Prefab Perfection

With its mnm.MOD prefab home project, Santa Monica architecture firm Minarc creates super energy-efficent modular homes from a library of pre-selected materials and patented connections. This mnm.MOD building, the Superb-A home in Venice Beach, Calif., is an outstanding example of what prefab architecture can be.  Completed in May 2011, the 2,400 sq ft home blurs the boundary......read more

Fincube by Studio Aisslinger

Berlin-based architectural outfit Studio Aisslinger has created what may be the most stunning modular home ever built. The conceptual building, dubbed Fincube, is "nomadic" in the sense that it can be easily dismantled and reassembled on a new site. The prototype, pictured above, has been constructed near Bozen in Northern Italy, almost 4,000 feet above sea level, with the Dolomite......read more

HWKN's Pollution-Fighting Architecture Coming to MoMA PS1

The winning entry of this year's coveted Young Architects Program at MoMA PS1 is a massive, bright blue installation that absorbs air pollution. Dubbed "Wendy" by architects HWKN (HollwichKushner), the 5,000 square foot structure will sit in the MoMA PS1 courtyard during the museum's Warm Up summer music series.  The star-shaped structure combines common materials (scaffolding) with......read more

Local Materials Only: The 100-Mile House

The food-based locavore movement is maybe best defined by the "100-Mile Diet," which involves eating only what's available in your region. Now, that concept is being applied to architecture with the "100-Mile House," an approach to homebuilding that involves using only materials available in your immediate environment (duh).  The idea is being promoted by the 100 Mile House......read more

Across the Nation, Net-Zero Buildings On the Rise

With buildings accounting for nearly 40 percent of overall energy consumption in the U.S., it's safe to say that energy efficiency in buildings has to be a core part of any plan to reduce carbon emissions. Net-zero buildings, which produce as much energy as they consume, are the ultimate in building energy efficiency. According to a new report from the New Buildings Institute and the Zero......read more

Clearview Residence by Altius Architecture

Designed for a local artist, this stunning rural home from Toronto-based studio Altius Architecture near Collingwood, Ontario communicates beautifully with the natural surroundings, with dark-framed glass walls and vertical windows that flood the interiors with natural light. Completed last year, the Clearview Residence features a broad selection of sustainable......read more

C6 by LivingHomes

Santa Monica-based green building specialist LivingHomes has unveiled the C6, the company's first affordable (starting at $179,000) LEED Platinum prefab home. Designed with a post-Katrina New Orleans in mind, the C6 meets LivingHomes' ambitious "Z6" environmental goals: zero energy, zero water, zero indoor emissions, zero waste, zero carbon, and zero ignorance. The "C" in the......read more

Yin Yang House by Brooks & Scarpa

The net-zero building movement is alive and well in Venice, CA, where architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa have recently wrapped construction on this stunner of single family residence. Dubbed Yin Yang House, the home takes full advantage of the sunny SoCal climate with a a 12 KW solar photovoltaic panel system (the biggest available on the market) that serves the dual purposes of generating power......read more