This is not your father’s pre-fab house

We have been discussing buying some land and eventually building our own house, with all the pain, toil, and frustration that goes along with such an endeavor. Needless to say, I'm not sure I'm up for the task. After reading up on some of the new pre-fab…excuse me, modular homes, however, we are beginning to seriously consider going that route. To clarify, my wife is already sold on the concept, and in particular with the following company’s approach.

While there are several companies out there with many different designs, I’ll highlight one that is incorporating many features we like into one package. Michelle Kaufmann Designs has different models, most incorporating “clean living” concepts (uncluttered, maximized organized spaces while allowing many windows and gliding glass doors to incorporate the outside with the inside) with “green living.”

The house is designed as a series of shallow buildings to allow maximum natural ventilation. Through the use of the gliding glass wall and the opposite operable clerestory windows above the storage bar, breezes are maximized. Indirect lighting minimizes the need for electric lighting. Depending on the location, the house can either have solar panels, a geothermal, or a wind generator system, or a hybrid system.

View some of the completed projects at the site to get a taste of the current direction in modular homebuilding. Or visit the main page listed above to see the different model they offer. Click here to see one of the floorplans offered.