Colab Studios
If there’s one thing the southwestern United States has in excess, it’s sunshine, so it makes sense that Tempe, Ariz.–based Colab Studio—partnering with Vali Homes and general contractor 180 Degrees—is developing a suite of prefabricated homes that are designed to use solar power to achieve net-zero energy usage. This first 1,500-square-foot prototype is aimed at the mid -income, sustainability- minded owner, and was designed with infill lots in the Phoenix area in mind. The single-story dwelling has two bedrooms, living and dining areas, and an enclosed patio. The structure, influenced in form by the Case Study Houses of Southern California fame, is clad in bent 20-gauge steel strips (vertically oriented on the walls, and horizontal, with slight spacing in between each strip, to fence in the patio). These steel strips have also been allowed to rust to form a variegated surface. “It's beautifully made,” juror Cary Bernstein said. “It's a very smart use of rhythm and joints to get beyond an obvious kit of parts.” The home has been designed to surpass LEED Platinum certification requirements.
Click here to see all of the winners of the 2014 Residential Architect Design Awards.
Drawings
Project Credits
Project Vali Homes Infill Prototype House, Phoenix
Architect Colab Studio, Tempe, Ariz.— Matthew Salenger, AIA
General Contractor 180 Degrees—James Trahan, AIA
Developer and Land Planner Vali Homes—Austin Trautman
Landscape Architect Urban Cactus—Ryan Jerrell
Photography Mark Boisclair
Project Size 1,500 square feet
Construction Cost $140 per square foot
Materials and Sources
Bathroom Cabinets, Fittings, and Fixtures Ikea ikea.com
Countertops Daltile daltile.com
Dishwasher Bosch bosch-home.com
Doors and Windows Windsor Windows & Doors windsorwindows.com
Exterior Siding Custom steel pan system
Flooring Concrete
Garbage Disposal Whirlpool whirlpool.com
Hardware Windsor Windows & Doors windsorwindows.com
HVAC Fantech (HRV) fantech.net; Mitsubishi mehvac.com
Insulation Recycled blow-in cellulose insulation (newsprint)
Kitchen Cabinets, Fittings, and Fixtures Ikea ikea.com
Paints and Finishes Sherwin-Williams Co. sherwin-williams.com
Refrigerator Whirlpool whirlpool.com
Roofing Sprayfoam
Solar Energy System Sun Valley Solar Solutions (photovoltaics) svssolutions.com
