Green Modern Kits Prefab House Project News!

Off-Grid Modern Prefab House Winters With Prefab Home Project Construction Updates

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 11:43:00 -0400

Enjoying winter in our modern off-grid prefab home.

Greetings from our modern Off Grid Prefab House!
I am sending love to the world, and thought you might enjoy a little distraction and prefab project update.

Prefab House Construction Update on the Wolftrot- A Modified Dogtrot Mod from Green Cabin Kits in the Pacific Northwest!

If you recall, they heavily modified our Dogtrot Mod from GreenCabinKits.com, from this...

...to this:

The husband is an engineer, and here are his words.

"We are making progress on the house, through at times it goes in fits and starts. Last time I wrote we had the basement in place. The floor quickly followed and then it rained. A lot. Then the crew put the SIP walls up. And then it rained. A lot more, to the point where we now have WolfTrot Pond in front of the house.

Copeland's note: Ok not this pond. This is the lake in front of their house, the real lake.

When the builders needed more dirt to complete back-filling around the stem walls I said they could take more from beyond the level area we'd made anticipating a garage being sited there. The plan was for them to increase the size of the already level area. Of course, they cheated and took more where I suggested but cut deeper, leaving a shallow area where rain water collects.

Putting together the SIPs!

The SIP roof was installed and the builder decided we needed a 'cool roof' under the metal roof as the slope is 1:12. This entailed completely covering the SIP OSB surface with waterproof material, then installing battens with more sheets of OSB layered on top of that, followed by more waterproof covering material.
...

Now the entire house shell is completed and as I write they are finishing installing the metal roof.

Roof is on! Now for windows and doors!

We had originally intended to use steel siding for the walls but that has had to be dropped. The original metal roof supplier that our builder was familiar with offered steel siding too but we found it was really roofing panels that were mounted vertically on walls which we felt looked too industrial.

Our builder was recommending Hardie Planking which I felt was not ideal despite their being considered recyclable materials. Cement and fiber may be recyclable but are not CO2 friendly. I searched around and found that there is a dearth of steel siding available but succeeded in eventually finding a source here. We decided to use their roofing panels as well as the Dutch Lap siding.
...

But all told, we're okay with how it's gone in general.
We're looking forward to this stage being completed(...).
Then we can get down to construction the remaining interior stud walls and installing the plumbing and wiring. At this moment I'm anticipating doing much of that myself.
...

Beautiful M!!!!

We've been waiting for the local utility company to come and install a new power pole where they want to situate the transformer for our property. The request was made over three months ago and we're still waiting.

If I thought we could still afford it I'd go straight to a solar configuration but that will require a standby generator and batteries too. There is no natural gas supply nearby so I would have to either install a propane or diesel tank for fuel for the generator. Propane pricing can be more volatile that diesel and diesel is more energy efficient but the generators cost more as well.

Windows going in on the passive solar modern prefab house!

I scheduled a visit by a solar contractor but he never showed up!
He also never returned my calls after that.
(...) 20-30 years ago you could get anything done with a few phone calls. Today it seems like pulling hens teeth to even get someone interested in doing anything. I estimate that less than 10 percent of the contractors I asked for quotes have even bothered to respond.
TTFN. P.

And that's the latest from Wolftrot, a Dogtrot Mod heavily modified in the Northwest.

I am deeply grateful when clients send updates, as it seems, more often than not, that they don't.
HOWEVER I understand all to well these days writer's block and the reluctance to type out anything!
I resolve to check back with others soon.
I do know that the Austin project has sold her lot, but don't know if the project is in hiatus or for a better location. This winter the architect made a round of changes, but I have not heard more.

So back to our own life, off-grid, in a modern prefab house from Green Modern Kits.

Ugh, right now we all have colds. (Copeland's note: this was written weeks ago, we are now well. I hope you and your family are well.)
No one feels like doing anything, going anywhere... which is a great time to talk about off-grid food storage. Because who wants to drive down the highway 30+ minutes just to get to the grocery store?

Plus, when you're sick, ethically, you shouldn't.
Stay in bed!

So. After I publish this post, I'm going to crawl back into bed and let the kids take over awhile. At least we don't have to drive, we have everything we need, here.

How much food do you have on hand? A week?
Why not three months?

As uncertainty nears (like snow/hurricanes / weather systems, for example) I make sure we not only have our usual stores but double check to have extra, for extra weeks... and to not forget to store up food for our animals, medicine, extra toothpaste / deodorant / shampoo / detergent... and TOILET PAPER...

Likewise, this time of year especially I always have a "living off-grid with the flu" plan: it may be unsightly, but that pile of wood by the back door ensures that if I get ill (although now, with teens, they could certainly keep the house running, but what if we all get sick?), I don't have to travel to the woodshed for wood and have three days to rest before having to head out.

So during approaching weather/flu season, ask yourself: do you have enough on hand where you can then just allow yourself to go to bed and be sick? Or if the hurricane fells trees across the road and you're stuck? (Pro tip: Country people put chain saws in their cars before heading out after storms.)

We continue to make a farm kid out of the "I'm From The 3rd Largest City In China" teen.

The two other teens
played a joke on him
which somehow involved
a chicken.

NO CHICKENS IN THE HOUSE!

An introduction to chickens, and chicken handling, followed.
But not in the HOUSE, kids! Geez.

At the Amish auction, he learned to load hay.

He learned the beauty of
all kinds of junk food in country stores.
To my organic chagrin.

Over winter, we headed back-and-forth into the city, and I did my usual temperature comparisons of outdoors vs. indoors-in-the-prefab-house-that-hadn't-been-heated-in-days.

In Virginia, our average temperatures in winter are in the 20s-40s. I have never arrived, after days without heat, to the interior of the prefab house in the 40s.

Usually in real winter weather, when I arrive in the prefab home after night after night in the 20s, I find it in the mid/high 50s. I fire up the cookstove, and it takes awhile, I don't turn on the radiant heat or fans to blow it even or anything; but the temperature rises to cozy soon enough.

So this is what I arrive to, after nights in the 20s with highs of 40.

When I arrive, I like to walk around the prefab home with my little laser temperature reader and sniff for any indication there are leaks in the door frames or windows. So far, after all these years... no.

In the following pictures, I fell asleep super early and let the cook stove burn out for a night when it was 14 degrees.

If you fell asleep in YOUR house tonight, with no heat, and it was 14 outside, to what temperatures would *you* wake?

I like to walk around the prefab with my little laser temperature reader after nights like this and see. It's certainly not toasty, but it's certainly not cold. (After this I lit the fire and then I was toasty with hot coffee and a beautiful day!)

Look closely in these pictures and you'll see the laser point on the wall.

Laser pointer on the art, now. Temperatures in this test were 59-64 I think.
Fluctuation due not to insulation
but to what rooms were semi-closed / height
(I did not have fans running, either.)
Did I mention it was 14 degrees?!?

Winter at the off grid prefab house has been pretty gray this year.
Lots... and lots... of gray.

Keep it colorful with friends!
That's why this time of year is Visitin' Season.

When it's gross and gray, I make a big pot of stew and invite friends. As much as I want everything in place and tidy at the prefab house, these concrete floors were made for friends and dogs and romping...

Happiness is a sink full of dirty dishes after a great evening.

A messy kitchen = remnants of good times.

TTFN...!
Ta
Ta...
for now
from the off-grid prefab home.

Modern Prefab House Updates: San Francisco Prefab And A Southwest Modern Cabin Prefab NEWS

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Tue, 1 Oct 2019 08:41:00 -0400

Greetings from our own off grid prefab house, a casa ti from Green Modern Kits!
It is good to be home.

But you are here for the latest modern prefab house project updates!

From our sister site, the modern prefab cabin Green Cabin Kits projects, we had an update from a client is building a modern prefab, the CornerHouse, in the southwest.

Modern prefab cabin, CornerHouse, from Green Cabin Kits.

"...The site itself is located in a recreation area called the 'Granite Dells', an area of exposed Precambrian bedrock which is over 1.4 billion years old. Over time, the rock has eroded to form spectacular vistas of boulders that seem to be delicately balanced into most interesting formations, which are very popular with hikers and rock climbers alike.

...

The uniqueness of the geography does not come without its challenges, as homes in this area often require significant engineering to account for the granite outcroppings and silty, decomposed granite soils.

