Prefab Killers?
As Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast, this may be an opportune time to recall that Lowe's is selling Katrina Cottages. Well, they're not selling the cottages themselves, but rather the plans, which use Lowe's products exclusively.
Text by
Designed by Marianne Cusato, these small, affordable dwellings are real prefab-killers: By taking advantage of the economies of scale already present in your neighborhood Lowe's (plus a nice discount) and using local labor, buyers get a stick-built house for the lowest cost possible. This business model is not new: Sears did the same thing early in the 20th century.
David A. Greene
Dave has contributed to Dwell since its inception. He's a CalArts dropout, a former art critic for The New Yorker, and a producer of comedies on TV. He lives in, and writes from, Los Angeles.
Published
Last Updated
Get the Dwell Newsletter
Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.