*I heart prefab* - a love letter
Years ago, I had no concept of the words "prefab housing" meant. I thought that it was a fancy euphemism for what we call a trailer home, or doublewide. This is until I had heard the words "Rocio Romero" and the "LV Home" mentioned in an article . Let me back up though, when I was six my parents took me to a Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. In the back of the museum, on the lawn they had actually constructed a prefab FLW prairie home. Even at an early age I was spellbound by the size of the home, which to my recollection was just under 1,000 square feet and how efficient the usage of space was.
I never forgot that experience and I always dreamed of living in some type of ultra efficient, modern home in adulthood. For many years this was out of reach for most people. Having a modern home designed and built is usually a rather expensive process. Hell, having any home custom designed and built is expensive. During the mid to late 1990's several far flung designers rejected this notion and began working on their own prototypes of inexpensive modern housing that could be sold to the masses. I can't help but love this egalitarian and democratic idea that good modern design should be availible to all, not just the wealthy and it can be efficient and environmentally sound in the process. Of course, prefab homes had existed prior to this, but now the emphasis in on mass marketing, affordability and creating a product that is unique.
Sure, there are many designers that make prefab homes, you can check them out at fabprefab.com. However, today I'm going to attempt to explain and profess my undying love for a woman named Rocio Romero and her amazing creation, The LV Home. The LV comes in three sizes - The LVM, which is a small studio, or in-law designed to be an addition to an existing structure, not a standalone due to the fact that it is 625 square feet. However, this may seem expansive for someone who hails from NYC or shares an apt. with four people in San Francisco. Next up is the LV, the original model. Interior space is an efficient 1100 square feet with two beds and two baths. Or you can use the second bedroom as an office/guest room since it is a little small. Also this home comes with a large walk-in closet and a smaller closet in the second bedroom. The largest of the three, the LVL is 1453 square feet and is a three bed, two bath with laundry room. Both the LV and LVL homes can be built on slab, crawspace or basement( you can even buy prefab basements!) foundations. In addition to being beautiful and functional homes, they are quite energy efficient. The roof has R-values of 50 (most homes range from 15-38) The floor can go to R-38 as well as the walls. A house such as would certainly be defined as energy efficient, and it hotter climates it would need to be since there is a large amount of glass. Several owners have added some type of structure or added trees to shade the back of the house, which consists of large glass panes. The feature of glass I think would be helpful in climates such as the pacific northwest, where too much light is a good thing. However, adding some e-film to the windows probably wouldn't be a bad idea and would reduce some UV wear on carpets, artwork and would lower utility costs.
So, how much does this wonder house cost? You have the parts of the house shipped to you via flatbed truck at around a cost of $40,000. Depending on whether you want to do any of the work yourself, such as building the foundation, drywall etc. you can save a few bucks. It seems that most people spend around $140 per square foot (including major appliances) However if you want to splurge heavily, you can climb to $200+ per square foot. Not the cheapest house, but definitely a bargain for a unique home with modern lines. Also, the house is pretty simple, so almost any competent contractor can build this home.
For some people the LV could also serve as a vacation home, which could be rented out possibly at a profit after even a few years. I bet someone could make some money if they built one on a lot in Ogden, UT( America's last affordable ski town) and was able to keep the place rented out for three to four months out of the year for $1500-2000 a week. You could also barter some of the construction costs in exchange for renting the house during a week of the ski season or the summer for that matter.
The LV is a rather affordable option, especially in these days of rising home values and speculation. Hopefully, homes like these will rise in popularity, therefore driving down the cost. This could be the middle finger we have been wanting to give the rising cost of housing for a while. Godspeed Mrs. Romero, Godspeed.
Comments
http://www.amazon.com/Bennetts-Small-House-Catalog-1920/dp/0486278093
I remember they reissued this catalog a while ago. I think this is probably a more efficient and affordable option now.
Thanks for the links too!