As of late, the area has also become known for its unique architecture, with several modern homes dotting its otherworldly landscape, as well as geodesic domes, cave castles and earth ships."

When undertaking this project, Justin put great deal of care into finding a design that would complement the unique beauty of the area and when he first discovered the CornerHouse plan 2013, he knew immediately it would be a perfect fit.

"The site itself sits prominently elevated above the granite basin of the Dells, nestled in a small ravine and visible to the streets below. To access the site, you must ascend a narrow gravel drive to a secluded cul-de-sac where the residence will sit atop 13 concrete piers, providing panoramic views in almost all directions."

Read about this modern prefab cabin CornerHouse project, here!

Regarding the modern prefab home project outside of San Francisco, it went through... iterations.

Here is our two story modern prefab home, the R1 Residential, "as is."

If you recall, we made custom modifications for the client, adding lots of fun features including a roof deck on the addition, and a back balcony:

Thus leaving our hands, further changes were made (notably the windows) and this is what was built:

(images via Google)

We have more prefab house project updates to come, notably from the Northwest, the deep south, and more!

Soon.

Personally, I am resting up after a BUSY summer of back-and-forth, to embrace being back at our own off grid prefab house, a casa ti from Green Modern Kits!

I just want to curl up with a good book, start cooking stews, have a little quiet time after the frolicking rollicking summer...

Ahhhhh...

Wait. What's that noise?

It is good to be home, even though the teens DID have a great time over summer in their travels.

But right when you think you can kick back and just busy yourself with green building...

the teen college tours and equestrian shows begin.

Geez.

Speaking of teens and college tours, we did had a great time visiting the green-building architect of Green Modern Kits's casa ti, David Day, and his wonderful wife during a recent university tour.

And thus, fall begins.

Stay tuned.

Modern Prefab House Project Updates from Green Modern Kits PREFAB NEWS!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:28:00 -0400

Our own off grid passive solar prefab house from Green Modern Kits.

SUMMER IS HERE!
We are overdue on prefab house construction project updates!

There are a lot, so let's take it over a few prefab house construction posts instead of all at once.

As I have mentioned, I used to post all the time, but have lost my joy of writing.
Not because of work, but because...
we're in the teen years.

Teen 1 and Teen 2 are great,
doing well, flourishing...
but they're teens.

(However, I did get a few pictures of them smiling! Here you go:)

Ok fine he's super cute...

She's pretty cute too...

But they're... teens.
So... I don't feel like writing!

Thankfully, our wonderful clients are interesting, kind, and happy to provide us the words!

Let's start with the prefab modern home from our sister modern prefab site, Green Cabin Kits, in the Pacific Northwest, then next up will be the Arizona CornerHouse, then the Dogtrot Mod underway in Austin, and then an update on the Lake Tahoe projects, and on.

Without further ado, I present updates on our *modified* Dogtrot Mod in the pacific northwest, Wolftrot, from my favorite English-engineer-moved-to-the-USA-once-lived-in-a-castle-now-wants-a-prefab couple!

For reference, you can see the original prefab modern cabin house Dogtrot Mod, here.

This update is in two parts, one from April, one from June.

The clients were encountering delays because of site-specific issues like grading challenges, and local material challenges. Let's start with the local material challenge: CONCRETE.

On a sloping lot, with a desire for slab -and- a half basement, our clients have run into some concrete vendor and application issues, one of them being that a British company has purchased all the local concrete plants and, upon taking ownership, significantly increased concrete costs.

So they were looking at alternatives.

We are always interested in green building solutions to construction dilemmas.
In our own prefab home, we used fly-ash to offset our concrete's carbon footprint.

Our own prefab house is on slab.

Some green building alternatives to concrete foundations include

From SmartCities Dive:
"Screw piles also take a lot less time to install and this makes for a shorter project time. In turn, they also require far fewer people to install than a traditional foundation. Fewer people means less energy required and a lower carbon foot print.
...
The process is also safer than the one used to install a concrete foundation, which means there is less risk for the work force. Of course, the reduced costs of all of the aforementioned is also something that needs to be mentioned.

Concrete foundations do have their place, however screw piles can be used for a vast amount of the foundation work in modern building. They offer a far more eco-friendly alternative to the traditional methods and are also lower in cost and thus have become increasingly popular in the last decade or so."

They are also looking at creative solutions for their grading challenges to make them financially feasible.

The cool green building solution items of note is that, my client states,

"First, I believe I've found a grader that will provide a better lot contour that will reduce the need for importation of additional materials. Second, I'm getting a quotation from Goliath Piles for screw pilings to be installed for the building foundations. This can eliminate all or a significant portion of the concrete required in the construction. At least one builder we're talking with sees this as having huge potential here in the local market where most homes get built on sand that has historically required concrete raft foundations."

These grading challenges also present added costs with lugging construction materials to the job site, including the SIP.

Now as you know I am totally okay with a client not using SIP *if* they are choosing an energy-efficient, reputable, green building, LEED-embraced solution.

BUT you have to understand comparing apples to apples, and oranges to oranges, if you want your organic fruit salad financial numbers to match!

Boy do I appreciate SIP's energy efficiency
in extreme temperatures!

So if you're considering not using SIP, make sure you not just factor in the material cost "to frame" or "to insulate" but to frame *and* insulate, projected cost savings through efficiency, and even then, how do you guarantee that an alternate insulation method was done correctly and at what R value?

That is why we sell our prefab house kit package as not just the design documents, but design documents hand in hand with SIP, so that you *know* your home will be evenly, consistently, and guaranteed at a good R value, with proven structural integrity.

In June, I received more updates from the Wolftrot project!
"We have now had our well drilled and capped at 260 feet deep. We are seeing just 3.5 gallons a minute from around 60 feet down but got no more the deeper we went. The well driller said we could go to 300 feet before risking any increase in salinity despite us only being around 60 feet above seal level and around four miles as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean. I decided to stop at 260 as that means we'll have 200 feet of water (26 - 60) down the well which equals around 300 gallons plus whatever we keep in our above ground pressure tank. I'm thinking we'll go for at least 40 gallons in the tank (i.e. an 80 gallon tank) and perhaps more just to reduce the pump cycles and extend the pump life. It will be a dollar trade off, depending n the cost of a replacement pump vs the incremental cost of a bigger tank.

Our planned home drawings are about final.
We've had them reviewed by the structural engineers and used their feedback to size the roof beams accordingly. Now our draftsman is detailing the interior so we can get final price quotations for the interior work. We're hoping to have the gross numbers in hand in a week or two for the foundations, footings, floor, walls and roof structures, with windows and metal roof and siding included. We can't quite finalize the deal as we're still trying to get a blasted grader to come and prepare the lot ready for the foundations. I may have to buy a 4x4 tractor, loader, backhoe and grading attachments and just do it myself!

I'm attaching the latest renderings of the house.
Ignore the colors.
Well, not all of them.

The roof is correct as shown in charcoal grey, the siding will be light grey, the rear trim (frames, sashes, fascias, etc we want mid-grey) and the decking will be stained a dark natural wood color.

At the front M. has insisted we only have the one double door to the sunroom (But I've specified we will have the lintel in place to open the wall up at a later date if I can get away with it. I'm planning to use Dutch doors (double for the basement and sunroom, single for the entry door) so we can have just the upper panels open with removable glass or bug screen panels depending on the seasons.

I've had the RV barn eliminated from the garage structure to shrink the building outline and give us some options for later modifications. But I've also had the garage drawn so we can build it quickly using SIPs if the price works out okay. Getting the structure weatherproof quickly will be a serious consideration given the heavy rain historically starts in October.

We visited the metal roof and siding manufacturer last week and saw the various grades and designs. It was well worth the trip. We both feel better about the quality of the materials and the finishes. I've been wanting to add a flash of color on the siding around the front of the guest room structure to 'break up' the amount of grey. M. balked at using red barn as a shade on vertical steel siding. I then tried a light yellow which she though better but balked at the vertical siding panels. At the manufacturer, we saw how they had cleverly covered their large structure with roofing and siding panels in very creative ways and M. liked it! Now I just have to get her to sit down with me and agree how we're going to create the visual break I want. We'll get there.

