Buildings
Prefab Homes Achieve LEED Platinum
(archrecord.construction.com - 09/07/2006)
By Leigh
Batnick
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Image courtesy LivingHomes |
An agenda is buried beneath the taut
partitions and gleaming surfaces of a new prefab home designed
by SCI-Arc founder Ray Kappe, FAIA. The model unit of LivingHomes
prefab houses is the first residence to achieve a Platinum
rating in the LEED for Homes pilot program. Only 20 commercial
buildings have attained this highest rank in the U.S. Green
Building Council program, which now comprises approximately
550 certified structures.
The model was assembled on site in Santa Monica in April
2005. According to a representative of the Los Angeles–based
company, it is 80 percent more energy efficient than a conventional
residence of similar size, thanks to super-efficient Energy
Star appliances, LED lighting, recycled-denim insulation,
and other measures, and it was constructed with 75 percent
less waste. Photovoltaics produce most of the home’s
energy; the sun also powers water heating and radiant floors.
Other green features include a rooftop garden (prefab customers
may upgrade their purchases with an optional indoor garden),
rainwater cistern, gray-water recycling system that diverts
sink and shower water for irrigation, low-VOC paints and stains,
and Forest Stewardship Council–certified wood for millwork,
ceiling, siding, and framing. Even Kappe’s sleek, wood-clad
design, with its modular construction and movable partitions,
is meant to inspire homeowners to change their surroundings
without resorting to more wasteful, all-out renovation. Average
prices for a Kappe-series LivingHome, which began manufacture
in November 2005, is $250 per square foot; production versions
qualify for LEED Silver or better.
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