Urban environments have made the commercial-space-on-bottom, residential-space-on-top design a common denominator on many city streets – but why not try it using modular construction?

Designed for a narrow lot application, this product can be set with as little as 16 inches between buildings. Combinations could include two-story residential structures, a two-story commercial space, or a three-story combination structure with commercial on the first floor and residential space on the upper two floors.

The commercial space can be left open with only the stair, the bathrooms and minimal structure for future tenants, or customized to fit the needs of a known tenant.

The residential space features a two-story living space with skylights to bring natural light deep into the structure. Variations include a three bedroom version with a third floor loft or a two bedroom version with a formal third floor dining space that overlooks the dining room.

SPECIFICATIONS:

SQ FOOTAGE: 2952 sq. ft. max
MAX FOOTPRINT: 15’-9” x 61’-6”
# BEDROOMS: 3
# BATHROOMS: 4 max
SPECIAL FEATURES: Two story loft
OPTIONS: Length and width can be adjusted to fit lot; alternate plans also available.
MISC:  Two or three level configurations available

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The very modern and cool design on the right is the product of a Norwegian “innovation company” called Lovetann. Using a series of eight modular cubes, one can design a custom made Lovetann home in no time at all.

According to the Lovetann website, their homes are designed to be fully energy independent, fully customizable, extremely affordable, and fully recycled. Green construction is a big part of the Lovetann formula, which is not unlike Excel Homes and many other modular home manufacturers.

At left is a photo of a Lovetann structure being built in Norway. The house is modular only in the sense that it uses modules or blocks during the design process. It doesn’t use modules that are made in a factory and then shipped to the final location. Instead, the structure is built on-site, but like traditional modular construction, it takes very little time to complete a home. The photo on the left shows day three of the construction process. The home was completed (bottom) in just 10 days.

The kid in all of us has always dreamed of living in a tree house. Now that dream can come true, even in an urban environment.

Designed originally as urban infill housing, the urban treehouse can also be set on an open lot in multiples to create a larger complex of homes with minimal modifications. Controlled grade level views from the first floor are intended to give the effect of the home emerging from the soil. The high windows direct your view upward, but still flood the space with natural light.

The fireplace and kitchen cabinets have a twisting helix design, emulating the roots of a large tree. The second floor allows the structure to be exposed like supporting branches. Non-traditional window placements on this level give the impression of light filtering though a tree. The floors give way to a large wrap-around balcony and rooftop garden with grand views. A green roof and central shaft combine with specific window combinations to provide passive cooling.

The structure of this design is celebrated rather than hidden. Like the branches of a tree, the support structure on the second floor (the engineered timber supports) is exposed and part of the space.

NOTES FROM THE DESIGNER: As a child, I spent considerable time climbing trees. I loved to climb high into the canopy and view the world from a different perspective. It was not just the view from the top that excited me, but the glimpses of what was to come as the leaves and branches gave way to views beyond my backyard.

I can still feel the solidness of the trunk underfoot and the graceful sway of the upper branches as I clung tight to them in the breeze. I built many “tree houses” as a child, but that was only a means to stay in the tree longer. It was the tree that I loved and that is the essence I wanted to capture in this design.

The central fireplace on the first floor provides warmth and a special design element when combined with the climbing helix design of the kitchen cabinetry. High windows on the first floor provide light, but restrict views from the street level. As one climbs to the upper levels, the windows open up first with glimpses, but eventually yield unrestricted views like those of a tree.

Integrated balconies, passageways and decks blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces, making the compact design feel much larger than the 2,205 square feet of conditioned space it holds.

A view a PDF containing all features of this plan, click here.

SPECIFICATIONS:

SQ FOOTAGE: 2772 sq. ft. plus auxiliary spaces
MAX FOOTPRINT: 30’-0” x 35’-0”
# BEDROOMS: 3
# BATHROOMS: 3
SPECIAL FEATURES: “Green” design, open stair tower, helix configuration cabinetry, modern “themed” design
OPTIONS: Stand alone design or multiple unit configurations
MISC: Themed design is that of a tree; level 1 is the trunk, 2 is the branches, 3 is the canopy and the roof is the treetop

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Some of you may get the reference made in the title of this post. 100 percent of those in real estate sales should get it, because it’s a classic bit of advice offered by the cut- throat motivational salesman, Blake (played by Alec Baldwin), brought in to fire up a group of underperforming real estate salesmen in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross.