The problem is I want to color the dutch door panels (not the braces) with the same color we use for the contrast on the guest house. BTW, the trim will all be white in the front of the house. My idea is that the rear of the structure will be modern NW style contemporary while the front is more rural/craftsman style. We've even figured out how to create a front porch over the front deck and entryway that M. wanted.

You can expect to see a couple of traditional style rocking chairs on that porch.
I anticipate they will never get used.

That's all for now. I'll send the pictures soon, after I've added the well drilling shots."

THANK YOU WOLFTROT clients for the updates!
(And don't ever underestimate the power of a good rocking chair! I suspect our sweet clients will find MANY quiet happy moments in them, even as busy as they are!)

I hope you all have a great summer, I promise to post much more over the summer following up on the other prefab house construction project updates.
Meanwhile, here are a few pictures, and a few summer recipes, of our summer back-and-forth from the off grid prefab house, to the bay.
: )

Recipes:
Dilled Crab Soup
This is so freakin' rich and delicious!

Roughly pulse equal amounts of cucumber (1/2 skin off) and avocado with a little less onion, sea salt, pepper, dill, vegetable broth, (vegan = alpha-gal safe) sour cream, and lime juice. Chill and let flavors blend, serve topped with crab and diced cucumber.

Amished Up Southern Staple 'Mater Sandwich
I Amished up a southern classic: fresh white bread, local tomatoes, Duke's mayo... and Farm Dust. My Amish friend turned me on to this Himalayan salt & herb blend, it is tasty on everything!

And then there's this recipe...

Is this what empty nesting will be like?!?

And thus, until I post the next prefab construction update (for which I now have MULTIPLE posts so I'd better get writing!), I leave you with... pictures of... teens.

Ok fine THEY are super cute...

They are ALL adorable!
We will get through the cranky teen years!

But we are having fun.

TTFN

(As my English clients say: Taa Taaaaaaaaaa... For Now. : ) )

Ok maybe we'll survive this teen stuff.

Getting through the teen years with
GOOD FRIENDS, on A BOAT!

On the Schooner Virginia, to be exact!
Happy birthday W!

So GRATEFUL to have our beloved Ramshackle
to protect us. Summers of back-and-forth would
never be possible without her love and protection.

Each year we work on her, fixing yet another thing.

Here's a teen working hard on
The Ramshackle's subflooring.

Here's a teen working on burying the internet cable.

These kids really are hard workers.

They... not so much.

Birthday present- I love the Moomins!

Always something to work on...

Now she's working on her Papi.

Lawnmowers working hard... wait.
"Aaaaaaaa! That's my garden!!!"

With good friends, we enjoyed
A SAIL WITHOUT TEENS!!!!

Anyhoo.
We'll be back with more prefab house project updates, soon!

In the meantime, TTFN.

Congratulations to Architects On Best In Design!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Fri, 1 Feb 2019 09:35:00 -0500

We are so happy to hear the architecture firm Gelotte Hommas Drivdhal Architecture, the genius behind beautiful luxury architecture in Seattle / the Pacific Northwest but *also* of our prefab cottages at Green Cottage Kits, our traditional cottage prefab sister brand, has won best of Houzz in Design!

Read the full article, here.
Congratulations to the firm!

Modern Prefab House Construction Project Updates From West Coast To East Coast From Green Modern Kits!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:44:00 -0500

Sneak peek at a modern prefab house announcement
I can start talking about in the new year!

As usual, at my own prefab house,
when the temperatures drop
and the cookstove goes out overnight,
off grid with only a tiny firebox
heating the entire prefab house
we still wake comfortably.

At our modern prefab house companies, Green Modern Kits and Green Cabin Kits, we are having a very busy fall and winter.

Here is a quick update, and I will be going in to each passive solar modern prefab house construction project in much more detail in the coming weeks.

In general, when potential clients ask for SIP fabrication quotes from the factory, I tell them the estimated time for fabrication of the panels is about 4-5 weeks.

Now, even in winter, this year I need to tell them 6-8 weeks, because that's how busy the plants are, east coast or west coast. It's not just the plants; the architects are slammed, the engineers' schedules are full... so if you are planning on purchasing a prefab home, what you need to know is that if you leave things "as is" and don't start customizing anything that would involve an architect or engineer, even so, it will be a few weeks longer than usual.

If you are really reconfiguring the prefab house design, expect much longer than you might think for this time of year, because it seems as if this summer's boom still has not ended and everyone is still going full steam ahead already before your project gets into queue! So my message to interested parties is: PLAN AHEAD. Start interviewing contractors now, not when you actually want the house to be purchased.

Now let's go over our current prefab house projects and a brief synopsis of where they stand:

The Wolftrot

This Dogtrot Mod modern prefab house from Green Cabin Kits has been modified for the Pacific Northwest and the client's lifestyle.

You can follow the Wolftrot prefab construction progress here.

As I mentioned, the clients decided to close in the breezeway between the main and guest units and create a solarium, changed the foundation, roof, and more to accommodate snow load and lifestyle choices.

These European clients have lived allllll over the world and have decided to settle on the west coast.

What makes this client particularly engaging is his quick understanding of the prefab industry, as he has a background in business, engineering, and, with his wife, has lived in architecture as diverse as restoring a hundreds of years old stone home in England, to also having built their own new homes in the States.

They are big fans of SIP, understanding that the consistent quality, energy efficiency and speed in fabrication of the structural insulated panels overcomes the slightly higher upfront price.

This prefab house will be sited discretely on this peaceful property, nestled near surrounding woods and overlooking the lake.

Currently, this project is in engineering.

The Austin Dogtrot Mod

Outside of Austin, this Dogtrot Mod modern prefab house will be a contrast to the Wolftrot in that it will be a standard, push-button prefab house as our architect envisioned. The only divergence from the design is that in order to site the modern prefab house correctly on the lot, the breezeway will be narrowed by four feet in order to remain within the easements of the urban lot, and the roofline raised.

Enjoying Austin with her family.

The client, Amber Gunn, is a savvy entrepreneur in the real estate industry. Here, the Texas native explains how she went from a degree in accounting into her love of real estate!

"While I loved financial analysis and problem solving, I didn't truly love the monotony of accounting. I was hired as a business development representative for a title company where I mentored and coached realtors. Early on, I knew that real estate was something I was very passionate about.

I got my real estate license in 2006 and my broker's license in 2008, and I haven't looked back! I created my own brokerage called Austin Domain Properties in 2008. As a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (REAL ESTATE) and Master Financial Coach, I use my finance expertise to coach my clients in their real estate plans ranging from 1 year to the next 50 years. "

About three years ago, Amber reached out to us for information on a modern prefab house. We scheduled a conference call, and answered some general questions she had. Over time, she kept checking back, and in the fall of 2018 purchased a lot, called, and said, "I'm ready!"
And thus the process began.

Amber and son checking out their
newly-purchased lot.

What a great lot!

Currently this modern prefab house is in the engineering and permitting process, with structural insulated panels due to arrive in two months.

This Austin Texas prefab house project can be followed here.
The project shall be thus called, "La Rancho Pistola."
Amber GUNN you crack me up!!!

There is an R1 Residential modern prefab house on Lake Tahoe project...

Keep an eye on how they flip this floorplan!

A local Tahoe City design firm is adjusting the floorplan in the R1 Residential for the client, and an engineer has been engaged to adjust the roof for snow loads and local code.

The client is a modern design enthusiast, as is the designer.

What makes this prefab project interesting is that the client is flipping the floorplan- the kitchen and dining will be on the SECOND story. They are also building the R1 Residential modern addition.

The 18,000 sf lot is in an extremely restrictive zoning area, with heavy snow.

If you love Lake Tahoe you will love where this prefab is located! But for now, I will stay mum on that. : ) But I *can* reveal... it is on the west shore.

More details on this modern prefab house and project team, in upcoming weeks!

Currently, the quote for this modern prefab house project has been approved, and now moves to engineering, and the client wants to break ground in May.

Remember the R1 Residential Outside of San Francisco?!?
IT HAS BEEN BUILT!!!!

A *modified* R1 Residential
under construction outside San Francisco.

I am hoping to share with you interior and exterior photos very soon!

And finally, we have a Dogtrot Mod in the Northeast update!

The client enjoying the first snow of the year
in her Dogtrot Mod "Little Lab."

This client has been such a joy to work with. If you recall, she built the guest unit of the modern prefab cabin first as a retreat, while still living in her historic farmhouse.

