NOTE: This second time session is for new RSVPs only. Those who registered for the first session will receive an email confirming their spot.

When:
Sesssion 1: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Sold Out!  
Session 2: 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Registration Open

Where: SPUR (San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association) 654 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Learn About:

• Blu and mkDesigns home building process
• Blu and mkDesigns single family homes and additions
• Our proprietary technology
• See preview of new Breezehouse
• Meet designers of new Glidehouse

RSVP: Space is filling quickly. To reserve you spot, please RSVP to events@bluhomes.com.

We look forward to meeting you!

As anyone who lives on the coast can tell you, hurricanes are intense. Just how intense is measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale which classifies hurricanes into 5 general categories – with category 1 (often written as H1) being least intense and category 5, most – based on the observed or estimated maximum wind speed.

To give you a sense, on the “low end” of the scale, category 1 hurricanes have sustained winds of 74 – 95 mph and are capable of producing significant damage to windows, roof shingles, gutters, siding and porch coverings and can uproot shallow trees. On the other end of the scale, Category 5 storms have sustained winds of over 155 mph and can only be described as “catastrophic” with high rates of injury and death and widespread destruction to homes, buildings and societal infrastructures. For a complete overview of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, visit the National Hurricane Center website at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/sshws.pdf.

As coastal dwellers, we at Blu are keenly aware of the wrath that hurricanes bring and the worry and stress they cause homeowners eager to protect their families and their property.

Blu home products are designed and engineered with extreme weather conditions in mind.

Built with specialized, unique structural steel framing, our standard Blu and mkDesigns homes are engineered to withstand wind loads of up to 120 mph – this is the mid-range of a category 3 hurricane – and can be custom engineered to withstand wind loads of up to 180 mph! In addition, our homes can be outfitted with high performance hurricane resistant windows, if the homeowner chooses this option.

When you build with Blu, we look at each individual site to determine what its loading needs are based on its location and ground topography, regardless of what the published wind loads state. In this way, you could say that our homes are “over-engineered.” But given the fluctuating rhythms of the earth and changes in weather patterns, our strong frames provide homeowners with the reassurance of knowing that their investment will be protected, no matter which way the wind blows.

And on that note, if any of you are storm chasers like us, check out the Stormpulse website – http://www.stormpulse.com – to see what’s brewing in the Pacific and Atlantic. It seems like it’s going to be a busy season!

When: Sunday, August 8

Informational Seminar: 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Hilton Garden Inn, 800 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield, Mass.

Factory Open House & Tour: 12 noon – 4 p.m., 330 Chestnut St, East Longmeadow, Mass.

Come and you will:

• See two Blu│Element homes in the building process
• Get a first-hand look at our cutting-edge folding technology
• Meet members of our vibrant team and get all of your questions answered!

Please RSVP to events@bluhomes.com if you plan to join us – and please let us know if you will be attending the informational seminar or open house – or both!

Stay tuned for West Coast events coming soon!

• Glidehouse: October 2010
• Breezehouse:  December 2010
• mkSolaire: May 2011
• mkLotus: October 2011

We will post rollout updates here, so stay tuned!

One of things that is so cool about the new mkD is that our frames are now built with an innovative wood/steel hybrid, which allows us construct the entire home in our factory, fold the structure, affordably transport it to the site, and then quickly unfold it on site as a complete house, unlike most factory-built homes that ship separate modules that need to be pieced together.

This folding process is incredibly spectacular to watch:

Here is our top 10 list of the benefits of folding:

1. Homes are easier and more affordable to ship because theyfold to as small as 8 feet wide, minimizing special permitting and extra costs to transport.
2. Our homes are larger than any other modular houses because they can unfold as large as 20 feet wide.
3. Folding creates higher ceilings, giving homes a larger and more spacious feel.
4. Our site work is fast because the home is already assembled.
5. The quality of our site work is better because the unfolding process is so fast that we are able send our own skilled and highly trained staff to each installation, rather than relying on general contractors who are unfamiliar with the house.
6. The small size of our shipments allows us to deliver via narrow roads and tough-to-reach sites.
7. Our relatively small shipments (typically one truck instead of multiple vehicles) reduces shipping pollution.
8. Factory construction creates less waste.
9. Our steel frames not only makes our homes more durable for folding & shipping, but also makes them sturdier for tough weather conditions – earthquake areas, flood zones, high wind areas.
10. Folding allows us to deliver our homes affordably, anywhere!

