Temporary Housing Part 3: Pre-Fab

Ok, bear with me on this one.  When I say pre-fab, I'm not talking about the run-of-the-mill fabricated housing that you can find in anytown, USA.  Those do serve a purpose, and actually can be used for the purposes discussed here, if so desired.  But I want to talk about something a little bit different.

So what am I talking about?  A simple search online for prefab structures will yield numerous results.  Because of the sheer amount of companies that create pre-fab housing and other structures, the price range is huge.  The prices generally range anywhere from roughly $1,000 to upwards of $90,000, depending on what you want.  Some will list a price in square footage.  That may give greater customization, but it can add up surprisingly fast.  You could even take an otherwise inocuous pre-made structure like a shed and turn it into a tiny house with a bit of work.  Or you can go as simple as to buy building plans for somewhere in the neighborhood of $150.00.  But aside from the typical pre-fab housing that we are all used to,  I'd like to point out a few options that aren't typical.  If you like the idea of different and unique, then these products just might be for you.

First, is a company called Intershelter.  It's really a neat idea of a series of prefabricated panels, made from an "aerospace composite material".  These panels are designed to be put together and taken apart quickly, generally, in just a few hours.  They are circular and concave in shape, thus creating a dome.  The website claims that once built, they can withstand earthquakes, category 5 hurricanes, and tempuratures ranging from -70F to +120F, making it ideal for any climate.  There are pricing differences depending on the climate you are buying for.  They offer 14 foot or 20 foot diameter.  For a 14 foot, the basic dome runs $9,500, and a "polar dome" runs $11,500.  A kit for a single dome can fit easily into the bed of a pickup to make for easy portablility, and two or more can be attached together for a bigger space.

Then there is Green Magic Homes.  I personally, really like the look of these.  Again, they are prefabricated panels.  Only this time, they are designed specifically to be placed with earth on top of them, making them, more or less, an underground home.  The shape of the panels is somewhat difficult to describe.  Once the panels are fit together, and they are covered, the pressure of the soil above and around actually pushes the panels in towards each other, making them stronger.  They arrive, ready to put up using only glue and screws.  On average, it will most likely take a couple of days for completion of the build.  The site, itself, lists no prices, asking for you to request the information from them.  However, through numerous "outside" sources, the prices seem to range from $35.00 - $42.00 per square foot, with the sizes being 700 to 1,900 square feet.  And, just like the dome, multiple units can be put together to form bigger living spaces.  It just comes down to how much you want to spend.

Now, both of the previous products are the shells only.  There is nothing else included: no bathrooms, kitchens, etc.  This is also the same as both the yurts and inflatable concrete I discussed in my last two posts.  All of that is work that you will have to take upon yourself.  My final option for pre-fab housing, however, is somewhat different.  Now, to my knowledge, none of these have officially hit the market, yet.  But they are well on their way.  Here, I am talking about homes built for the annual Solar Decathalon put on by the US Department of Energy.  Teams of college students from around the country are asked to design solar powered homes that are affordable, functional, and eco-friendly.  Designed to be premanent dwellings, I'm including them here because they tend to be pre-fab designs of some sort, which helps with the affordability.  Most claim to run in the neighborhood of $20,000.  While that may be a bit more than you'd like to pay if this is going to be temporary, if it's a permanent home, that would be a great deal.  But, if nothing else, it can give you some great ideas to let your creativity go and have some fun with design.

If the idea of pre-fab calls to you, there are many many many other sites and companies out there that offer a wide variety of products at an equally varied range in pricing.  In fact, here is one I came across shortly before this posting.  I haven't had the chance to thoroughly research it yet, but it looks promising.  And there are constantly new options coming onto the market in this area.  It always comes down to the simple question of how much you are willing to spend.