Pre-fab Homes 2.0

Manufactured homes are experiencing a renaissance here. Some say Dwell Magazine is responsible because of the design competition they held a couple of years ago to design a modern manufactured home. I haven't visited the resulting Dwell Home which is conveniently located in Pittsboro, NC, but I plan to soon.

However, I did go to BuildSense's open house for the speculative modular farmhouse they built in Creedmore, NC.



In regards to the house itself, it's cozy and bright and expensive for what it is. What a very nice, very unfortunate mistake. Located in a rural area, (across the street from one of the architects) it's 1500 square feet so it won't be sought after by those looking for a new home in this price range. According to the design build firm, they won't recoup their costs. Eventually, someone will buy this naturally finished house (cedar siding, slate floors, berber carpet, etc), but at what price?

As a model for what's possible, it's informative. It feels nothing like a mobile home. The timber framing keeps it from looking like a spec house, too, even if it feels like one in a couple of places on the interior. The windows start about a foot off the floor and extend almost to the ceiling, dramatically expanding the tiny rooms. It will be interesting to see what they do with their next version. I also look forward to comparing it to the Dwell Home.

UPDATE: FabPreFab.com is the go-to site for the new wave of manufactured buildings.