It has finally come time to put her farmhouse on the market, and thus, she wrote that in soon she expects to re-start construction and finish the project.

Of note: she wants to finish with HEMPCRETE.

One thing to note is that a lot of these projects happen only after years of discussion, after many gentle leads turn into, suddenly, a very real project where the client has the loan, the lot is purchased, contractor lined up, and suddenly out of the blue I get that call that another prefab house is a GO.

Each prefab project and person is fascinating and is its own vibrant journey. I enjoy learning about every client, their lot's unique character, their life.

In OUR own family and off grid life, as I have mentioned, we are ~~enduring~~ enjoying ~~the persnickety smelly moody aura of teens~~ the high school years.

Ok maybe they're not SO bad...
Ah, the teen years.

Like many families, we are doing too much, and I miss the steady confident-yet-quiet security of homeschooling on the farm, where you worked hard on your studies then spent the afternoons free outdoors. But then again, maybe back then I thought I was overwhelmed, too!

Halloween was great, Thanksgiving was great, with friends and family and even sailor friends reuniting, brushing our hair, and gussying up together.

So the teen years are good.

I just miss our quiet days allllllll together, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I guess.
The teens don't.
They want REAL SCHOOL and lots of KIDS who are not goats.

And thus, we do city -and- country, but there is no place like (a SIP, prefab) home.

And thus ends my musing and modern prefab house construction project update.
As my English clients say... TTFN!
.
.
.
.
.
.
Taa taa
FOR NOW.
: )

New Prefab House Project On West Coast: Dogtrot Mod Passive Solar Prefab from Green Cabin Kits

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 14:08:00 -0400

Greetings from Green Modern Kits!
If you hadn't heard, there is a new prefab house kit construction project underway in the Pacific Northwest from our sister site, Green Cabin Kits.

Yes, the modified Dogtrot Mod Passive Solar Modern Prefab House in the Pacific Northwest begins.

Passive solar modern prefab house from Green Cabin Kits: The Dogtrot Mod
This is the standard Dogtrot Mod, before modifications.

Ok now let's dig into this prefab construction project!

Here are more pictures of our standard Dogtrot Mod modern prefab house so you can better see what the client changed:

Now THIS prefab house, a modification of our Dogtrot Mod in the Pacific Northwest, will henceforth be referred to as...
Wolftrot.

First: Wait. What happened to the Dogtrot Mod?!?
The clients extensively changed it!

They enclosed the breezeway to accommodate for their Northwest local conditions.
The breezeway is now a solarium!
They also changed the roofline to address snow loads / local conditions, as well as to add solar.

There is a basement!
HOWEVER, the basement is in just one area, and the rest of the Wolftrot prefab house rests upon slab.

The clients also designed a garage to accommodate daily practical function as well as a workbench area.

You can follow along with this particular prefab project in short, more professional updates here in the Green Modern Kits project blog, or updates with more rambling but still specific to the Wolftrot prefab house project, here.
If you like, you can also follow our own off-grid life at our own passive solar prefab house (and often, wandering around on adventures), here. But do note I ramble.

In the meantime, I hope you are all well.
Kind regards,
Green Modern Kits

Modern Passive Solar Prefab House: New Project On The West Coast From Green Modern Kits

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:54:00 -0400

Modern Passive Solar Prefab House In The Bay Area Has Planning Approval! Onward!

My own off grid prefab house from Green Modern Kits.

Well.

The modern passive solar prefab house in the northwest / the Bay Area has Planning approval! Onward we go to the building department!

Now that this project is a go, go, GO, I am going to give it a tag so that people can follow this prefab house kit project's story.

We will be busy rustling together the client, architect of the modern prefab house, The R1 Residential, and the distributor these weeks, following up with the engineer and contractor, bringing the whole team together.

The next step for us would be to get the project into the final Shop Drawing phase and prepared for panel production...

For those of you interested in this West Coast modern prefab house project, here's a rendering the architect, Morgan Pierce, of 3North, based in Richmond, DC, and San Francisco, generously shared of The Modified R1 Residential modern prefab house:

Because the design documents had been continued to be modified until the final approval by Planning and Zoning by the architect, it was only once they were approved did we pass on the final modified version to the SIP (structural insulated panels) dealer close to the client within our network to get the final, final quote for this project and move on to converting them, via an engineer, into SIP shop drawings and construction documents, as nothing can be changed or modified after Planning's approval.

They are in the process of doing that now, and we expect to submit those documents to Permitting in the next few weeks.

Thanks for your interest in Green Modern Kits, and our passive solar SIP prefab house kit projects!

Green Modern Kits News On A New Modern Prefab Built In Northeast!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:31:00 -0500

I am so thrilled to begin sharing with you the progress of the passive solar modern prefab from our Green Cabin Kits modern prefab line being built in the northeast! This client is incredibly creative with impeccable modern taste, is passionate about the environment, and thoughtful in every aspect of her home so I am very excited to share with you her modern prefab house as it is constructed, as she sends updates.

Note: This client is a *very* busy woman who is involved with environmental advocacy. Because of her schedule, she tells me her missives will be sporadic, but I hope not- I can't wait to see what she does!

To follow and view this modern prefab home in the upper northeast project, click here!

Prefab Modern Green Homes From Green Modern Kits: Spring Has Sprung!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Fri, 8 Apr 2011 08:55:00 -0400

Happy spring from Green Modern Kits!

We were thrilled to be included in the latest issue of Virginia Living, on stands now, and chuckled that we are in their renowned Forever Prep Issue (huh?). : ) Here's a glimpse!

I am currently preparing for my annual trip to New York, for ICFF, where we will be announcing the latest on our joint venture with Akemi Tanaka: a line of affordable modern furniture that does multiple things designed specifically for our prefab house kits!

If you have followed my own prefab house kit construction blog, you know that although the house kit went up in a week, finishing it was another matter. We decided to frugally walk through the economic uncertainty, which is my philosophy regardless, hence our completion was in even longer stages as it is not yet our primary residence, and that our contractor, plumber and electrician are all working on it part time themselves.

Hence, no Spring Open House will be held, but look ahead to fall when I will be throwing a MY PREFAB HOUSE KIT IS COMPLETED party! We are finishing up, adding the final pieces (rainwater cistern, finishing the interior of the SIP) now, so I will be happy to show it off to the public this summer / fall.

Sincerely yours,

Copeland Casati

copeland casati

president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Our Green Prefab House Kits Win A MUSE Award And Are Featured In Grow And Make!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 09:45:00 -0400

Because of our passive solar prefab house kits that bring affordable energy efficiency to consumers, Green Modern Kits was nominated for a Muse Award, which recognizes creative businesses in Virginia...
...and... Green Modern Kits won a Muse Award!!!

You can read my personal account of the day, here... I somehow tied it into fashion and chickens.
Shocking. ; )
Here's an excerpt:

"We believe your prefab green home should not just be gorgeous but should function, and reduce your systems demands.

I think energy efficiency can be encouraged not with more regulation and certification, but with fashionable education, honeychiles. If people stop viewing cul-de-sacs along four lane highways as a pretty way to live, if people view smart growth and walkability as fashionable vs. bloated subdivisions eating up countryside... then maybe fashion can have a great impact on raising the gorgeous smart growth consciousness of many, quickly.

Sustainability does not just incorporate architectural efficiency; a home's design must be something with which people are in love, so that they commit to it, and pass on that structure to future generations.

Often people fall in love with our prefab house kits before they understand their intent to function; they love first and learn later.

But sustainability does not just encompass LEED certification.

Sustainability should question why ChemLawn drenched lawns are legal and allowed next to neighboring natural, food producing yards.

Sustainability should question why multiple barking Mastiffs are ok per zoning vs. a few laying hens that can provide a family with nourishment, connection to their food, and reduce waste and strain on our community's municipal services."

...Back in the office, I had a nice conversation with Will Johnston of the online sustainable product retailer, Grow And Make.

He turned it into an interview, where I explain how our prefab house kit company Green Modern Kits got started. You can read it here: http://www.growandmake.com/sustainable-living-blog/interview-copeland-casati/

And where are we going this year? Well, as you know we have house kits underway in New York, West Virginia (from our prefab cottage line, Green Cottage Kits), Colorado and more. As I mentioned in the Grow And Make interview, I need to make sure those prefab projects are blogging!

