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Collection by Carren Jao

Green & Affordable Prefab Home Debuts in Palm Springs

Tours of John Lautner’s Elrod House or the Annenberg’s newly re-opened Sunnylands may leave us wondering if we could ever afford a modernist luxury for ourselves, but thankfully LivingHomes and Cavco Industries have launched a more realistic option at the Prefab showcase during Palm Springs Modernism Week.

Inspired by the modern homes built by developer Joseph Eichler in the 1950s and 1960s, the C6 home offers potential homeowners a competitively-priced modern home built according to LEED Platinum standards. “This is actually the most energy efficient home we’ve ever done. It blew us away,” says Steve Glenn, CEO of LivingHomes, “We’re 51 percent more efficient than Title 24 building energy codes.” Here’s a look inside the home.

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Taking a cue from many Eichler homes, the C6 home is organized around a courtyard.
Taking a cue from many Eichler homes, the C6 home is organized around a courtyard.
The millwork in the C6 home is formaldehyde free. Multiple entrances to the home ensure permeability between the inside and out.
The millwork in the C6 home is formaldehyde free. Multiple entrances to the home ensure permeability between the inside and out.
The C6 home achieves efficiency through a combination of strategies, including energy efficient lighting and appliances, smart heating/AC control system to reduce power usage and enough solar panels to produce more than 100 percent of the home’s power.
The C6 home achieves efficiency through a combination of strategies, including energy efficient lighting and appliances, smart heating/AC control system to reduce power usage and enough solar panels to produce more than 100 percent of the home’s power.
The home takes on a comfortable, natural texture thanks to cork floors, wood ceiling, natural wood millwork, and wood siding. You can also set the mood using your own iPhone, thanks to a tech-controlled lighting system
The home takes on a comfortable, natural texture thanks to cork floors, wood ceiling, natural wood millwork, and wood siding. You can also set the mood using your own iPhone, thanks to a tech-controlled lighting system
Low-flow water fixtures and a grey water system are included in the C6 home.
Low-flow water fixtures and a grey water system are included in the C6 home.
LivingHomes and Cavco also used zero VOC paints, which in combination with formaldehyde-free millwork, ensure zero emissions.
LivingHomes and Cavco also used zero VOC paints, which in combination with formaldehyde-free millwork, ensure zero emissions.
The C6 home is bright and airy, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass, clerestory windows, light tubes, and transom windows that maximize natural daylighting.
The C6 home is bright and airy, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass, clerestory windows, light tubes, and transom windows that maximize natural daylighting.
The C6 is a great step toward making an affordably, healthy and sustainable home. One that Glenn hopes will put the building industry on the right track, economically and environmentally. “We set out to make great design, really healthy and sustainable architecture much more cost effective. It’s been challenging doing that in the worst real estate downturn in US history, but I think we finally have something that delivers on that goal… I think we can even make this less expensively, but not if we don’t sell any. The more of these homes we do, the more cost effective we can make them.”
The C6 is a great step toward making an affordably, healthy and sustainable home. One that Glenn hopes will put the building industry on the right track, economically and environmentally. “We set out to make great design, really healthy and sustainable architecture much more cost effective. It’s been challenging doing that in the worst real estate downturn in US history, but I think we finally have something that delivers on that goal… I think we can even make this less expensively, but not if we don’t sell any. The more of these homes we do, the more cost effective we can make them.”