Modular homes the next wave way of green building
By Riddhi Trivedi-St. Clair
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/16/2007
It may seem a little far-fetched, but Jay Swoboda wants to build moderately priced houses that have some of the highest green building standards in the country, and construct them within weeks instead of months.
Swoboda is a principal in EcoUrban Homes, a St. Louis company that plans to use modular construction techniques to build eco-friendly houses that provide all of the amenities of new construction and are priced from $199,000 to $250,000.
While modular houses don't have the best image among buyers, many experts believe the term can be synonymous with high-quality construction. Some even claim it may be the future of the house-building industry as construction costs, environmental issues and energy prices start to play greater roles in house-buying decisions.
Swoboda is starting his company's marketing by building three model houses in the Tower Grove East and Benton Park West neighborhoods. The first one was trucked in from the factory and installed on its foundation in Tower Grove East two weeks ago. Advertisement
Now the interiors are being finished with a target completion of about three weeks.
"That is one of the big advantages of modular homes," Swoboda said on a house tour. "From the time you sign a contract it takes about 60 days to deliver the home instead of the months it takes with traditional home building."
The first one will be a two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, 1,800-square-foot house with a two-car garage. The first floor will have bamboo flooring and 9-foot ceilings with the same available for the second floor as an upgrade.
The kitchen also will have high-efficiency fluorescent can lighting and indirect lighting in the dining area. Designer countertops are an upgrade.
"We are trying to get as much natural light into the home as possible," Swoboda said.
To that end, the front and the back of the house will have large windows. To minimize energy consumption and heat loss, the windows are high-efficiency, dual-paned, argon-filled and tinted. All of the outside walls are thicker than in a standard traditionally built house .
The house is formed by using two modules each on the lower and upper floor front-to-back. Because of the modular construction, Swoboda is able to put 18 inches of foam between the two floors for sound insulation.
The master bedroom is 18 feet by 14 feet, with an additional small sitting area near the entrance, and the guest bedroom is 15 feet by 11 feet. Both have large closets.
"The emphasis is on livability," Swoboda said.
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By Riddhi Trivedi-St. Clair
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/16/2007
It may seem a little far-fetched, but Jay Swoboda wants to build moderately priced houses that have some of the highest green building standards in the country, and construct them within weeks instead of months.
Swoboda is a principal in EcoUrban Homes, a St. Louis company that plans to use modular construction techniques to build eco-friendly houses that provide all of the amenities of new construction and are priced from $199,000 to $250,000.
While modular houses don't have the best image among buyers, many experts believe the term can be synonymous with high-quality construction. Some even claim it may be the future of the house-building industry as construction costs, environmental issues and energy prices start to play greater roles in house-buying decisions.
Swoboda is starting his company's marketing by building three model houses in the Tower Grove East and Benton Park West neighborhoods. The first one was trucked in from the factory and installed on its foundation in Tower Grove East two weeks ago. Advertisement
Now the interiors are being finished with a target completion of about three weeks.
"That is one of the big advantages of modular homes," Swoboda said on a house tour. "From the time you sign a contract it takes about 60 days to deliver the home instead of the months it takes with traditional home building."
The first one will be a two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, 1,800-square-foot house with a two-car garage. The first floor will have bamboo flooring and 9-foot ceilings with the same available for the second floor as an upgrade.
The kitchen also will have high-efficiency fluorescent can lighting and indirect lighting in the dining area. Designer countertops are an upgrade.
"We are trying to get as much natural light into the home as possible," Swoboda said.
To that end, the front and the back of the house will have large windows. To minimize energy consumption and heat loss, the windows are high-efficiency, dual-paned, argon-filled and tinted. All of the outside walls are thicker than in a standard traditionally built house .
The house is formed by using two modules each on the lower and upper floor front-to-back. Because of the modular construction, Swoboda is able to put 18 inches of foam between the two floors for sound insulation.
The master bedroom is 18 feet by 14 feet, with an additional small sitting area near the entrance, and the guest bedroom is 15 feet by 11 feet. Both have large closets.
"The emphasis is on livability," Swoboda said.
Read More
i personally adore the st. louis city brick shotguns...they are unique on this continent (i havent seen them really anywhere else in brick form without a gable) and i want one. although, i think "crackerbox," and i think overland, missouri or prairie village, kansas (inner kc metro).