Cheap & Green Modular Home The New York Times 10.16.08

In today's Home section of The New York Times, we get a brief but exciting look at a green modular home that was also cheap...

Thomas Small and Joanna Brody's new home in Culver City, California was built on a tight budget &mdash while the materials and construction cost only about $40,000, the long term planning and preparation for a prefabricated house built in three weeks cost about $528,000, total ("about a third of the going rate for architect-designed houses of this size in the Los Angeles area").

In addition to more familiar green materials like steel and linoleum, the architects, Sander Architects, used sunflower husks and shredded blue jeans for insulation.

Check out the story and photos of the family's abundant space and natural light:
Prefab, High-Concept and Green and slideshow.

Images: Claudio Santini, Lawrence Anderson/Esto

Comments (13)

Aha! I was wondering how such high ceilings could be "green," since it would waste massive amounts of heat. But of course this house is in sunny CA.

I love the duvet set. Does anyone know who makes it?

Duvet set is by West Elm but it was last season and doesn't appear to be on their website anymore. :(
http://www.westelm.com

Amazing house. I'm in love!

When I bought my home, the bank repeatedly stressed they wouldn't finance a modular or manufactured home. I wonder if that mandate would apply to something like this?

Did they give a good reason why they wouldn't? That sounds like something we all need to know, thank you for mentioning it.

Half a million dollars may be 'moderate' for aggressive markets like Southern California, but it is far from 'cheap,' in the sense of being in any way affordable for people with modest income. Where are the small-scale, attractive, green alternatives for the hideous vinyl-sided mobile homes that blight many less tony areas?

ALSO LOVE THE DUVET SET!!! BRILLIANT WEST ELM!! YET AGAIN WITH THE PATTERNS!!! really great and unlike anywhere else!! they rock!!

yes, that duvet set is wonderful. i'd love to have it.

I agree with amed studio.
how is half a million dollars cheap??
and how can spending half a million dollars on ANYTHING be considered green? yeah your walls are filled with blue jeans.. but is that really the most effective way to spend?

im not going to bother looking at the duvet.

I am also wondering about the cost...I reread the info about the cost several times, sure I was missing something. How did planning raise the cost from 40k to 500k? For most people, this is not a cheap house.

Wow, that duvet set is totally amazing and I want it NOW.

That'll teach me to not talk smack about West Elm!

Hey, for someone out there with a king-sized bed, you can get the duvet set on eBay for $70 (Buy It Now).