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News & ArtsFriday, June 19, 2009
Boom / Architecture Life Inside the Box
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Joel Egan, principal of HyBrid Architecture, thinks construction as we know it is waning—soon buildings large and small will be built off-site and delivered. “Construction techniques have been the same for over 100 years,” he says. “Everyone is building the exact same way: Thousands of little pieces, thousands of little sticks and parts are brought to a site. That is not sustainable,” says Egan. “That is like ordering a car and getting a box of parts dropped off in your driveway. It’s clearly time for construction to evolve.”
Cranes are hoisting 12 steel cargo containers onto a site in Georgetown today to create two three-story buildings designs by HyBrid, which only designs prefab buildings. They will contain about the 7,200 square feet of space, partly for an interior-design showroom. Here's what it will look like once complete:
This design is an adaptation of a 2004 project, which never got built. An illustration of that building is below.
This modular construction alternative, Egan says, means buildings can be constructed more quickly, less expensively (20 to 40 percent less), and can be easily fitted to contain green roofs and other features to conserve energy. And they last longer, even if it’s not at the same location. “No one will ever take wrecking ball to a modular building because it makes more sense to cut the connections and disassemble it and relocate it,” he says.
HyBrid has also been partnering with Mithun Architects for the past several years to construct a massive modular 62-unit apartment building on Dexter Avenue North made of wood. The plans have changed slightly since we reported it in last year. “It’s got a new site … and it appears to be moving forward to essentially a bigger project,” says Egan.
4
This is actually appropriate. Except for the very, very, richa nd powerful, haven't we always built our buildings to fit needs with the recources arailable? Lets see, we need to be less wasteful, and there are all these sturdy, unused shipping containers lying around, and the cost of labor in building a structure are increasing while the income of construction workiers is stagnant n it's dollar figure and losing worth in it's actual value. Say what you will about it's aesthetics compared to older architecture, but these sorts of structures are in line with the spirit of the architecture we would rather look at, and structures like this are our future. A living roof would be a nice touch on these things.
5
Egan's characterization is overly simplistic. Prefabricated roof trusses have been standard for decades, and full sets of framing for factory houses are available countrywide. Even in typical suburban developments now, it's common for the builder to turn the neighborhood into an onsite assembly line: the A team does foundations, the B team does utilities, the C team does framing, the D team does roofing, etc. These buildings are as modular as HyBrid's designs, and look better than a bunch of shipping containers stacked on top of each other.
6
Greg, once the shipping containers are in place and the interior needs are taken care of, there are things that can be done to make the outside look a little nicer.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/12/recyc…
It's not the greatest house, but the improvements that there is room for are likely feasable.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/12/recyc…
It's not the greatest house, but the improvements that there is room for are likely feasable.
7
I love HyBrid Seattle. Their designs are great. I've been planning my future shipping container house for the last several years, I hope to actually build in within the next few. The design possibilities with shipping containers are endless and they are seriously sturdy and weather resistant. With thousands upon thousands of them piling up on our shores it only makes sense to utilize them rather than let them rust on massive storage lots.
8
@5, that assembly line setup is close to 100 years old; that's how Anhalt built all those great apartment buildings in Seattle in just two weeks each. Also, fully prefab buildings like Hybrid's have been the "wave of the future" for at least thirty years. But they've never caught on here, because consumers hate them.
Cool, though.
Cool, though.
9
I'm already living in an unused shipping container on Harbor Island (island time, baby!), so this future is now. Plus, plenty of free meat if you know how to trap a rat.
10
Didn't Khan Noonian Singh live in a cargo container for a few years?
And we all remember how well THAT turned out, don't we?
Just a thought...
And we all remember how well THAT turned out, don't we?
Just a thought...
11
I've seen modular buildings destroyed by wrecking balls tons of times.
You're better off buying a teeny plot of land with a ruined/burnt house and building a SILVER LEEDS green house with R-45 insulation and passive solar instead. Cost for house - around $30,000 to $45,000.
