Comments on: PREFAB FRIDAY: Logical Homes at CES

By: Tufani

Tufani — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:26:34 +0000

That design is way cool.

By: Baron

Baron — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:07:20 +0000

I agree, who cares about the shipping containers, this is one super cool pad. Low, sleek and with such a small footprint, it has to make a minimal impact on the environment. Where do you buy one of these Logical Homes? Send De Maria to Washington DC and let him show the Housing Politicians how it is done. There is incredible value in creating an “affordable” single family residence that is beautiful and reflecting the year 2008. If the house is made of containers, it must be the equivalent of a brick #*&@-house, something that will last for hundreds of years not 50 or 60. This is clearly innovative and doesn’t look like the recycled garbage heaps that other shipping container projects look like. Even my traditional, old fashioned, colonial architecture loving, grumpy Uncle Jack saw this image and liked what he saw. His big questions have yet to be answered, HOW MUCH? and WHEN CAN I GET ONE? have yet to be answered. Regardless of the outcome, I still love this James Bond starter home.

By: chris

chris — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:33:05 +0000

WOW! that is a sharp looking house! and to think is a shipping container! its a perfect idea for the people that want to help out the environment but don’t wanna sacrifice space, design, or a perfect dream location. I love sky rises and the city but i do understand that its not for everyone. so this is for those people. Good job Peter DeMaria.

By: scrubbs

scrubbs — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:22:19 +0000

Saw the Inside Edition program as well and the house is designed by Demaria, same architect as the Aegean above. Both are cool, clever and innovative – hopefully more to come

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:15:00 +0000

I think the use of shipping containers to construct sustainable homes is ingenious! Has anyone seen the home built by shipping containers on Wired Science or Inside Edition? A complete modern house was built by containers and completely recycled materials. The original cost would’ve been $1 million, but it was cut by half!

If you are not familiar with how they are converted into living spaces, I suggest looking in YouTube, just type in “Shipping container homes.”

By: JC

JC — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:26:05 +0000

I checked out this place as well, Clancy is on the mark – totally awesome- how much ??????

By: Clancy

Clancy — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:26:00 +0000

By pure accident, I went to the CES show to look at techie products and I ended up at this prefab house! This was not typical convention exhibit space but a real house! The architect was there and said that this was the start of Logical Homes – an affordable cargo container prefab house line. DeMaria was a humble guy and not a computer geek or architect geek, he answered all my pestering price questions but his favorite answer was February 1, 2008. Logical will be open for business on that date and their website with all their construction costs, etc. will be up and finally running. Frankly, when I toured the space I didn’t give a darn about price because the space was lean and efficient and the quality of the building was solid. For some reason I was expecting it to be kind of IKEAish, but it was like a custom home. the primary building structure was two containers and with large expanses of glass that opened onto a livable covered deck/patio. Since the trip, I have accepted the idea of living in a recycled cargo container – it was high design and reminded me of the VanDer Rohe’s barcelona pavillion that I’ve seen in numerous books. Many above are complaining that they don’t see the logic of using a recycled cargo container if it is going to be obscured from view, but the way I see it, who cares if you see the container or not? As long as it is recycled, the end users are helping to recycle and save the planet. As for suburbia, inner city, or vacation home, I think most people will like this house and find their own application for it. The house has a special feel to it that I can’t figure out. Proportion, scale or whatever else architects talk about seems to be in this house – it just feels right. By the way, the Olevia flat screens were pretty awesome in that space! I don’t know the price of the home but I’ve got a feeling people will be waiting on line to get one – same as the Prius!

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:59:25 +0000

Anson has it right.

Understand that most pre-fabs are likely to become second homes, probably cottages or beach houses. Once you get over your righteous indignation over the excesses of consumer culture, there are still advantages to prefab over stick (traditional) building, particularly in remote areas.

Waste is a key consideration when you have to not only deliver the raw materials over long distances, but also then remove the leftover scrap (often expensive). As anyone who’s done any construction can tell you, stick-building creates alot of scrap from off-cuts, mistakes etc… Pre-fabs cut down the waste in manufacturing, and they also produce minimal waste on-site, which is not only cost effective, but cuts down the environmental impact of the project.

By: Christopher P.

Christopher P. — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:31:59 +0000

I agree generally with the pro comments made. Seriously, if you look at the potential viable density of most highly urbanized areas, it has less to do with the square footage of buildings and more with the density of population within the prevailing building structure, relative to sanitary public services. A dwelling of this size, with about much setback as implied by the plinth at the CES show, would average 40-60 dwelling units per acre, with average 25% set aside for pathways open space. Congregated suburban neighborhoods, intergrated sustainable open space including neighborhood gardens and transit, would achieve supportable concentrations and density on par with many barrios, but far superior in quality of life. However, the socialist political-economic models that would make that configuration work long-term are tenuous, even if based on cooperative systems.

By: Anson

Anson — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:49:46 +0000

These aren’t made for cities, they are ment for rural housing or a possible beach or mountain get away. their design allows for easy transpotation and a quick assembly to cut costs. A different design could be used for emergency shelters for natural disaster and war famished countries. these are the kind of things to look for to help re establish places like new orleans.

By: Richie

Richie — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:08:25 +0000

P.S. Coconut Palms piercing the roof allows for a very convenient platform from which to attain fresh, ripe Green Coconuts ! Nice idea !

By: Richie

Richie — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:06:45 +0000

Look deeper Rami, Logical homes are recycling Shipping containers, and who knows what else ? Also the architect is Peter DeMaria who uses shipping containers very effectively. I don’t think that this design contributes more so to urban sprawl than numerous others… and in many locations outside of dense urban areas, this kind of design could be very welcome.

By: Alexi

Alexi — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:39:26 +0000

People have to move back to cities. Living in suburbs in prefab houses is not sustainable. I don’t think such models can find its place in the dense city core.

By: Leo Mac Ender

Leo Mac Ender — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:36:05 +0000

Very very good, ceep on going, many people will like this sort of feeling in the archiecture.
Leopold Mac Endere

By: rami

rami — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:06:46 +0000

I cant see even one thing ecological in these prefab homes, look at how much space they waste that could be green if they were abandoned altogether for highrises.