In the meantime, I hope you all have a great summer. On my off time, I have been busy launching Pirates 2.0, i.e. our children, who can not only swim now but are sailing the Chesapeake Bay on their own! Here's the first pirate they chased and successfully captured:

Ps.: Zoning: Our illicit chickens are now gone. But in city yards everywhere, in a residential neighborhood near you... they're baaaaaaack.

VMFA Muse Awards

Sincerely yours,

Copeland Casati

copeland casati

president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Prefab Modern House Kit Architect David Day In The Wall Street Journal!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Sun, 23 May 2010 09:00:00 -0400

David Day, green building architect of our prefab modern house kit, casa ti, was featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal this week on his longtime collaborations with a couple; thought you might enjoy the read:

My Favorite Architect
A couple's relationship with their architect spans 10 years and three projects, culminating in a Charlottesville estate

Make sure to see more pictures of this custom project, here. More project pictures of Broom Hollow are also on David Day's website.

Our lines of prefab house kits, Green Modern Kits, Green Cottage Kits, and Green Cabin Kits, were also mentioned in Virginia's Inform Architecture + Design, published by the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects.

Soon I will be updating readers with our other prefab house kits' progress; in the meantime, I hope you have a great end to spring!

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati

president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Zero Energy Passive Solar Prefab House casa ti Featured In Cville's Abode

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 5 May 2010 08:32:00 -0400

This week our prefab house kit Virginia, our own zero energy passive solar casa ti, is the cover story for Cville's Abode, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the writer and photographer who did a great job capturing our energy efficient, frugal philosophy.

You can read about our zero energy prefab house kit here.

If you are getting weary reading just the Virginia prefab construction blog, I have good news: there will be more prefab house kit voices being added this month: several in Colorado (including the one who resumes after the winter we mentioned in the past), one in New York, and more on the way to an energy efficient, passive design, smart growth luvin' neighborhood near you. : )

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati

president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Off Grid Net Zero Passive Solar Prefab Green Home...OPEN HOUSE April 10th!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:12:00 -0400

Quick Reminder: We will have our second Net Zero Energy, Passive Solar Prefab Green House Kit Open House coming up fast on Saturday, April 10th, from 1-3 p.m.
To see the latest on the Virginia off grid net zero project, click here.

To register for the Open House, send us an email with your name, email, and phone number so we can send you directions the week of the event. For planning purposes, know the prefab net zero modern house kit is located between Farmville and Appomattox, Virginia.

Like last time, we scheduled the prefab house kit open house to coincide with historic and fun events showcasing this rural, beautiful, and historic area of Virginia.

Here's what's going on during the weekend:

Visit Patrick Henry's Red Hill!
April 08, 2010 – April 12, 2010145th Anniversary of the Surrender
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-8987
www.nps.gov/apco
Special programs related to the surrender, including 1st person living history offered each day from April 8 to April 12.
April 09, 2010 – April 11, 2010
Appomattox History Weekend
Clover Hill Village
Appomattox, VA 24522

145th Anniversary of Lee's surrender to Grant to be held at Clover Hill Village. 1 mile from actual surrender site. Living historians will be portraying Generals Lee & Grant and their lieutenants will recreate historic moments of the final days leading up to and including the surrender. Activities include: Lee's last war counsel, General Gordon's attempted break-out, Lee-Grant meeting, stacking of arms and reduction of colors. Reenactors limited. Military host: Lee's Lieutenants, contact Al Stone at astoneasrelee@suddenlink.net or (304) 466-2030. Civilian host: contact Ms. Carolyn Davis at casonclee@aol.com Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12.
April 8, 2010 – April 12, 2010
Holiday Open House
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-8987
www.nps.gov/apco
Join the park staff for an festive afternoon of music, refreshments and holiday activiies with a historic flare! Check the calendar to see the many events going on this week.

We hope you use the opportunity to travel to the passive solar prefab house kit to explore and see more of historic Virginia.

...Make a weekend of it!
(And hopefully it won't rain in torrents like last time!)

Vineyards:

Saturday, April 10th: Sans Soucy will be open for tastings.
Sunday, April 11th: Spring Creek Wine Cellars will be open from 1-6.

Pottery / Local Crafts:

Tray Eppes Pottery http://www.trayeppes.com/
Mrs. Esh's Store (ask directions from me): Amish jams, relishes, quilts, wood crafts.
[Note: NO PICTURES please. If you would like to visit, I recommend you do so before the prefab open house as I don't know how late she is open in the late afternoons.]
Appomattox Art and Crafts Center, Main Street, Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-8991Hand crafted items reflecting the history and tradition of Appomattox, including quilts, ceramics, wooden toys, paintngs, flowers, dolls, and gifts for all occasions.

For accommodations and more history, see here:

Because if you're a design geek, you're also a history geek.
Welcome to the crowd!)

Appomattox: http://www.tourappomattox.com/lodging.php
(learn more about Appomattox here...)
Charlotte Court House: http://www.charlotteva.com/accommodation.htm
(learn more about Charlotte Court House here - make sure to click on the links at the bottom, there's Patrick Henry's Red Hill & more to visit!)
Farmville: Historic Longwood Bed & Breakfast... and others listed here:
(learn more about Farmville here... and more on Farmville history here.)
Richmond: (1 1/2 hours away, easy drive if you're driving from afar to stop here)
(list of some great museums to visit here, my faves include the Richmond History Center, American Civil War Center, Museum of The Confederacy, Virginia Historical Society... and lots of art gallery information can be found here.)

See more details about the previous Virginia prefab house kit open house here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

This blog has moved

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:34:00 -0500

This blog is now located at http://prefab-house-kit.greenmodernkits.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://prefab-house-kit.greenmodernkits.com/feeds/posts/default.

Prefab Green Homes Update From Green Modern Kits! Save The Date For The Virginia Off Grid Net Zero Energy Prefab Open House.

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:51:00 -0500

We will have our second Prefab Green Home Open House in the Virginia Passive Solar Net Zero Energy House Kit on Saturday, April 10th, from 1-3 p.m.

Like last time, we scheduled the house kit open house to coincide with historic and fun events showcasing this rural, beautiful, historic area of Virginia. So mark your calenders! Here's what's going on during that weekend that we know of so far:

April 08, 2010 – April 12, 2010145th Anniversary of the Surrender

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-8987
www.nps.gov/apco
Special programs related to the surrender, including 1st person living history offered each day from April 8 to April 12.
April 09, 2010 – April 11, 2010
Appomattox History Weekend
Clover Hill Village
Appomattox, VA 24522

145th Anniversary of Lee's surrender to Grant to be held at Clover Hill Village. 1 mile from actual surrender site. Living historians will be portraying Generals Lee & Grant and their lieutenants will recreate historic moments of the final days leading up to and including the surrender. Activities include: Lee's last war counsel, General Gordon's attempted break-out, Lee-Grant meeting, stacking of arms and reduction of colors. Reenactors limited. Military host: Lee's Lieutenants, contact Al Stone at astoneasrelee@suddenlink.net or (304) 466-2030. Civilian host: contact Ms. Carolyn Davis at casonclee@aol.com Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12.
April 12, 2010 – April 12, 2010

Holiday Open House
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-8987
www.nps.gov/apco
Join the park staff for an festive afternoon of music, refreshments and holiday activiies with a historic flare!

We hope you use the opportunity to travel to the prefab house kit to explore and see more of historic Virginia. ...Make a weekend of it!

For accommodations and more history, see here:
(Because if you're a design geek, you're also a history geek.
Welcome to the crowd!)

Appomattox: http://www.tourappomattox.com/lodging.php

(learn more about Appomattox here...)
Charlotte Court House: http://www.charlotteva.com/accommodation.htm

(learn more about Charlotte Court House here - make sure to click on the links at the bottom, there's Patrick Henry's Red Hill & more to visit!)
Farmville: Historic Longwood Bed & Breakfast... and others listed here:

(learn more about Farmville here... and more on Farmville history here.)

See more details about the first Virginia prefab house kit open house here.

Regarding the Virginia prefab house kit, you can follow the latest progress on the house kit construction blog, here. The prefab passive solar house kit's interior walls were just completed this week... as soon as it stops snowing we will post those pictures... Please note it is a personal blog and silliness abounds in those posts... you have been warned.