You're better off buying a teeny plot of land with a ruined/burnt house and building a SILVER LEEDS green house with R-45 insulation and passive solar instead. Cost for house - around $30,000 to $45,000.
12
Looks great to me. I'd live in one. Dwell magazine had an article in the last year or so about homes made from actual shipping containers, and they looked a damn sight better than most of the tiny old 50's cottages in Ballard or Greenwood.
14
@13 - what, prefab SILVER LEEDS houses - they've been talking about those for months.
Proving, once again, that you need to get out more.
Proving, once again, that you need to get out more.
16
"Architect Joel Egan thinks construction as we know it is waning—soon buildings large and small will be built off-site and delivered. “Construction techniques have been the same for over 100 years,” says Egan, principal of HyBrid Architecture, which only designs prefab buildings. “Everyone is building the exact same way: Thousands of little pieces, thousands of little sticks and parts are brought to a site. That is not sustainable,” he says. “That is like ordering a car and getting a box of parts dropped off in your driveway. It’s clearly time for construction to evolve.” "
Wow, it's like a time warp reading this-- how many decades have people been saying the same thing? 5, 6, 8? I can't remember if I read the car analogy from Heinlein or Bucky Fuller first. I don't see any reason for this to popular mechanics prediction to come true any sooner than it did then!
Wow, it's like a time warp reading this-- how many decades have people been saying the same thing? 5, 6, 8? I can't remember if I read the car analogy from Heinlein or Bucky Fuller first. I don't see any reason for this to popular mechanics prediction to come true any sooner than it did then!
17
Yes, Bucky Fuller said it in the 1930-40s. He asked "How much does your house weigh?"
And yes, every few year the architecture schools graduate a new group of young designers who think that pre-fab was just invented last week,
Just go do the numbers and see how much of the cost of a house is in the dirst, the utilities and foundation, the interior finishes and the financing. There is very little savings, if any, in factory construction — or else we would be doing it.
And yes, every few year the architecture schools graduate a new group of young designers who think that pre-fab was just invented last week,
Just go do the numbers and see how much of the cost of a house is in the dirst, the utilities and foundation, the interior finishes and the financing. There is very little savings, if any, in factory construction — or else we would be doing it.
18
Plus, pre-fabs just don't hold their value the way a site-built house does. "Manufactured homes" (what we used to call "house trailers") go down in value almost as fast as a car does.
19
And remember that Fuller had larger economic problem that he was trying to solve: the ramping down of the second world war production machine. He saw the wealth that was being created by all the industrial activity and was trying to keep the workers occupied postwar by retooling the factories to prefabricate homes. Given that we've become a post-industrial economy, it doesn't seem like this angle applies anymore?
I think prefab has its place in small conceptual projects --like this one -- but it's not the future, despite what celebrants like Kieran and Timberlake say; people aren't going to sit down in a kiosk and order a house, like they are decorating their first apartment with standard furniture pieces from IKEA.
I think prefab has its place in small conceptual projects --like this one -- but it's not the future, despite what celebrants like Kieran and Timberlake say; people aren't going to sit down in a kiosk and order a house, like they are decorating their first apartment with standard furniture pieces from IKEA.
20
I live in modular single family house. It's a total piece of crap because the computer didn't get it right (shocking!). I have been steadily fixing everything that I can (project now in it's 10th year). But some things can't be fixed without virtually taking the whole house apart.
There is a misalignment of the structure because the boxes (the house is composed of 4 prefab boxes) are not the same size. Major structural problems can't be fixed because the house arrives essentially completely finished. You can't get to the problem without gutting the place. This would not have happened if the second story had been built in place on top of the first story.
There is a misalignment of the structure because the boxes (the house is composed of 4 prefab boxes) are not the same size. Major structural problems can't be fixed because the house arrives essentially completely finished. You can't get to the problem without gutting the place. This would not have happened if the second story had been built in place on top of the first story.
