Prefabulous for Everyone
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- $27.99
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- $27.99
Publisher Description
Prefabrication’s time has come. Koones showcases 24 examples of environmentally friendly, cost-effective houses built wholly or partially off-site.
Prefabricated housing is a practical solution since it is faster to build, less expensive than site-built houses, and potentially more energy efficient—all aspects that are attractive to homeowners. According to manufacturers, they are seeing the trend for house size coming down but with higher quality amenities.
Sheri Koones has authored a series of five prefabulous books; this one is her sixth. She includes a variety of prefab homes from small to large, including modular, SIPS (structural insulated panels), panelized, and kit built. The houses are from a range of locations across the United States and Canada. Koones includes luxurious, expensive houses as well as some modest, lower-cost homes. She includes two houses that replaced homes that burned down in the California fires. There are several ADUs (accessory dwelling units). The prefab manufacturers have changed in many cases since she wrote her last Prefabulous book in 2016. Although this book includes some of the best older companies, it also includes houses built by new, up-and-coming manufacturers.
Homes are in:
• Ulster County, New York
• New York, New York
• Burlington Vermont
• Dorset. Vermont
• Pioneertown, California
• Los Angeles, California
• Santa Rosa, California
• Malibu, California
• Vancouver British Columbia
• Orillia, Ontario
• Fraser, Colorado
• Denver, Colorado
• Newburg, Oregon
• San Juan Islands, Washington
• Seattle, Washington
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• St. Johns, Virgin Islands
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Houston, Texas
• Scarborough, Maine
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Koones (Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller Than Average) delivers a convincing overview of the merits of prefabricated homes. Pushing back against those who "think of prefab construction as tacky and plain," Koones tours 24 homes that "demonstrate the variety and beauty of houses that can be prefabricated." She highlights the different prefab construction methods, showcasing a Wisconsin house built from a kit (using materials that were pre-cut and numbered at a factory), and a light-filled Los Angeles modular structure built from "modules or boxes" assembled off-site. Environmental considerations feature prominently, including a desert retreat in southern California built from reclaimed lumber and recycled metal, a houseboat in northwestern Washington with eco-friendly concrete moorings, and a Vancouver home that achieved energy efficiency by using airtight insulation. Blueprints, gorgeous interior and exterior photos, and descriptions of building materials provide a detailed look at each entry. However, Koones's contention that prefab homes can help alleviate the affordable housing shortage is undercut by her focus on lavish homes whose costs are seldom discussed. Still, this makes a solid case for the high-end possibilities of prefab home design.
