Back in December, we noticed that Warren Buffet was investing in prefab amid an international housing crisis. Now his modular housing business, Clayton Homes, has launched the i-house, a model that starts at 723 square feet for around $75,000. Are we entering a new era of mainstream prefab housing?

When we wrote about Clayton Homes last year, we mentioned that their style leaned towards traditional modular and "manufactured" (aka trailer) homes. The i-house is a direct departure from that aesthetic, evoking more modern prefab models from designers like Michelle Kaufmann or Rocio Romero.

The home also includes a number of standard green features, such as Energy Star appliances, bamboo floors, no-VOC paint, low-e windows, and a rainwater catchment system. To calculate shipping costs, the site generates estimated delivery by zip code. Shipping to our neighborhood in Chicago, for instance, ran a little under $3,000.

• For a virtual tour of the i-house and more information, click here.

More coverage across the Web:
• Associated Press
• Jetson Green
• Low Impact Living
• Popular Mechanics
• Prefabcosm
• Grassrootsmodern

(Images: Clayton Homes i-house)

posted originally from: AT:Chicago