21
@6: See, that house looks halfway decent. I could live in a place like that. This HyBrid design... it looks all right, and I like the breezeways in the middle, but it still looks like a stack of shipping containers. And the building is only 50% prefab AT BEST.
22
It doesnt matter who thought of it first, how long ago, or where. Hybrid Architecture is doing it NOW in SEATTLE. Way go guys! I love it :)
23
Architect Peter DeMaria is a "Fuller Disciple" and he's the only designer that I've found to date that is doing incredible buildings (homes as well) with shipping containers. HIs work is not for modular log cabin lovers!!! Modern, streamline and finished with some elegant details - the buildings are beautiful. His projects make me want to live in a container, I haven't found any others who do it quite this nice.
www.demariadesign.com and his other company is www.logicalhomes.com
www.demariadesign.com and his other company is www.logicalhomes.com
24
I am the designer, developer and owner of this project. Hybrid was fired from this project before the first container hit the ground. Hybrid is the most unethical and unprofessional firm with whom we have ever worked. They continue to try and take credit for this project when they were removed from all aspects of this project well before we ever stated assembly or construction and have been forbidden from trespassing on the site ever since. It's a shame they continue to take credit for others hard work. They have also childishly Photoshopped a 'hybrid' sign onto our construction fence used on their website to try and deceive your readers. Quite sad.
25
I worked for HyBrid during the time that this project came through the pipeline and was developed / permitted.
The clients Jay and Dixie Stark are complete egomaniacs who were unable to work with anyone involved in the project. They wanted to take credit for the entire thing and if it wasn't for them needing a permit for construction, they wouldn't have even sought our expertise on the matter. Jay Stark, in particular, is totally incredulous and immoral. HyBrid Assembly, the construction arm of the company who built Remington Court, was told they would be the builder from day one. It wasn't until after they bothered all of their subcontractors and consultants for bids and put together a complete construction cost estimate / bid for construction (that took 2 weeks of unbilled time to put together) that the clients went out and found a general contractor to "undercut" HyBrid for the construction.
The Starks then had the gall to attempt to film the assembly and construction of these containers to create a television show without the knowledge of HyBrid. All of the PROPRIETARY connections and PROPRIETARY fastening details, as well as many other details that have been painstakingly worked out by HyBrid in the last 8 years, were filmed by the Starks without the consent of HyBrid.
In conclusion, the Starks are the clients that architects try to avoid and if it wasn't for the sad state of the economy at the time, the Starks would have been turned down at the first instance of their immorality and deception.
THE ONLY SCOPE THAT THE STARKS HAD ON THIS PROJECT WAS TO DECIDE ON THE PAINT COLORS.
The clients Jay and Dixie Stark are complete egomaniacs who were unable to work with anyone involved in the project. They wanted to take credit for the entire thing and if it wasn't for them needing a permit for construction, they wouldn't have even sought our expertise on the matter. Jay Stark, in particular, is totally incredulous and immoral. HyBrid Assembly, the construction arm of the company who built Remington Court, was told they would be the builder from day one. It wasn't until after they bothered all of their subcontractors and consultants for bids and put together a complete construction cost estimate / bid for construction (that took 2 weeks of unbilled time to put together) that the clients went out and found a general contractor to "undercut" HyBrid for the construction.
The Starks then had the gall to attempt to film the assembly and construction of these containers to create a television show without the knowledge of HyBrid. All of the PROPRIETARY connections and PROPRIETARY fastening details, as well as many other details that have been painstakingly worked out by HyBrid in the last 8 years, were filmed by the Starks without the consent of HyBrid.
In conclusion, the Starks are the clients that architects try to avoid and if it wasn't for the sad state of the economy at the time, the Starks would have been turned down at the first instance of their immorality and deception.
THE ONLY SCOPE THAT THE STARKS HAD ON THIS PROJECT WAS TO DECIDE ON THE PAINT COLORS.
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