Living Homes: Nature Made Factory Built

LivingHomes announced this week that its newest property achieved LEED Platinum Certification. Located in Newport Beach, CA, the home was designed by the 2008 AIA Firm of the Year, KieranTimberlake, and used as a demonstration home for the 2009 TED Conference.

As modular, prefabricated home designers, LivingHomes claims its buildings create less waste, are a higher level of quality--they must be able to withstand the stresses of transport--and save time and money. A semi-custom LivingHome can be built in no more than six months and costs twenty to forty percent less per square foot than an equivalent stick-built home.

Listed among its environmental attributes: the recycled steel and timber-efficient engineered lumber that make up the modules, central vacuum system, and mini-duct air distribution and ventilation systems that help improve indoor air quality; the bio-composite wood siding, recycled glass tiles, blown-in insulation, high performance windows with recycled frames, and water-saving features, such as low-flow water fixtures and dual flush toilets. Since its installation in Newport Beach, the home has been outfitted with photovoltaics, as well.

Like all LivingHomes this house conforms to the "Z6" environmental goals: zero energy, zero water, zero indoor emissions, zero waste, zero carbon, and zero ignorance. "We don't think we'll often actually achieve "zero impact"--we certainly didn't with the LEED Platinum Certification of the first LivingHome--but the point is to get as close as possible."

With achievements like these, LivingHome is quickly becoming known one of the nation's most experienced sustainable homebuilders.

"We are extremely honored to receive another LEED Platinum rating with a LivingHome, a level that very few homes ever achieve," said Steve Glenn, founder and CEO of LivingHomes. "More important is what the certification represents: a home that uses far less energy, water, and materials resources than most homes and that has far better indoor air quality. These, ultimately, are the key metrics which we aspire to positively impact with all LivingHomes."