A 772-square-foot home might not sound impressive until you hear its list of attributes. Renewable and recycled materials, rainwater collection, two outdoor greenhouses, solar panels and a graywater reuse system are just part of the Paradigm prefab design, which made its debut on November 14, 2012, at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco
If you're in need of a 700-gallon rainwater harvesting tank, ultra-low-flow toilets or porous driveway pavers, then Moscone Center is the place this week.
The occasion is Greenbuild, a conference organized by the United States Green Building Council and being held for the first time in San Francisco. With 35,000 people expected to attend and more than 1,000 companies exhibiting what they claim are eco-friendly products, the event also testifies to the ever-widening cultural presence of sustainable design.
As part of Greenbuild 2012, the Paradigm modular home – the prototype in a new series from Method Homes – will offer a unique design approach allowing architects and designers more choices about plan and building configurations.
With the housing industry still struggling to recover from the recession, it may be surprising that the fastest-growing private company in Washington state this year is a home builder. Revenue for Seattle-based Method Homes LLC grew by 784.6 percent, to $4.6 million in 2011 from $520,000 in 2009, putting the company at the top of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s list of 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
To spur that growth, Method Homes’ co-founders, Brian Abramson and Mark Rylant, repeatedly took advantage of the opportunities they identified in their niche to create new lines of prefabricated modular homes. Lately, the company has expanded into apartments and hotels.
Based on hexagonal grid patterns constructed of 30-degree triangles, HOMB represents the ultimate in flexibility. The HOMB building model creates a modular system capable of lifespan space addition and subtraction, residential and commercial applications, flexible and custom floor plan layouts, and eligibility for organic, steep sloped, or small lots.The first HOMB was set in Northeast Portland last Thursday. The 3,900 square foot residence (2400 square feet of modules) is a custom version of HOMB, configured of 28 triangle units. With elements including half-hexagon and triangle custom skylights, 100 square foot cantilevers in front and back, floor to ceiling glazing, custom poured tile, and a double vaulted section that will make up the home’s great room, this home will act as the showcase residence for the HOMB brand.Another core element of the Portland HOMB is the great amount of structural detailing involved: custom steel structural members, detailed structural connections, and an intricate ceiling beam system form HOMB’s frame. All of these elements center around the first component of the project to be set: a custom 26-foot prefabricated steel staircase that was installed the day before the modules. Method worked with site contractor Rainier Pacific to lift the modules over the stairs during the one-day set, with strategic accuracy. The first HOMB will be open for tours following the Portland AIA’s Design Matters tour.Learn more about HOMB Modular
The benefits of prefabricated homes abound—expedited construction schedules, rainproof building conditions, and, usually, energy-efficient elements such as radiant heating and reclaimed materials. Even so, prefab isn’t typically a priority for most homebuyers. Sheri Koones, author of Prefabulous and Almost Off the Grid, her sixth book on the subject, estimates that prefab housing makes up just 3 to 5 percent of the housing market. To her, it’s a matter of education. “Anybody who researches and sees what can be done with prefab usually builds prefab,” she says. “There are a lot of misconceptions that it’s synonymous with cheap and junky, but prefab houses are indistinguishable from site-built houses.”Read the full article here
Method recently got a chance to visit with Studio 29 architect Chris Rost about the story behind Method’s newest series of prefab home designs.
Q: What is the history of Studio 29 Architecture? What is your mission?
Rost: I have been working in the Pacific Northwest and San Juan Islands as an architect for 22 years. Studio 29 was founded after the suggestion from a former client. At Studio 29, we strive to design homes that embody the unique character of our clients and embrace the natural beauty of the land they occupy. Living and working in the San Juan Islands has instilled in us a deep respect for the local environment. It compels us to explore sustainable design solutions that will help preserve and protect the local ecosystem for the generations that follow.
Q: How did you come to partner with Method Homes? What was your first collaborative project?
Rost: We discovered Method in 2010 during our search for a strategic partner to build our prefab vacation homes. Method Homes constructed a display model for the Seattle Home Show. Shortly after, we designed and built our first custom home, which provided impetus for the new Cottage Series.
Q: How did the idea for the Cottage Series come about?
Rost: In an effort to find a more ecologically sensitive way to build in the San Juan Islands, we began researching prefabrication (2009). Our research convinced us prefab was the way forward, but also revealed a market populated almost exclusively by modern design. This revelation led to the creation of a series influenced by early rural American coastal and farm communities.
Q: Overall, what sets the Cottage Series apart from other Method models?
Rost: Traditional design sensibility. Plan and aesthetic flexibility. Broad appeal. There is an audience who is looking for prefab and looking for a craftsman-style home. With the cottage designs, the point of reference for prefab gets transferred from the misconceptions of prefab back to the traditional stylings of a home. These are architect-designed homes.
Learn more about Method's new Cottage Series here
Last week, Method set a custom two-story, 2,300 square foot modular home on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Designed by Group Architect, the modern and efficient three-bedroom, two-bathroom prefab was set in one day. The home, situated on a tight waterfront lot, was constructed with cantilevers over the foundation to fit within the site's buildable footprint. Features include Henry Blueskin wrap, cement fiber board and cedar siding combination with rainscreen application, a Daikin Altherma air to water heat pump that services hydronic radiant heat and domestic hot water, a standing seam metal roof, pre-wiring for solar power, pine tongue and groove soffits, custom maple cabinets, strand-woven engineered bamboo floors, custom Italian tile from Statements Tile, and low VOC paints, finishes, and adhesives. The house also has 400 square feet of decks to take advantage of the idyllic waterfront location. This and all Method projects are built using sustainable methods that minimize waste, impact to the site, and prevent the home from having exposure to the elements by building off site at Method’s Ferndale, WA factory location.
