Comments on: PREFAB FRIDAY: MkSolaire

By: kelly

kelly — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:33:16 +0000

i know that some of Michelle’s other prefab designs, such as the glidehouse, use two different roofing types…one for warm weather climates and one that has more of a slant for cold weather. i’m not sure if this MKSolier is the same. i’ve also researched and found that there is a factory in michigan. If you are in the midwest, you might want to look into that. another good prefab designer to research if you like this is Charles Lazor–he designed a house along these same lines…it’s called the flatpak. Charles designed this for the midwestern climate. he lives in one in Minneapolis. Being from Wisconsin, I can understand your climate concerns.

By: c-dub

c-dub — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:42:21 +0000

Flat roofs and snow get along fine. You just have to engineer them, like any other roof.

By: steve burritt

steve burritt — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:46:11 +0000

Comments reguarding the high square foot cost of these homes clearly reflect the fact that they’re being assembled on the West Coast. If the factory can be as modular as the homes being built, then it would be reasonable to assume, setting up shop in say the lower midwest would require only a suitable warehouse to lease, access to comparable building materials and some local talent, all more aligned with the areas income level. Providing MKD’s system is indeed unique enough, this could be franchised out to entrepreneurs eager to take this system to the rest of us altering it only enough to meet local building codes.(e.g.:Impact glass assemblies for hurricane zones, or a system that allows for hurricane shutters to be attached, roof tie-downs, etc..) Waiting for Michelle to move east, these homes may very well never see the light of day east of the Mississippi.

By: Jason Hardy

Jason Hardy — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:11:25 +0000

Great ideas, Ilive in Bend, Oregon where 3E strategies is ased. A green awareness business in touch with the national and regional green industries when it comes to sustainable building. I could see the two companies working together. Check out ” info@3estrategies.org” & Cylvia Hayes

By: Brenda Orr

Brenda Orr — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:09:58 +0000

Of course, I agree with Leonard’s comment. There is definitely a severe, AFFORDABLE alternative for housing in rural areas! Why is everything in America, capitalism first, profits first and then humanitarian efforts
to the “rest of the world” THEN we help our own American families?? I truly would like an answer to this question and comment.

SUGGESTION: Why not make it MORE AFFORDABLE for the masses? You will still realize tremendous profits considering the original inventors of this technique I am almost sure this product was meant for it to be available to rid our nation and the world of the homeless problem. Greed always sticks its ugly head out!

That being said, I think the architecture and idea is beautiful.

I would like information on this housing.

Respectfully Submitted,
Brenda Orr
Sealy, Texas

By: Gary Daunis

Gary Daunis — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 01:58:09 +0000

Would you please provide full details on the MKSolaire Prefab Housing?

Kind regards,
Gary Daunis
Birmingham, Alabama

By: Jorge Reyes

Jorge Reyes — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:37:53 +0000

I would like to receive more information on what you are offering.

By: AYO OLURIN

AYO OLURIN — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:29:28 +0000

PLEASE SEND ME MORE INFO. I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ONE OF THESE HOUSES. THANK YOU.

By: Jeff Reeves

Jeff Reeves — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:16:27 +0000

I agree with Leonard’s question about the snow but also, what about tornadoes. It would be a great house for the midwest but how would it withstand tornado and high torrential rains we get here in the Midwest?

By: Leonard E. Sienko, Jr.

Leonard E. Sienko, Jr. — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:47:23 +0000

I love the prefab designs; but, while the prices mentioned may seem inexpensive in upscale urban areas, they are not affordable in rural areas, where such housing is needed. What is the trailer/mobile home, other than rural Amercia’s first prefab solution to a lack of affordable rural housing?

Also, does anyone live where it snows? All those flat roofs are going to be a real problem to shovel and maintain with a couple of feet of snow on them.

It appears to me that the typical pre-fab cutomer is presumed by the designer to be an upper, middle class urban dweller, who might consider living in one of the tonier California or Southwestern “rural” vacation or retirement areas.

Couldn’t this design genius be going into pre-fab units to replace FEMA trailers, which are uninsulated, at disaster sites throughout the country? The New Orleans design projects were excellent; but the winner should have been prefab, rather than stick-built.

Who’s designing for the decayed housing base in the rural Northeast?

By: flooring bamboo » Flooring Bamboo - A Little Built-In Quiet

flooring bamboo » Flooring Bamboo - A Little Built-In Quiet — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:30:20 +0000

[...] PREFAB FRIDAY: mkSolaireInhabitat - 16 hours ago… the mkSolaire include Icynene insulation, high-performance mini-duct/hi-velocity mechanical system, bamboo or reclaimed wood flooring, countertops containing … [...]