MNN - Mother Nature Network

Spotted over at Jetson Green, here’s a fascinating look at the first delivery and installation of green prefab pioneer Michelle Kaufmann’s Glidehouse ever since the iconic modular home's design was acquired, along with the rest of the assets of mkDesigns, back in 2009 by Blu Homes. Located not too far from my hometown of Tacoma on sleepy Vashon Island, Wash, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom precision-built beauty joins a handful of Glidehouses in Washington but with one distinct difference:

 

After Blu Homes added Kaufmann’s original design to its existing stable of green prefabs such as Element and Evolution, in 2010 the Massachusetts-based firm officially re-launched Glidehouse, tweaking it to include the company’s patented steel framing system and innovative folding technology which allows or a dramatically quicker, more efficient, and cheaper factory-to-site process. Plus, as noted by Preston over at J.G.,  this next generation Glidehouse boasts 20 percent higher ceilings and is about 30 percent wider than Kaufmann's original design.

 

The home’s super-jazzed owner, Richard Mintz, explains in the video that because of the folding technology, the cost of having the Glidehouse transported all the way from Blu’s factory in Springfield, Mass. was the same as having another green prefab that he was considering from a Seattle-based firm shipped from Boise. And I imagine it was much easier to get the Glidehouse on one of those Vashon ferries compared to a non-folding modular home.

 

If you’ve never seen the “unfolding” of a two-bedroom prefab home, here’s your chance — it’s amazing stuff (and check out those stunning Puget Sound and Mount Rainer views). Blu’s rebooted Glidehouse is available in two, three or four bedroom configurations and starts at $375,000. One or two-bedroom auxiliary "pods" to be used as studios, home offices, or guest quarters for visiting in-laws will set you back another $90,000. And along with rest of Blu’s offerings including the recently unveiled Lofthouse, the Glidehouse is 50 percent more energy-efficient than comparably sized existing homes and come with an array of green features. 

 

Via [Jetson Green]