In our last issue, I wrote about the divide between commercial architects and residential practitioners—about how the former sometimes regard the latter as the lesser professionals. Well, I'm afraid there's also a schism within the residential practice itself—between the custom architect and the production architect. Read more
For years the unwillingness of the production housing industry to consider Modern design has irked Rodney Friedman, FAIA. He founded his San Francisco Bay area firm, Fisher Friedman Associates, in the 1960s, the heyday of popular Modernism. But since then, Bauhaus-influenced design has been reserved mostly for public buildings and custom homes, while spec homes have veered in a decidedly traditional direction. Read more
Residential architects care deeply about the dwellings they design, striving always to make them highly livable, well-crafted, and beautiful at the same time. But making those qualities available to custom clients with tight budgets or applying them to price- and market-sensitive production houses is a great challenge. Read more
Many homes designed for discriminating clients today contain aspects of green building: passive solar orientation, non-toxic materials and finishes, and sustainably harvested woods. But those features are one-off alternatives to conventional construction, not part of a package. Read more
Dubbledam's concept of overlapping zones and spatial connectivity is most apparent in the master bath. Read more
How do you transform a 5,000-square-foot industrial space into a comfortable residence without losing that sought-after urban loft feel? Read more
After decades of absence from the main spheres of architectural discourse, the phenomenon of the metropolis as a site for research and experimentation is beginning to recapture the imagination of architects. This renewed attention our profession is giving to the socio-cultural, political, and economic forces at stake in the city could redefine the operational processes of architecture itself, as well as the role of architects in the context of city development. Certain practices in contemporary architecture and urbanism are generating the re-evaluation of notions we have perpetuated as immutable in describing certain typologies and concepts in our field. Read more
The act of design is an intangible concept that eludes most people. They might know good design when they see it, when they get something they can lay their hands on or walk through. Read more
The iMac proved that consumers crave high design within economic reach. Architect Michael Graves achieved household-name status selling teakettles at Target. So when Robert Humble, AIA, and Joel Egan, Associate AIA, insist that prefab is about to take off because the public is demanding design sophistication in their housing as well as their shoes and MP3 players, it's hard to argue. Read more
Like many architects, Geoffrey Warner welcomes change. Years ago, the St. Paul, Minn.–based architect quit his job at a big commercial firm in search of something missing from his professional life: the hands-on nuts-and-bolts of construction. “When you graduate from architecture school, you don't know anything about how to put real buildings together,” he says. “So I started doing furniture and interiors and construction.” The experience serves Warner well in his current practice, Alchemy Architects. In fact, it came in very handy when designing and building one of his firm's most popular works to date, the weeHouse—a modular project first designed as a custom home in Minneapolis. Read more
Architect Michelle Kaufmann and her contractor husband, Kevin Cullen, are conducting the ultimate prefab experiment. They're building their own Modern, site-built house in Marin County, Calif., while Kaufman sells the same design as a modular house she calls the Glidehouse. Read more
It all started with a loft. Dozens of lofts, actually. For 15 years, the New York City firm Resolution: 4 Architecture has relied on a steady diet of loft renovations. “Doing a lot of high-end residential work in New York, we've learned to maximize each and every inch of space,” says co-founder Joseph Tanney, AIA. Read more
Jennifer Siegal has worked on a kibbutz in Israel, traveled throughout Southeast Asia observing nomadic structures, and lived at the remote Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. But the most important trip she takes these days is to prosaic Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where production of her prefab designs takes place. Read more
we've investigated a cross-section of prefab-focused firms—some relatively experienced, others just getting their feet wet. read on to meet the seven bright sparks that charge that prefab housing is more than just a flash in the pan. Read more
Konyk Architecture: Conan acrylic-based solid surface is a durable, maintenance-free product. Read more
Konyk Architecture: TOTO's Ultimate toilet features a power gravity flushing system. Read more
Konyk Architecture: LightBlocks are light-transmitting Plexiglas panels. Read more
The Rockton toilet takes a practical approach to water conservation, offering two flushing options at the touch of a button—either 0.8 gallons or 1.6 gallons. The Dual Force flushing technology eliminates the need for double flushing, says the manufacturer. Read more
The Rockton toilet takes a practical approach to water conservation, offering two flushing options at the touch of a button—either 0.8 gallons or 1.6 gallons. The Dual Force flushing technology eliminates the need for double flushing, says the manufacturer. Read more
Ramdala solid birch door and drawer fronts fit any of Ikea's birch or white melamine cabinet frames, making a snappy addition to classic or contemporary kitchens. Read more
Authentic Designs series combines fine detailing and stile-and-rail construction—without breaking the bank. Read more
In conjunction with Zephyr, renowned artist and designer Fu-Tung Cheng brings his stylish range hoods to the discerning masses. Read more
Cinderstone merges the edgy look of split-faced block with the endurance and economy of fiber cement. Read more
With its F1 line, Bloomingdale, Ill.–based Grohe America boosts faucet design to new heights. Read more
House numbers don't come much simpler than these Avalon pieces from Glendale, Calif.–based Atlas Homewares. Read more
The Pacific is an update of the classic freestanding soaking tub. Featuring seamless corners and brass overflow and waste assemblies, the copper unit measures 60 inches long, 26 inches wide, and 33 inches high. Read more
factory-built houses are the new darlings of the media and the architectural community, but can prefab really bring high design to mainstream housing? leaders in architectural practice and theory speak out. Read more