Collection by ANNE R HOLMES
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Deltec’s Solar Farmhouse combines the aesthetics of traditional farmhouses with contemporary design and state-of-the-art systems. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath layout totals just over 2,000 square feet. Like most of Deltec’s prefabs, it can be kitted out with a range of green building strategies to make it two-thirds more efficient than traditional homes.
With wide, open spaces thanks to the ranch-style home's open plan and a large covered porch, the Fuse model from ideabox LLC has been designed for gathering and entertaining. At 1,360 square feet (plus a 160-square-foot covered porch), the home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms but could be upgraded to the Fuse 3 model, which has three bedrooms.
The Solar Farmhouse is particularly energy efficient, designed with passive solar design and an air-tight building envelope. Its T-shaped layout on the ground floor has an open-plan living area, high ceilings, and lots of storage; a large master suite is also located on the ground floor, while the two additional bedrooms and bath are on the second floor.
Ecocor High Performance Buildings is a construction firm that designs, manufactures, delivers, and assembles high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. With construction details that are certified through the Passive House Institute, they construct panelized homes (not modular homes, but prefabricated panels). The panelized wall sections are then transported to the building site, where they are erected in a fraction of the time conventional construction requires.
With offices in both Massachusetts and Vermont, Huntington Homes specializes in modular homes in a variety of styles. From their factory in Vermont, the company ships across the country while maintaining a regional office in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Because of their modular building process and their eco-friendly designs, their homes are 45-percent more efficient than a Code built home, and 30-percent more efficient than an ENERGY STAR home. They offer three different packages for clients for a range of services, including options where they manufacture, deliver, and set the modules onto your foundation. This includes a finished shingled roof. Your local contractor takes over the final finish work.
Builders, developers, designers, and architects have developed a range of homes that are composed of prefabricated, modular, or kit-of-parts pieces that can allow for lower costs, faster and easier on-site construction, and even higher quality spaces. Here, we delve into the differences—and similarities—among these manufactured residences.














