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Modular Eco-Homes For Dreams In All Sizes

by Elke Erschfeld

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This was the first year I visited the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York City, which showcases the latest ideas in home design such as furniture, kitchen, bath products, flooring, and lighting.

I was hoping to see some displays of the sustainable prefab homes by Blu Homes. Unfortunately, this was not the case, but I learned about an upcoming open house not far from where I like to go hiking in the Hudson Valley. I’ll definitely stop by and check out Blu Homes’ Breezehouse. As the name suggests, it stays naturally cool with a Breezeway design concept and encourages outdoor/indoor living with tall sliding glass doors.

In the meantime, I was able to ask many questions about Blu Homes’ sustainable features. I learned that the homes are LEED Silver certifiable, and can be configured for solar and geothermal energy to create a net zero home. Standard green features include recycled steel framing, radiant heat flooring, high R-value walls, and energy-efficient appliances.

Blu Homes’ story started as a two-year research study at MIT and Rhode Island School of Design to show how technology can be used to build greener homes. As a long-standing admirer of pre-fab homes on the West Coast, I’ve always wondered if they would withstand East Coast weather. To my delight, Blu Homes developed a steel framing technology that withstands extreme weather conditions, including hurricane-level wind zones and extreme snowloads. BluHomes_2Something we experienced quite a bit here on the East Coast last winter and fall. It’s incredible to imagine that this amazing technology folds up into a standard truck to reveal spacious living areas up to 25’ wide and 16’ high.

Another green aspect inherent to prefab design is that it creates less waste than building an entire home on site. Instead, it’s built at a manufacturing facility in Vallejo, California. My dream is to have one of those modular designs as a weekend home. Blu Homes’ modular prefab system might make this a reality one day with their designs for every size and budget.

Do you have a modular eco-home? Tweet us about your home’s favorite sustainable features @OrganicSpaMag #modularecohomes

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