LivingHomes is on a mission to create sustainable, eco-friendly and modern prefabricated homes. Thus far, they’ve done a good job of accomplishing this mission.
Their first home became the nation’s first LEED
Platinum-certified home.
LivingHomes extended their operations in 2016
with the formation of Plant Prefab. Plant Prefab was spun out of LivingHomes, and LivingHomes is
now the company’s in-house design studio.
Plant Prefab
handles all of the manufacturing for LivingHomes, and it’s the first of its
kind to be dedicated to sustainability in construction, processes, materials
and operations.
LivingHomes’
designs can be customized for individuals, developers or builders.
LivingHomes Architects
LivingHomes designs homes created by accomplished architects. If you are familiar with the modern prefab design these names should be familiar.
Their design partners include:
- Toby Long
- KieranTimberlake Associates
- Douglas W. Burdge
- Yves Béhar
- Brooks + Scarpa
The very
first LivingHome was designed by the late architect Ray Kappe, and it was
installed in just eight hours. That home became the first home to ever receive
an LEED for Home Platinum rating.
Now, 24 LivingHomes have been or will be certified LEED Platinum, with one LEED Gold.
Kappe began working with LivingHomes in 2003 to design modular homes.
His home, the Benton House, was featured in the Showtime series Californication. Another one of his homes made an appearance in the Sea Hunt episode entitled “Hit and Run.”
Plant Prefab’s Toby Long, who graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, is also a part of the team.
Long, along with his team at Cleverhomes, designs and coordinates modular construction projects for institutional, residential and mixed use.
LivingHomes Build Process
LivingHomes
is dedicated to creating sustainable prefabricated homes on the West Coast and
in select places. Their build process is similar whether you choose a custom
home or a standard model.
Throughout
the entire process, you will work with three main groups:
- LivingHomes
and their partners
- General
contractor
- Plant
Prefab, which will build your modules
The build
process is an eight-step process. While LivingHomes does their best to make the
entire build as efficient and predictable as possible, there may be a few
unexpected hiccups along the way that may extend the duration of the project.
Here’s how
the process works:
1. Feasibility
The first
step is to determine whether it’s feasible for a LivingHome to be installed on
your property.
The primary
concern is accessibility for delivering and installing the modules. Online
mapping tools can help LivingHomes determine, initially, whether it may be
possible to place a home on your lot.
LivingHomes
will evaluate your lot and perform what’s called an Access Study, which
assesses road configurations, trees, power lines, slops, low bridges and
overhangs and elevation changes that will affect the transport and installation
of the home. If needed, LivingHomes can identify a staging area nearby to park
the modules when they’re ready to be delivered.
2. Select or Customize the Model
LivingHomes
will work with you to create a custom home or select a standard model that fits
your needs.
In addition
to the floor plan, you will also select the finishes, fixtures and other
materials that you want to use.
3. Engineering and Permitting (Custom Homes Only)
For custom
homes, LivingHomes will handle the engineering and permitting process for the
site work and modules. Inspections will be completed at the factory, and your
contractor will take care of these inspections.
4. Financing
One of the
most important steps in the process is the financing stage. LivingHomes can
connect you to a preferred lender if you’re looking for a construction loan.
There’s also
the option of choosing a construction-to-permanent loan. The lender will
disperse payments directly to LivingHomes to bring your dream home to life.
Most
borrowers can expect to receive 80-100% of the construction cost in a loan.
5. Fabrication
Once the
financing is in order, the fabrication of your home can start. You’re free to
visit the PlantPrefab factory to see your home being built.
LivingHomes
and Plant Prefab will manage all of the activities associated with the
fabrication and work with your general contractor to make sure things go as
smoothly as possible.
6. Site Work and Foundation
While the
home is being fabricated, work will be done on your site and the foundation
will be laid.
LivingHomes
will manage the process of securing bids and assisting in the selection of the
contractor who will take care of the foundation.
7. Delivery and Installation
One of the
most exciting steps in the process! Delivery and installation will take just
one day. Your contractor will take care of any road closures, transportation
permits and parking issues that need to be taken care of.
On
installation day, the crane will be set up first, and then the trucks will
arrive with your modules. Your home will be delivered and set in just one day.
8. Fitout and Move-In
After the
home is delivered, there are just a few more steps before you can move in. Your
water, electric, sewer and photovoltaics will need to be installed. Your
appliances need to be hooked up, and your contractor needs to put the finishing
touches on the interior spaces.
Once all of
this is taken care of, you will be handed the keys to your new home for
move-in.
LivingHomes Projects
LivingHomes has produced LEED Platinum-certified
homes and one LEED Gold-certified home. Some of their most famous projects
include:
Custom LivingHome – Ray Kappe
A home
designed by Ray Kappe which features an abundance of natural light and an LEED
Gold-level environmental program. The home offers stunning views of the
hillside site that overlooks the Santa Monica Canyon.
The home features:
- 5,400
square feet of space
- 5
bedrooms
- 5.5
bathrooms
C6 in San Diego, CA
The C6 is a
LivingHomes creation in San Diego, CA. The home features an abundance of
natural light and wood materials to create an earthy, rustic look.
The home
features:
- 1,232
square feet of space
- 3
bedrooms
- 2
bathrooms
Custom Multifamily in Los Altos, CA – Ray Kappe
Ray Kappe’s
three-unit, custom multifamily project was the first in Silicon Valley to be
awarded LEED Platinum. The project includes an affordable housing unit.
Each project
features:
- 1,685
square feet of space
- 3
bedrooms
- 3
bathrooms
How Much Does a LivingHome Cost?
The cost of
a LivingHome varies and will depend on:
- Your
site (some sites cost more to prep than others)
- The
model you choose
- Whether
you want a custom solution
To get a
better idea of how much you’ll spend, here’s a rundown of the cost of prefab
standard models:
- C6: $179K+ (3 BR, 3 BA)
- C6.2: $159K+ (2 BR, 2 BA)
- CK5: $200K+ (3 BR, 2.5 BA)
- CK7: $320K+ (3-4 BR, 2.5 BA)
- RK1: $589K+ (4-5 BA, 2.5-3.5 BA)
These are
just starting prices, and the square footage of the floor plans can vary. As
you can see LivingHomes offers a wide range of homes, from affordable to
luxury.
The price of
a LivingHome includes the following:
- Structural shell
- Plumbing fixtures
- Exterior finishes
- Interior finishes
- Windows/doors
- Water heater
- Kitchen appliances
- Finish flooring
- Plumbing rough-in
- Electrical rough-in
- Light fixtures
- Washer/dryer
- Air conditioning
- Heating system
The cost of
installation and the site prep work will also affect the cost of the project.
The more difficult the site, the higher the cost will be. But LivingHomes will
work with you to find an affordable solution that meets your budget.