Currently, we are all, humans, dogs, feral cat, and especially our chickens, officially snowed in.

The Colorado prefab green home begins this spring after their snow melts, sometime in mid-March... we will keep you posted on that house kit construction!

Recent Press:

As previously noted, Green Modern Kits will be in The Wall Street Journal's Smart Money Magazine, to be published this spring.
If you live in Richmond, Virginia, make sure to pick up the next Richmond Magazine... : )
Tree Hugger's Lloyd Alter mentions us as we think about living a smaller footprint lifestyle which Oprah seemed not to quite appreciate on a visit to one Swedish home...

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Prefab Green Homes From Green Modern Kits

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 9 Dec 2009 08:09:00 -0500

It has been a very busy fall, and we thought you might like a quick update on the goings on

at Green Modern Kits' Prefab House Kits.

Green Modern Kits will be in The Wall Street Journal's Smart Money Magazine in February, and we will send out that article when it becomes available. Reflecting on the interview, it gave me an opportunity to define what makes us different from the rest of the prefab industry: our focus on passive solar, affordable modern prefab house kits that you can then finish according to your own style and budget.

The Virginia Prefab Green Home had an Open House in September and was a hit!
Despite days of cold, driving rain, about fifty people drove under a sunless sky from as far as Maryland and North Carolina to visit the net zero prefab house.

David Day, LEED AP, came down from his green building practice in Charlottesville to speak, along with the contractor, Ron Bernaldo. We were all impressed with the depth and amount of questions from the attendees and look forward to our next prefab open house... coming up in April!

Attendees were able to see for themselves how, even without systems installed, the net zero passive solar green home is built to function- it was noticeably warmer inside the prefab vs. the icy rain outside; we even had to open windows.

Green Modern Kits has begun work on a new prefab green home in Colorado, and we are beginning several new projects which I will discuss further in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled on the Recent Projects page.

Our partner, Rainwater Management Solutions, is providing filtration for a 1 million gallon rainwater harvesting system at The Gates Foundation headquarters! Imagine what they could do for your prefab house kit!

Grace Street's sister company, 3north, was honored at the AIA's gala at the Center for Virginia Architecture in November, http://bit.ly/2GEYbt. You may recall Grace Street designed our two story prefab green home, The R1 Residential. 3north is also planning a new urban zone with hotels, a spa, and restaurants in Louisiana... all around a vibrant town square.

We have some important updates for you regarding more systems partners, to make your prefab house kit more easily net zero and off grid if you like. In approved states, it will reduce the size of your septic field, and enable your waste water systems process to be much more environmentally friendly. Coming soon.

Still curious about the next Virginia Prefab Open House? I will add more details later, but can tell you it will be the weekend of April 10th, to coincide with Appomattox History Weekend.

...And that's our Prefab Update!

Prefab Net Zero Passive Solar Open House!!! Coming Up In September!!!

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0400

That'z Right, We're Throwing Open Our Modern Net Zero Prefab For You!

Come inspect the SIP prefab off grid house up close and personal-like before we finish up the inside and you can no longer see the SIP (structural insulated panels). If you follow our blog, you know we are about to start the "finishing" phase of the interior- solar and rainwater systems, interior walls, and (finally!) furnishing. So this is a good time to give you all a last look of "construction" before we finish.

So, write it down: September 26th, we are opening our off grid zero energy prefab passive solar casa ti from Green Modern Kits. Here's what's going on:

September 26th from 1-4: PREFAB NET ZERO OPEN HOUSE!!!!
The green building architect of the casa ti, David Day of David Day Design, will be available on site. Our fabulous contractor, Ron Bernaldo, will also be there so you can ask him allllllllllllllll your building questions.

To attend, you will need to send me your 1. name, 2. email and 3. phone number so I can send you directions and information as it shapes up. If this interests you, shoot me an email here: copeland@greenmodernkits.com

For those that attend, I know y'all have gone out of your way to get to the prefab, so I'm making sure to list all the things going on in the area so you can make it a fun day/weekend fun-filled trip:

September 26th:

Ride In The Heartland: Saturday AND Sunday there is also a wonderful bike tour going on:

Ride In The Heartland is a fun bike event that goes all weekend long through a gorgeous, historic area of Virginia. **Make sure you contact Nancy Carwile on that site to let her know you're coming / register so she can prepare for you.**

Obviously if the bike tour ends at four and you are participating just let me know and I will arrange for you to stop on by and see the house kit afterward!!! Just make sure to mention it in your email and we will plan accordingly. Check out all the neat things Ride In The Heartland has lined up!

The Town of Charlotte Courthouse: All day: Walking Tours of Charlotte Court House. Museum is open.

Mrs. Esh's Amish Store will be open just down the road from us. If you would like directions I am happy to give them to you but you need to know you may NOT take pictures of the Amish. She has *delicious* bread, relishes, jams, cookies, fruit, vegetables, quilts for sale, as well as handmade toys and chests.

Fishwood Farm Alpacas:

Pacafest, Saturday, 10AM-4PM, Fishwood Farm
It's time again for our annual festival featuring alpaca craft demonstrations and just plain fun!
Come out and bring the family to pet the PR boys, lead an alpaca, shop in our store, attend a free Alpaca Q & A Seminar and enjoy the day!
More details to follow!
Directions: http://www.fishwoodfarm.com/directions

Clayton Bryant Barrel Horses Exhibition: http://www.claytonbryantbarrelhorses.com/public_html/events/1ST-2009.html

Sunday, September 27th:

We are currently not planning an Open House on Sunday but if you stay in the area overnight there are wonderful things to do. If enough people sign up, I might consider extending the Open House so email me now if this interests you!!! However I do know David Day and Ron Bernaldo will not be available on Sunday...

Gene and Evelyn McCluney own Springfield Creek Wine Cellar, and know people will be stopping by, (they are open that Sunday, not Saturday, as they will be at a wine festival that day) but if you're a largish group you might want to give them a call:

Our hours of operation are from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Groups by appointment.

To find us take Route 460 to Pamplin City. Take Rt. 47 South (Thomas Jefferson Highway) approximately 2.5 miles and turn left onto Rt. 663 (Baker Mountain Road). The winery entrance is one half mile on the left. Tasting Room is located in the back. We can be reached at (434) 248-6981. E-mail info@springcreekwinecellar.com

Frog Bottom Farm Potluck: Visit a farm supported by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Bring something to eat and drink, to share, and create a feast with new friends! The potluck begins at 1 p.m., and directions (and to please rsvp) can be sought here: info@frogbottomfarm.com

Fishwood Farm Alpacas:

National Alpaca Farm Day, Sunday, 12PM - 4PM, Fishwood Farm
A bit more laid back than Pacafest, Farm Day is part of a national open house at alpaca farms around the Nation. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of wandering the farm, leading and petting an alpaca, attend a free Alpaca Q & A seminar and shop in our store.

Accomodations and More Information:

For accommodations, see here (camping at the Heartland Bike Tour), here (Charlotte Courthouse bed & breakfasts), here (Appomattox bed and breakfasts), and here (Farmville lodging); and also be sure to visit Miss Emily's, where Necia and her husband will show you great English hospitality.

Also, don't forget to check out the following area sites for all kinds of information / neat things to see:

Tour APPOMATTOX! I mean, what the heck, the nation *did* reunite there, ya might as well visit it, no? http://tourappomattox.com/
Charlotte Courthouse: http://www.co.charlotte.va.us/
Here's a walking tour of Charlotte Courthouse: http://www.co.charlotte.va.us/museum/walking_tour.html
Holliday State Park: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/hol.shtml
Farmville: http://farmville.net/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_month&day=12&month=09&year=2009&Itemid=33
Visit Farmville: http://www.visitfarmvilleva.com/history.php
Cub Creek Foundation: http://cubcreek.org/Content/Gallery/Gallery.html

NEWS:

Prefab Modern House Kit Covered By NBC 12 & Charlottesville's C-ville

Well... While we were off at the beach... the net zero prefab modern house kit was being talked about! NBC 12 covered the off grid prefab house on Tuesday:

See the prefab video here!

Charlottesville's C-ville also wrote about the modern prefab house:

"Little houses that could

Green Modern Kits offers prefab, energy-efficient houses through its website.

