By Susan Carpenter The C6 prefab house from Santa Monica-based LivingHomes is premiering in two locations: Palm Springs, where it is part of a Modernism Week prefab showcase open through Feb. 26, and the TED Conference in Long Beach running through March 2. The Times swung by the Palm Springs installation as workers finished prepping the place for tours. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Prefab housing has long held the promise of affordable, efficient, sustainable design for the masses – a promise that has been largely unfulfilled. Now LivingHomes says its new C6 house with a low environmental impact — and a low price.
Starting at $179,000, the C6 prefab house is half the price of LivingHomes’ other models. It’s the first production home designed to achieve LEED platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, and it’s the first to incorporate a range of products certified by Cradle to Cradle, the program founded by sustainability gurus William McDonough and Michael Braungart. The cost, $145 per square foot, includes 34 tons of carbon offsets. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
LivingHomes chief executive Steve Glenn said the C6 was inspired by California real estate developer Joseph Eichler and his midcentury tract homes centered on courtyards. In the C6, living spaces at both ends of the house open with sliding glass doors onto a miniature front courtyard, aiding air flow and the blending of indoor and outdoor space. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Inside the front door: the living room, photographed while it was being staged for tours. Among the details: Clerestory windows for additional light and a 9-foot wood ceiling. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Three modules fit together to make a 1,232-square-foot house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and that mini courtyard helping to connect interiors to the outdoors. It takes less than two months to construct the C6 at the factory and one day to install on-site. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Many of the building materials have recycled content, including the Caesarstone quartz counters in the kitchen and bathrooms. McDonough designed a 100% recycled and recyclable doorknob for the house. His Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has certified other products used in the C6, including the Owens Corning insulation in the ceiling, floors and walls, and Mosa bathroom tiles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
The C6’s cabinets and carpet are free of formaldehyde and urea. LED light fixtures and “smart” controls for heating and cooling aid energy efficiency. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
The narrow bathroom with sink at the entry and … (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
… the rest around the corner. To save water, the house also has low-flow fixtures and graywater-ready plumbing. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
One of the bedrooms, staged as an office. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A 4-kilowatt photovoltaic array is part of the zero-energy C6 on tour but is not included in the price. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