While selling homes isn’t always the bleak, do-or-die lifestyle portrayed in the movie (some sales people might disagree), it is a high pressure environment and one that requires lots of training and people skills.

The May 2009 issue of Professional Builder included a great article on the importance of sales training. To uncover salesperson flaws, Pro Builder asked three secret shoppers to pose as potential home buyers and report their feedback on what the sales teams could be doing better.

Some of the best insight (you can read the entire article here) revealed that many sales pros have lost some of their skills now that the housing market has slowed down. The reasoning is, they’re not using the skills as much, so they’re not staying sharp. It’s ironic, considering now is precisely when your sales team should be at its sharpest.

Pro Builder also points out the need for increased oversight and involvement by sales managers and the need for sales staffers to come right out and ask potential buyers for the sale. In other words, plainly asking customers if they’d like to buy the home. 19.6 percent of sales people observed by one secret shopper did that in 2005, compared to just 13.2 percent in 2008.

Of course, we believe a strong sales staff is the key to the success of any home builder (followed closely, or tied with, a strong product). We’re sure Alec Baldwin would agree.

Builder magazine gets passed around a lot here at the Excel offices, and for good reason. It’s chock full of insight into the things builders need to know about how to succeed (or at least stay above water) in today’s tumultuous economic climate. Excel Homes works with more than 600 builder partners throughout the U.S., so any nugget of information we can absorb and pass along is good for both us and them.

Recently, Builder magazine published an article entitled “6 Lessons For Builders From the Housing Bust.” It contained suggestions for ways builders can change the way they work in order to maximize profits and make better homes.

Though all the tips are valuable (feel free to read them here on the ProSales website), the first tip was perhaps the most relevant to today’s climate (no pun intended). It was called “Build Smarter,” and it talked about the need for builders to create homes that are more energy efficient, especially as regulations on new homes becomes stricter.

As the builder of modular homes, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, we’ve been shouting this advice from the roof tops for the past decade or more. Modular homes are among the most energy efficient homes available, and much more efficient than comparable stick-built homes.

The same “Build Smarter” tip also suggested building smaller homes (yet still energy efficient) to lower pricing and remain competitive. This again falls right in line with the teachings of modular construction. Modular homes can be purchased in various sizes, from smaller two-person dwellings to massive mansions capable of housing a small army. The good news about small modular homes: They’re easy to upgrade later on.

It’s almost as if Builder magazine was reading our minds.

A team of architects responded to the Wall Street Journal’s request to design the environmentally-friendly “house of the future” by creating a modular home you can eat. Sort of like the witch’s edible house in the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale.

Taking a cue from current trends, the architects predicted that most future homes will be modular because modular construction is more efficient and uses fewer resources. The edible part comes in the form of a hydroponic skin attached to the front of the home, on which a variety of vegetables and herbs can be grown and harvested for consumption by the family. The thinking is especially relevant in urban areas, where a traditional ground garden isn’t always possible.

Even though it may seem far fetched now, we love this kind of environmentally friendly thinking. Modular homes have long been the leaders in green construction by using fewer materials, fewer resources and being generally more energy efficient. Hopefully, in the near future, we’ll all be opening up our bedroom window to pick some lettuce for the dinner salad!

“Boxy” isn’t a term used to describe multi-unit residential facilities in a positive light, but with the right design, it can be.

Inspired by the simple shipping container and their use in some circles as housing options, the (Un)Boxy Short-Term Housing Complex features a series of 25-by-11 foot boxes stacked end-to-end and side-by-side to create housing facilities that can be as large or small as needed – from a single unit to more than 100 units.

In the three-story project (pictured below), the individual units can be recessed or pulled out at random intervals to create visual movement in the structure’s design. This also creates attractive shadow lines on the exterior and turns a simple series of boxes into an aesthetically pleasing finished product. (Also note the interesting effect this movement can have on the facility’s hallway in the first floor plan.)

This design can be combined for quad plex housing (above right) or dormitory housing for use on college campuses, urban communities or suburban apartments. It is designed to be environmentally friendly, and can set on standard floor systems.

Dormitory design

Quad plex housing design

BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes, thinking outside the box involves finding new ways to put the box to good use.

To download a PDF that includes all features of this plan, please click here.

Like it? Don’t like it? Think something should be changed or added? Please feel free to comment on this design by leaving a comment below.