P.S., I Love You, Pt. 2: Modernism Within the Desert

In persevering with the dialog of desert modernism, Patrick Seabol additionally recognized Palm Springs because the place to comprehend his dream: constructing inexpensive prefab midcentury properties. Seabol, the proprietor of Modernist Modular Houses, resides in an 1,800-square-foot metal and glass residence that he calls a Case Examine–type home. Two bedrooms and two baths with a big (45’ X 22’) central residing core—related in that regard to Donald Wexler’s ’60s metal properties—the all-electric home has passive photo voltaic options that make his utility payments about half these of his neighbors’.

The house makes use of off-the-shelf expertise, together with recycled structural metal for the framing. “The urethane foam within the exterior partitions is rated R-39 and the roof R-49; typical properties normally have R-19 partitions and R-30 roofs,” he says. “The home is sited to make the most of cross venting winds and the overhang on the west aspect was calculated to maintain direct solar out of the construction in the course of the summer time months whereas permitting the winter solar to strike the black-stained concrete flooring.”

Whereas this primary house is web site constructed, prefab fashions can be found with both metal or wooden frames, just like the Eichleresque “[b]ranch-house” with its add-on modules making it expandable from 1,340 to 2,070 sq. toes. Modernist Modular properties arrive about 90 p.c accomplished, with electrical, plumbing, cabinetry and baths in place. Foundations, garages/carports, inside flooring, exterior siding and hookup of utilities are achieved on web site. Modules are available 10’ to 16’ widths and as much as 60’ in size. Two factories are set as much as produce the metal and glass fashions for Western states, whereas three others are turning out wood-frame fashions for the remainder of the U.S.

Seabol maintains that 30 years of expertise as a contractor and a pair extra with a industrial modular producer give him a leg up on the earth of prefab. “I do know what’s going to and what won’t work inside a modular constructing framework. I’m not doing idea 3-D potential modular buildings. We are able to and are producing what we design.”

As to the “Aren’t prefabs costly?” query, he says, “With wood-framed modular you’ll sometimes save roughly 20 to 25 p.c over a stick-built house. In case you go steel-framed modular, you possibly can count on to spend roughly 25 p.c greater than a standard wood-framed house, however you find yourself with one thing rather more great in design.”