Hankering for an energy-efficient, maybe even off-the-grid house that won’t carry an upper-middle-class price tag? Check out Green Modern Kits, a Virginia-based company that offers affordable prefab kit homes through its website, greenmodernkits.com.

Founder Copeland Casati tapped Charlottesville architect David Day as part of the design team for the houses, which are built of SIPs (structural insulated panels) and designed to work as passive solar homes if oriented correctly. That adds up to savings on the front and back ends. And if your aesthetic is more traditional, try Casati’s other site, greencottagekits.com.—E.H."

...And that's our Prefab Update!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Green Modern Kits News: Summer 2009

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:06:00 -0400

Happy Summer From Green Modern Kits!
We hope you all have been enjoying your summer.
Here, hedges are filled with blackberries, the children are barefoot chasing chickens, dogs lounge hotly against cooler floors, and we are hard at work to offer you affordable, prefab house kits.

Here is our latest news and updates for Summer 2009.

We were happy to be mentioned in Design *Sponge!

From their site:

"Design*Sponge is a daily website dedicated to home and product design run by Brooklyn-based writer, Grace Bonney. Launched in August of 2004, Design*Sponge was declared a “Martha Stewart Living for the Millennials” (NY Times, 2008) and features store and product reviews, city, product, and gift guides, diy projects, before & after furniture and home makeovers, home tours, recipes, videos and podcasts, and trend forecasting."

Virginia casa ti

If you haven't been following the blog of the Virginia off grid modern casa ti at http://www.greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti.htm, we are framing the interior, then progress to systems and landscape architecture / a plan for land management. We have been approaching this house project, and the land, with a careful "pay as you go" attitude, which has therefore taken longer to build, as it is not yet our true residence.

After the prefab house is done, we continue crop tree release and increasing function-yet-preservation of the land, so that in a few short years we can be there sustainably full time.

We are very fortunate to have the landscape carefully considered by Topos, Llc.

Heather Barber, ASLA, is the creator and principal designer of Topos, Llc. Her experience has been cultivated through crossing the boundaries of interdisciplinary design, delving into planning, civil engineering and architecture. Her passion for design is grounded in the landscape, contributing to such projects as residential developments, corporate campus planning, commercial and institutional masterplanning, parks and recreation site layout, residential site design, grading and drainage.

Heather has been recognized for her skills with such awards as 2002 Sustainable Sites Award and others. An active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Heather is committed to the growth and understanding of the profession.

Aaaand... there will be a prefab open house in September!

More on this soon, but if you would like to tour our prefab off grid zero energy house kit, there is a wonderful bike tour going on in the area on the weekend of September 26th. Bike Heartland is a fun bike tour that goes all weekend long through a gorgeous, historic area of Virginia. I am working with some local farms to have other activities like tours of natural, community supported farms, a winery that will be open for you to enjoy, and more, so pack yer tent and come on down! For more on accommodations, see here (camping at the Heartland Bike Tour), here (Charlotte Courthouse), here (Appomattox), and here (Farmville); and also be sure to visit Miss Emily's, where Necia and her husband will show you great English hospitality. (And boy does she know how to cook.)

More Prefab House Kits!
I can't mention exactly where yet but I can tell you we will be starting to speak about two casa ti's and an R1 Residential soon. After the screech of the recession, it looks like people are starting to again be given loans by banks...
Stay tuned.

As new prefab house kits start the permitting process I will be adding their blogs with the hope that each family's journey will contribute to the shared house kit knowledge as they make their own systems, foundation and cladding choices.

...And that's our Summer Update!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

A Reward For Our Prefab Cottage Enthusiasts : )

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 19:04:00 -0400

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
I know a lot of you are modern *and* cottage enthusiasts, so I thought I'd share the good news:

Cottage prefab enthusiasts, I present... Midway.

To reward cottage enthusiasts for your patience, the first prefab cottage Midway purchased will be offered at a substantial discount.

None of this is on the site yet. We're still waiting for the final pricing from the factory. It should be somewhere between the prefab large cottage, Bienvenue, and the small cottage kit, The Sinda.

Each kit varies slightly in price depending on which factory fabricates it (East coast is less expensive than the West coast factories, for example, and the factory closest to you fabricates the kit) but we are really trying to stay on these prices and pressure the factories to offer the Bienvenue for $39,280, and The Sinda for $28,053.

That includes the design documents by the award-winning architecture firm Gelotte Hommas (which are then engineered by your engineer to fit your local conditions, hence addressing snow loads, hurricane, etc. if it needs to be tweaked) and the SIPs (structural insulated panels) exterior and roof panels. Kits also come with a window and door schedule to make it easier for you to complete.

(Please note: If your area needs higher R values than for our standard kit, we can adjust the panel thickness and price accordingly.)

Our standard SIPs package for the modern *and* cottage house kits include:

6 5/8" SIP Wall Panels
8 3/8" SIP Roof Panels
8" SIP Wall Screws
10" SIP Roof Screws
Do-All Ply Sealant
Factory Fabrication

EXCLUDED FROM PACKAGES:
Permits and Fees
Engineering
Equipment Rental
Structural Beams and Support
Interior/Exterior Finishes
Dimensional Lumber
Sales Tax
Shipping

…and everything else that are personal choices you would make with your contractor: foundation, appliances, systems, cladding, etc. These Wall and Roof Packages are SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) which provides *excellent* insulation.

The R value the 8 3/8” roof panels have an R-value of 29.3 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 31.6 when tested at 40 degrees F. The 6 5/8” wall panels have an R-value of 22.6 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 24.3 when tested at 40 degrees F. Recently an additive to prevent mold and mildew was added to the manufacturer’s panels (organic fungicides and a borate compound tested to be effective) with a 20 year guarantee. Thanks to you all for being enthusiastic about our prefab cottage house kits built with energy efficient structural insulated panels, *we appreciate it!!!!*

So here is the last side of our mid-sized cottage, Midway:

For those of you that want to tour a modern prefab house kit from the Green Modern Kits line, to see how the structural insulated panels and passive solar works, there will be an Open House in central Virginia for an off grid zero energy prefab passive solar casa ti from Green Modern Kits in September.

More on this later, but if you are interested in touring this prefab off grid zero energy modern house kit, there is a wonderful bike tour going on in the area during the weekend of September 26th.

Bike Heartland is a fun bike tour that goes all weekend long through a gorgeous, historic area of Virginia. I am working with some local farms to have other activities like tours of natural, community supported farms, a winery that will be open for you to enjoy, and more, so pack your tent or secure lodging and come on down!

For accommodations, see here (camping at the Heartland Bike Tour), here (Charlotte Courthouse bed & breakfasts), here (Appomattox bed and breakfasts), and here (Farmville lodging); and also be sure to visit Miss Emily's, where Necia and her husband will show you great English hospitality. (And boy does she know how to cook. Tell her Copeland sent ya. : ) )

Again, thank you all for your kind enthusiasm for our affordable modern and cottage kits.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenCottageKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226
804/ 515-7886

...The traditional sister site to Green Modern Kits.

Green Modern Kits News! Spring 2009

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:03:00 -0400

Happy Spring From Green Modern Kits!
Here is our latest news and updates for Spring 2009.

If you are in D.C., I will be speaking today, Tuesday, April 21st at 6p.m. at EcoWomen.
...Come and see me! I will be speaking about our passive solar house kits and green living.

Virginia casa ti

If you haven't been following the blog of the Virginia off grid modern casa ti at http://www.greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti.htm, we resume building the interior in two weeks, and then progress to systems and landscape architecture / a plan for land management.

Then the real fun begins this summer: Interior design!
We will be furnishing our casa ti with many reused and reclaimed items, and after the practicality of building the house kit I am looking forward to some plain ole fun design!

Please do know that as consumers of our own product, we are struggling through many of the issues a family must face in creating their home... one of those issues being... design fights!
; )

Europe

We have a partnership in the works for Europe. If you are a European enthusiast, please email me and tell me which house kit most interests you. Vote with your email! We will now be able to work with you most anywhere!

...And that's our Spring Update!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Green Modern Kits News! Winter 2009

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:49:00 -0500

Greetings From Green Modern Kits!
Here is our latest news and updates for Winter 2009.

Virginia casa ti

If you haven't been following the blog of the Virginia off grid modern casa ti at http://www.greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti.htm, the house kit there is complete, the metal modern cladding, doors and windows are installed, and the structure is weather tight.

