Project Description
Single-Family Housing / Citation
If there’s one thing the southwestern United States has in excess, it’s sunshine, so it makes sense that Tempe, Ariz.–based Colab Studio—partnering with Vali Homes and general contractor 180 Degrees—is developing a suite of prefabricated homes that are designed to use solar power to achieve net-zero energy usage. This first 1,500-square-foot prototype is aimed at the mid -income, sustainability- minded owner, and was designed with infill lots in the Phoenix area in mind. The single-story dwelling has two bedrooms, living and dining areas, and an enclosed patio. The structure, influenced in form by the Case Study Houses of Southern California fame, is clad in bent 20-gauge steel strips (vertically oriented on the walls, and horizontal, with slight spacing in between each strip, to fence in the patio). These steel strips have also been allowed to rust to form a variegated surface. “It’s beautifully made,” juror Cary Bernstein said. “It’s a very smart use of rhythm and joints to get beyond an obvious kit of parts.” The home has been designed to surpass LEED Platinum certification requirements. —Katie Gerfen