Through its innovative technology and smart streamlined designs, Blu Homes is quickly emerging as a leader in the prefabricated green homes industry. Michelle Kaufmann, who has been building green homes since 2002, will serve as a design consultant to Blu and join its advisory board. Terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

“We are proud to advance the sustainable clean living model that Michelle Kaufmann so courageously began,” said Bill Haney, Blu Homes president. “The addition of Michelle to Blu’s team strengthens our design abilities and adds mkDesigns to the homes we offer, giving consumers a broad range of luxury in the most economical, green and convenient way.”

“I am thrilled the work mkDesigns started will be continued with Blu Homes,” said Michelle Kaufmann. “Blu and I share similar values and by using its extraordinary proprietary technology, Blu can offer Americans across the country a wide range of beautiful, convenient and economical green homes. I am happy to be working with them on a common vision of the future that we can all be proud of.”

mkDesigns’ brands will offer customers an eco-luxury product while benefitting from Blu Homes’ innovative technology and building science inventions. Blu’s core brands will continue to focus on value-oriented customers looking for healthy, green living at a mainstream price.

Blu is committed to making homes healthy and affordable for the average American family. Through sophisticated computer modeling, analysis and innovative construction techniques, Blu is able to build beautiful homes, while improving environmental performance, optimizing construction efficiency, and minimizing costs.

Kaufmann added, “I appreciate Blu’s commitment to the environment and their unique technological approach to improving efficiencies and quality while managing construction cost. Our work together is just beginning, and I remain hopeful for all we can do together to bring beautiful green homes to American families across the country.”

About Blu Homes

Founded in 2007, Blu’s mission is to provide American home buyers and institutions with buildings that are healthful, economical, and beautifully designed, and to do so in a convenient, predictable and customer-centered way. Blu Homes, Inc. is a privately owned business that uses quality design, sustainable materials and leading technology to build beautiful homes. The designs reflect the unique environment in which the homes live, and contain only healthful materials of construction and treat the natural world with care. Blu’s building process not only respects the land but also the client’s time, creative input and budget. Blu builds high-quality homes faster in a controlled factory environment that minimizes waste.  Blu Homes are currently being built in the Colorado Rockies, California woodlands, Carolina coast and in towns throughout New England and for corporations from coast to coast.

About Michelle Kaufmann

Michelle Kaufmann is an architect, designer and advocate for smarter ways to design, build and live. Her mission is to make thoughtful, sustainable design accessible. With her firm, Michelle Kaufmann Studio, she specializes in sustainable lifestyle design including custom single-family homes, eco-luxury resorts, and multi-family communities. Founder of Michelle Kaufmann Designs, a design/build company that led the movement of prefabricated green homes, her firm won the 2008 TOP FIRM AWARD by Residential Architect. The Sierra Club called Kaufmann “the Henry Ford of green homes.” She was also named “2009 Green Advocate of the Year” by the  National Association of Home Builders, was on Business 2.0 magazine’s list of “100 People Who Matter Now”, and is frequently featured in leading television and print publications, including the Sundance channel, HGTV, Discovery, Planet Green, Town+Country, Time, the Smithsonian and others.

Blu Homes and the Blu Homes logo are registered trademarks of Blu Homes, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

©2009 Blu Homes, Inc. All rights reserved.

For more information visit www.bluhomes.com and www.mkd-arc.com
Contact: ¨Michele Perry michele(at)bluhomes.com 781-254-3782