PHOTOS: LivingHomes Debuts Affordable New C6 Prefab Home starting at $179,000

Renowned modern prefab company <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net">LivingHomes</a> just unveiled their brand new <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/C6/">LivingHome C6</a> -- the first low-cost, zero energy, zero carbon, LEED Platinum family home available on the market. The beautiful modern home, which rings in at an impressively low cost of $179,000, is&nbsp;designed to appeal to small families and couples interested in a cozy house that is energy-efficient, modern, and affordable. We were on the scene in Long Beach, CA, as LivingHomes offered up an <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/C6/">exclusive tour of the C6</a> on Friday to a limited number of press - and we must say that we are thoroughly impressed by the quality of design and construction that went into this high-design, low-budget home. Jump ahead to see our exclusive photos from this impressive new <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/C6/">affordable modern prefab home</a>.

LivingHomes new C6 model in Palm Springs, CA

LivingHomes new C6 model in Long Beach, CA

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LivingHomes founder Steve Glenn holds a press conference in the just opened C6 Home. He brings design collaborator and founder of Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough, in to the meeting through the power of Skype on an iPad.

LivingHomes new C6 model living room - interior designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

Floors in the new LivingHome C6 prefab are made from cork - an extremely green and renewable resource, because cork can be harvested from the outside of living trees without harming the tree

<a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/primer.html">LivingHomes</a> founder and CEO <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/viewPerson.html?id=1">Steve Glenn</a> with <a href="http://www.greenbiz.com/bio/nate-kredich">Nate Kredich</a>, VP, Residential Market Development, <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/">USGBC</a>; Lindsay Chason, Senior Manager, Environmental Innovation, <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/">The Home Depot</a>; <a href="http://curated.com/AboutUs/Founders">Delta Wright</a>, Co-Founder, <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated!</a>

As part of the LivingHomes C6 design, Cradle to Cradle collaborator WIlliam McDonough designed special door handles with a zinc exterior (in order to give their handlers extra nutrients), and a secret message inside of each handle.

Beautiful recycled plastic bag rug with found-wood sculpture, designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

LivingHomes new C6 model home in Long Beach. Bedroom interior designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

LivingHomes new C6 model home in Long Beach. Bedroom interior designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

LivingHomes new C6 model home debuts in Long Beach, CA. Press conference, led by LivingHome founder & CEO Steve Glenn, features William McDonough, Make It Right foundation, Home Depot, Cavco Homes, and Curated. Living room interior designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

LivingHomes new C6 model home debuts in Long Beach, CA. The new C6 model was installed in just ONE DAY!

LivingHomes new C6 model home in Long Beach. Bathroom interior designed by <a href="http://curated.com/">Curated.com</a>

On Friday in Long Beach, California, <a href="http://www.livinghomes.net">LivingHomes</a> unveiled their brand new LivingHome C6 -- the first low-cost, zero energy, zero carbon, LEED Platinum family home available on the market. The stunning modern home, which rings in at just $179,000, is designed to appeal to small families and couples interested in a cozy house that is energy efficient, modern, and above all, affordable. We were on the scene as LivingHomes offered up an exclusive tour of the C6 on Friday to a limited number of press and public - and we must say that we were more than impressed by the quality of design and construction that went into this budget home. Jump ahead to see the exclusive photos from our tour of this beautiful home located in the heart of Southern California!

LivingHomes' newly released C6 is the most affordable LEED certified prefab to ever come to market, but their precedent setting ways dates back more than half a decade ago when the company first made a name for itself with a collaboration with famed architect <a href="http://www.kappedu.com/RayKappe.html">Ray Kappe </a>. The sustainable prefab that resulted from the pairing was the first in the nation to achieve <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222">LEED Platinum</a>, and it was the only home to win the AIA’s top sustainability award in 2007. Living Homes has been hard at work over the last six years, belting out new designs -- all LEED Platinum rated -- that have continued to push the boundaries of what is possible with green design. But it's their latest efforts with the C6 that really stands to make an impact.

The C6 is a modern design that is Unlike other LivingHomes, which price between $250-$300 per square foot, the C6 impressively amounts to just $150 per square foot. A remarkable difference that offers a lot of flexibility and opportunity to buyers with more modest budgets.

“It has always been our most important goal to develop an affordable LivingHome,” said<a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/about.html"> Steve Glenn</a>, CEO of LivingHomes.  “The C6 is not only our lowest cost LivingHome – it’s half the cost of current models – but it’s also the first to achieve our most important Z6 Environmental Goals, and, we believe it’s the first production home to feature Cradle-to-Cradle inspired materials and a LEED Platinum level environmental program. It’s also the easiest and fastest LivingHome to build.” <p>The C6, built by Cavco, is available in most states for $179,000, and can be fully constructed in less than two months and installed on-site in a day.

The design of the C6 is inspired by the homes built by developer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Eichler">Joe Eichler throughout California in the 50s and 60s</a>. The layout of the C6 is organized around a courtyard that is accessible through a various points in the house and features an open floor plan that plays on building an outdoor/indoor lifestyle.

The 1,200 square foot home includes 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and eco systems and finishings, including cork floors, a customizable energy efficient lighting system, solar PVs, a greywater system, low-flow water fixtures, plenty of efficient windows and numerous <a href="http://c2ccertified.org/">Cradle-to-Cradle</a> inspired products built in. The C6 is also the first LivingHome to achieve most of LivingHomes’<a href="http://www.livinghomes.net/services-z6.html"> Z6 Environmental Goals</a>: Zero Energy, Zero Water, Zero Emissions, Zero Carbon, Zero Waste, and Zero Ignorance.

The new LivingHome was designed as part of a new partnership with<a href="http://www.makeitrightnola.org/"> Make It Right</a>, a nonprofit founded by Brad Pitt and renowned architect <a href="http://www.mcdonough.com/">William McDonough</a> to build 150, Cradle to Cradle inspired LEED Platinum homes in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, the neighborhood hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each C6 will help support the efforts of Make It Right.