewable… but you just used how much fossil fuel to get it here? this project is a clear example that the DWELLites just don’t get it.
ever notice that a truely impressive affordable (obtainable by the average guy or gal) green/sustainable structure usually has no mention of fru fru DWELL or LEED in it’s discription?
In response to :
“The house is the show model for their prefab line of homes. The desert location was chosen, I believe, because it was about the cheapest parcel of land in the very expensive Southern California market.”
Actually, this house above is not the model home, but that IS nearby in Desert Hot Springs. The house shown above is a rendered example of their new line of two pre-sale homes available on in the Joshua Tree area, as stated above. (Pre-sale means they are not built yet.)
The desert location was chosen because there has been much demand there, for primary and second residences and it offers an excellent vacation location for many people in nearby Los Angeles and Orange County, regardless of their social status. The desert hot springs location for the original Desert House (model home) was chosen for the same reason, as a vacation retreat for its beauty, openness and proximity. Not entirely because of cost. That area is a very desirable area for many reasons.
The Revolution Corp. should speak to our government about reducing the shipments to and from the US of sustainable materials from other countries. That isn’t Dwell’s issues or something srong with the material, its part of the larger problem with international trade and our government, so don’t knock sustainability where it can help. It’s coming from a great place, is in response to consumer demands and housing needs and will continue to develop. And it is more affordable than most flooring options.
In response to:
“this project is for the elite… nothing truely affordable, green or sustainable about it. SIPs are still overpriced & over rated, and most bamboo flooring comes from overseas… fast growing / renewable… but you just used how much fossil fuel to get it here? this project is a clear example that the DWELLites just don’t get it. Ever notice that a truely impressive affordable (obtainable by the average guy or gal) green/sustainable structure usually has no mention of fru fru DWELL or LEED in it’s discription?”
I disagree. I think that your ideological way of thinking is clouding your objective in the greater green scheme of things. The movement towards creating sustainable architecture that is compelling in design/modern is precisely what the US housing market needs to make sustainability a standard in the current wasteful US building industry that we have today. The act of getting press or getting published for a green product or green home that strives to change the construction industry generates buzz, and buzz eventually registers with builders who want to hit that target market. Once the builders start asking the manufacturers for the product, that will create more demand, more competition, which drives down the high costs of green products for the benefit of the consumer and mother earth.
Is a modern (glass) prefab in the non-developed desert the best way of development, probably not (prefab in Brownfield infill would be), but it’s still an example of an attempt to change the construction industry. I would think its a whole lot better than doing an oversized pseudo-Spanish style villa that makes no efforts towards sustainability and incorporating green products, which currently plagues the high desert and Palm Springs area.
All,
Do you know how much thos prefabs cost? I would like to have an idea on how much roughly would it be!
Regards,
AL
for pricing you should just go to their website, most of their prefabs are custom built and based on roughly $250 per sq ft, which is also around what their competitors charge for similar or lesser quality homes and amenities. And keep in mind, for a comparable, high quality custom designed home “site built” home you are looking at hundreds more per sq ft.
Looking for prefab/insulated panel cottage/home manufacturers on the west coast to build a home in Baja. Low budget and ease of erection is important.
I live in 29 palms Where aer these located in the Joshua tree?
Prefabs are in: Some General Contractors fear them, while others study them at Ca-Boom & other Prefab Home Shows. After they learn prefabs GC’s will not fear this market anymore. They’re simply superior designs for the 2000′s who’s theme is ‘Save Our Environment & Make Housing Affordable’!
Let’s do our children a favor. Do’nt be afraid of change. Learn a little about this modern design concept.
In response to Mary Crawford’s question about home manufacturers in Baja, we are currently building prefabricated home is Baja. please vsit my website. http://www.graciastudio.com