Make ‘Modern Prefab’ Malleable to Masses

“... people may be finally recognizing that there might not be such a great future in 10,000-square-foot McMansions.”

-- Allison Arieff, founder, former editor,
Dwell magazine, author of “Prefab”

Gee, shucks, mame .... Ya think? Maybe? This isn’t the formerly “mundane, ugly architecture” of prefabricated homes. Check out this article (and photo gallery) in the L.A. Times that celebrates the revival of ‘modern’ prefabs, even during the slumping housing market.

Arieff leads prefab designers Michelle Kaufmann, Jennifer Siegal and Rocio Romero in a panel discussion titled “The Four Women of Prefab” during the annual CA Boom show in Santa Monica, California, per the southern California publication.

Modern, made-to-order prefab could help make an architectural variety of homes available to people who can’t afford what’s currently on the market, Arieff said.

A few more important points in this interview:

• Made-to-order, modern prefabs rely on natural light and ventilation ... expanses of glass, exposed beams and studs
• Prefabs are made with ‘smarter’, more sustainable building materials ... smaller footprint
• Quicker construction time, more efficient use of materials, less waste, money saved
• Make sure there aren’t stipulations against prefab and manufactured homes on your lot

Living Tiny with Jay Shafer

My early introduction to the small house concept was via Jay Shafer and his Tumbleweed Tiny House Company in California. He's designed and lived in homes that are less than 100 square feet since 1997.

Living in a home this small isn't for everyone. It is an excellent example of how comfort is created within less space than you'd think possible.

Jay's decision to down-size was motivated by concerns about the environmental impact of a larger house. He also didn't want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space (for example, lower heating costs, less space to vacuum and dust).

He's told his tale to Anderson Cooper of CNN and on the CBS Evening News, National Pubic Radio (NPR), and Home and Garden Television (HGTV). The list of articles featuring his designs and the small house movement fills an entire page on his web site.

The best way to understand Jay's concepts is to take the tour of his home via YouTube. While there, watch Dee Williams' "dream house" video where she talks about her experience with living simply.

Jay's designs vary from the Biensi, a 70-square-foot home for about $35,000, to the Enesti (770 square feet), a permanently affixed home. Construction estimates are from $100 to $200 per square foot.

Jay conducts workshops for people who want to build tiny homes. He is hosting a workshop weekend in Austin, TX on March 29 and 30. The Building Workshop attendance is free with purchase of a set of plans. Take a look at his 2008 workshop schedule here. Visit Jay's personal residence, the Epu home, in Sebastopol, CA during scheduled open houses.

Communal housing comes of age

The Los Angeles Times published an article in December 2007 describing the concept of elder cohousing. As an example, it used Wolf Creek Lodge, a cohousing project in formation in Grass Valley, Nevada County -- the Gold Country foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California.

Officially classified as elder cohousing, it's members range in age from 59 through 84 with most in their mid 60s. It's an offshoot of the growing cohousing movement. The article describes the basic premises of cohousing, where it started, and where it's going. It's a great resource for people learning about cohousing.

The people participating in Wolf Creek hope to join with a group of like-minded people -- all relatively healthy and not that old -- and together they could build a community that would be something between a commune and condo complex.

Wolf Creek will have 30 units, complete with a common house where members will dine together several nights each week. It will be California's second elder cohousing community and only the fourth such project nationwide, according to the article. A dozen or so others are in the works.

Although at 53, I have a hard time thinking of myself in terms of being an 'elder', the reason for forming the community rings true for me: "Many people don't have an extended family, or it's an extended dysfunctional family," said one potential member. "We'll have this close community for, well, the rest of our lives."

Interesting to know that there are about 100 multi-generational cohousing communities in the United States -- more in Northern California than anywhere else. They usually consist of town houses or separate residences built around a common house and shared open space. Elder Cohousing is a response to the fading away of our traditional understanding of family and care-giving, according to Dr. Bill Thomas, geriatrician.

What members want is to live in a place where "if you break a hip, your neighbors will help you buy groceries. . . . We're trying to recreate the neighborhood, so the neighbors will look out for you," one member said.

The units are expected to run from about $200,000 for those designated affordable to $500,000. The complex also will have two guest suits an a unit that could be used for a shared caregiver.

"The ides is to make lifestyle choices now that can sustain you through your future but which provide a lot of fun," one member said. "The idea is to maintain control over your own life as long as possible."