Modern Homes New England

Noah Grunberg of Noble Home and JASONOAH shared with me this weekend his client’s blog charting her Noble Home being completed on Cape Cod.

Noble Homes are green, modern, and easy to construct. Each Noble Home is designed for each specific owner and building site to maximize natural resources such as views and solar energy. Learn more about the project at http://greentwig.blogspot.com/.

So-called “dream homes” seem like a fantastic solution to get people into clean, affordable housing. From CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/24/container.homes.ap/index.html

Katie Hutchison writes up MOMA’s exhibit on prefab.

Big house in the country? Or smaller cottage in a quiet community?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/can-a-big-house-in-the-country-be-green.php

Forbes Park in Chelsea, MA has received coverage on Inhabitat:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/08/18/forbes-park-by-urban-design-and-redevelopment/

Bob Swinburne, an architect in Brattleboro, VT, has a great blog chronicling his personal and professional viewpoints.

http://swinburnearchitect.com/wordpress/

In Roslindale, MA. From Boston.com.

The article from Metropolis that I previously mentioned is now available online. From the article:

Because Zamore’s local shipping model is entirely different from that of prefab homes, he estimates that it will save thousands of dollars in warehousing, fuel, and delivery charges. “As the price of energy goes up, I’ve watched companies putting these modules on trucks and sending them over long distances,” he says. “I’m not doing that. The home site becomes the factory. Instead, I’m just selling information.” Rocio Romero, who makes site-built homes but ships the components from one factory in Missouri, finds what Zamore is doing timely. “I deliver from the factory in parts, and keep my homes on one flatbed truck to keep costs down,” she says. “But the cost of fuel has gone up 50 percent in the past three years, so I’m literally charging customers thousands of dollars more for each home.”

I really think this is a great model and provides some awesome options. I’ve been staring at floorplans at ZamoreHomes.com for weeks now. I’m currently eying the larger three-floor model, which is a really smart layout. Room for a dedicated home office on the ground floor, shared only with the garage. Living space and true master suite on the second floor. Kids’ bedroom up under the eaves.

Read the article at Metropolis.

Cite gas prices cutting into budgets, home energy prices, or just higher consciousness regarding sustainability, less architectural firms are reporting increasing home sizes now. Of course, it might just be that less firms are reporting any homes in this market climate. Still an interesting study, via Treehugger:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/aia-quarterly-report.php

I will say, in looking at the Zamore Homes, that I’d really prefer the 1300 sq ft home (06) over the 2000 sq ft model (03). I’m just not entirely sold on the reverse layout. While I think it’s a good idea to put childrens’ bedrooms downstairs, the layout could do a little better on a master suite and still maintain its modest footprint.

And any property design for me would include a detached home office as a separate structure. Perhaps an LVM or PowerPod.

Is the McMansion era coming to an abrupt close? Are you thinking smaller or bigger for your dream home?

I read about the Zamore Homes project last night in the new issue of Metropolis. It’s a twist on the prefab approach, using local materials and distribution centers. I’ll post more on that when the article’s available to link to. For now, visit Zamore Homes.