Next steps include surrounding the foundation with foam insulation, backfilling the dirt back to around the house kit, then concentrating on the interior and systems.

This weekend it was a cozy mid-60s in the house kit despite the February brisk breeze and temperatures in the 40s.

And this is before we have hooked up any of our systems - purely from the passive solar design working with the energy efficient structural insulated panels retaining the heat generated from the sun!

Here are some photographs of the exterior and interior progress so far:

Press

We have been very well received by the green building and design industry.
In December, Exclusively Home blogged on The R1 Residential!

A very nice blog post on the modern store Exclusively Home's blog, on The R1 Residential!

http://blog.exclusivelyhome.com/2008/11/r1-residential.html

"I just stumbled on this site recently that offers prefab, environmentally conscious home designs. The structures are made of SIPs, which gives the homes a leg up when it comes to energy efficiency over traditional home construction. Each home's panels are constructed at the closest SIPs plant to your project and then delivered ready to assemble. Love the thinking and the design behind the R1 Residential by Grace Street residential design systems. You can learn more about these Prefab homes at Greenmodernkits.com."

Thank you, Exclusively Home! We rather like The R1 Residential ourselves! : )

In January, Green Muze interviewed me and covered Green Modern Kits, Green Cottage Kits, and Green Cabin Kits.

We were also covered in Jetson Green and Tree Hugger, two of my favorite publications.

Rainwater Management Solutions

Rainwater Management Systems has some nice rainwater collection packages available right now and I encourage you to check them out:
http://www.rainwatermanagement.com/Packages.php

For more information call Rick Hall at (866) 653-8337 and tell him Copeland sent you. : )

...And that's our Winter Update!
As ground breaks on spring house kit construction elsewhere, I will send you links to their blogs so you can follow along with others' progress as they build.
I don't know about you, but I am eagerly looking forward to spring...

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Green Modern Kits News! November 2008

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 15:14:00 -0500

Greetings From Green Modern Kits!
Here is our latest news and updates for November 2008.

Virginia casa ti

Our house kit construction is well underway- the foundation was framed, the radiant heat tubing laid, and finally, the pour. We are now just letting the foundation cure...
The SIPs arrive November 10th, and the cladding on the 14th.
So please keep an eye on http://www.greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti.htm if you would like to follow that kit's progress!

For those of you that like the metal finish you will soon see in photographs, please know I have arranged for you to order directly with the manufacturer, so if this is what you want, all you have to do is place your order with them!

Texas

After much hard work, we signed a TEXAS factory to offer the same low price for our house kits in this key state!!! I know a bunch of y'all are in Texas, so now you have a local business that would fabricate your house kit. Yay!

Well good thing we signed that Texas factory, 'cause *that day* a nice Texas gentleman confirmed that yes, he would like an R1 Residential. : ) He is right outside of Houston, and we will keep you posted on that as it develops. He is in the process of soil testing to determine his house site and possibilities.

Oklahoma casa ti

Speaking of blogs, I had the great pleasure in catching up with Ohanahaus last week. They are progressing on building a casa ti in Oklahoma, and have much excitement going on.
He will be posting more pictures and information, hopefully by the time you read this!

Rainwater filtration / collection / gray water / potable solutions expand!

Our original partner, Rain Filters of Texas, has joined into a larger network (throughout the United States and Canada), Rainwater Management Solutions. I am very excited to announce our partnership with this incredible group, as they are recognized as national leaders using cutting edge technology, while spending the time to educate zoning and government.

This is great news for you, whether you are in Arizona, Canada, or *wherever,* because now we have a much wider offering of rain solutions for you, wherever you may live!

Rainwater Management Solutions brings a common sense, cost effective approach to the escalating issue of water conservation and management through its innovative rainwater harvesting system designs and its experienced, knowledgeable staff.

Their combined expertise encompasses industries directly impacted by water management issues:

Commercial & Residential Developers
Engineers & Architects
Industrial & Commercial End Users
Agricultural Professionals
Local, State & National Agencies

...And that's our November Update!
In the meantime, I hope you are all having a productive autumn.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

Green Modern Kits News! October 2008

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:47:00 -0400

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a beautiful fall!
This time of year, my family and I spend Friday evenings cooking food that won't spoil quickly, carefully packing our bags, charging the lantern and getting ready to head for the land at first Saturday light. It's busy, a lot of work, but never loses the excitement of the ritual as we prepare for our weekend.

As you may know, our Virginia casa ti foundation work has begun (and may be complete by the time you read this - expect an update on the blog later this weekend), so if you would like to follow along with our own house kit construction, you may subscribe here: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=423265

As always, I have been pulling some frugal and crafty tricks out of my hat. My contractor is more than bemused- last week I found old weathered doors made in 1905 I always imagined would look so cool juxtaposed with the super sleek concrete and modern design of the kit... for $2 apiece! (I felt so guilty I paid... $4...)

And then this week, on GovDeals.com, I scored another piece o' history for the house: The VMI basketball court.
Oh, yes I did:
http://www.greenmodernkits.com/2008/09/craft-and-crafty-affordable-house-kit.html

On the furniture kit front, Akemi Tanaka is in the prototyping phase of her work, and we will have her first piece constructed for the Virginia casa ti, so there will be more information, photos, and furniture kit prices coming soon.

And The Ohanahaus? They've been busy, zipping between working in California and settling in Oklahoma as they interview builders and finalize their interior. More updates on them soon! (You can also follow along their blog; he said that now they're back in Oklahoma he will be blogging again.)

During this economic crisis we are all tightening our belts.
Cautious and steady stays the course. Keep paying off your land, keep saving for your house kit, or even consider ReFabbing (making your home more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly) your existing home. If you're stretched, then now is not the time to stretch further!

Don't worry, we'll be here... we're here for the long run.
First, I started with an amazing product: gorgeous, green design that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, utilizing passive solar principles, as cost-effective as possible.
Secondly, this is my passion. I'll never stop doing this because I love doing it, and believe we're the best out there.
Third, we always aim to improve. We constantly analyze and research and strive to be better. As new technology comes out, I consider it. As improved methods appear, I adapt it.

Green Building For The Rest Of Us!
: )

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

P.s. Here's one more thing: Take a deep breath, and remember:

June Carter Cash - Keep on the sunny Side
by thenelaware

Green Modern Kits News! September 2008

copeland@greenmodernkits.com (Green Modern Kits) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Greetings from Green Modern Kits!
This is our first official newsletter, and thank you all for your continued interest in Green Modern Kits.

We have some big news ahead:

September 22nd we begin foundation work for the Virginia casa ti. We received the foundation foam this week, and you will see my blog turn much more towards our own house kit construction... starting... now!
In Oklahoma, a casa ti is beginning the permitting process. They will also be building an R1 Residential addition and garage.
Akemi Tanaka has been working hard all summer and is finalizing her first Green Modern Kits furniture offering! While I encourage reuse of materials (and am, ahem, quite the Queen of Thrift Stores!), I did see that it was hard to find gorgeous, affordable furniture that does multiple things, which is really an asset in smaller footprint homes. So, we're crafty! We've been working hard on some really cool stuff that's practical, useful, and gorgeous!
And there are two R1 Residentials in the works... more details soon...

Green Modern Kits has been recently written about by Green Building Talk, materialicious, Skirt! Magazine, and Urge Online.

Despite the current housing and economic crisis, people remain enthusiastic about creating green, efficient, affordable homes for their family. Despite great credit, our own personal house kit has been affected by the gloomy market- just yesterday, our equity line of credit was reduced by $20,000. Want to see super thrifty and frugal? Then follow that project as we navigate the murky financial waters.

Another couple has sold their Las Vegas home and downscaled to a small rural town. They have the great opportunity to pay for their land and construction in cash- at a young age, already debt free! Kudos to them, and they will be posting more on that project soon.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful fall- and those of you with whom I have spoken in Texas, Florida, and California this summer that have been in the path of disaster: I am thinking of you all. We actually have a special rate for you, because it's the right thing to do. Please contact me to discuss it further.

And to everyone else: Happy Camping Season!!!! : ) Expect many, many camping pictures in my posts, 'cause this is when we go out to hug our own piece of land and enjoy it with friends and family.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati
and all of us at Green Modern Kits