Simpatico Homes founder Seth Krubiner has lived in the prefab company’s nearly net-zero prototype since it was customized and lifted onsite in 2011.

3D printed prototype drain to circulate rain water through fountain

In the dining area, a one-of-a-kind table with a reclaimed Carrara marble top by NET—themultidisciplinary design firm of architect Alejandro Sticotti, with whom Nicolas works—is surrounded by prototypes of the company’s Board chair. The family dog, China, sits on a floor made of travertine tiles.

The LV prototype’s bathroom shows how buyers can vary finish levels according to budget.

This tiny house in Indore, India, is designed to accommodate a family of four. It occupies a minimal footprint of 210 square feet.

The interior consists of a large, open space that can adapt to various daily needs.

The interior of the TrailerWrap prototype.

An early GROW prototype.

Stormwater cycle throughout the Twin Lake site

The three-bedroom home wraps around the atrium between the garage and main building. Since the garage faces the alley, this orientation opens up the front yard and garden. The big sliding doors off the atrium help the home connect with the community, supporting sidewalk interactions. "The idea was to draw the space back out to the neighborhood," he says, "and create different levels of security and privacy."

An early hand-drawn sketch of what would become the Kabu standing desk.

Universities and street-smart organizations are collaborating to help meet urban communities' need for livable and affordable dwellings. In one example, the Georgia Tech School of Architecture teamed with Resource Furniture and Architecture for Humanity for a juried competition in which student entrants designed interiors for Net Zero Energy House prototypes. Principles will discuss the first-place entry onstage.

Here are some of the seat patterns for the various parts. Unlike a lounge chair or sofa found in your living room, this chair is made from many separate components, each positioned to optimize the piece.

The seatmaker sculpts a form out out of the foam. The more dense foam offers rigid support while the less dense sections conform more to a driver's body.

Breaking new ground, architect Greg Lynn navigates the digital landscape with his firm, FORM. Using technological advances in architectural modeling, he created a prototype of a movable living environment. Each surface of the model is capable of transforming into part of the living space. Greg Lynn, RV (Room Vehicle) Prototype, 2012. Computer generated rendering in three superimposed orientations. Image provided courtesy of the National Academy.

Seating is a large component of car interiors and evaluated on comfort, looks, and functionality. Very specific compositions of foam exist underneath the surface. The different densities create the support and comfort that's needed to make quick trips around town and long road trips equally enjoyable. Here's an example of the different foams in a seat.

Plans for three-bedroom units designed by Garrison Architects to facilitate families displaced by a man-made or natural disaster. The units will be tested in Brooklyn and designed with environmental and insulation system modifications to fit any urban city in the country. Photo courtesy Garrison Architects.

Tom MacDonald poses with the full-scale prototype of the Kabu, which he designed with his fellow students Alex Chin and Shai Gerner.

A 28 prototype is stowed away with some books in the bedroom.

Garrison Architects Garrison Architects will present their Post Disaster Prototype during the show. The DUMBO-based architecture firm developed the project for the New York City Office of Emergency Management. Hired by American Manufactured Structures and Services (AMSS), the firm designed a modular post-disaster housing prototype for displaced city residents in the event of a catastrophic natural or man-made disaster. The units are able to be deployed in less than 15 hours in various configurations that can accommodate multi-story and multi-family situations. Although primarily designed for emergencies, the modular units can be used for private residences or multi-family developments.

Alberto Alessi of Alessi, far left, and Jordan Goldstein of Gensler, fourth from right, with students and Alessi employees at the company's factory in Italy last month.

Some of the materials that were used to build the model.

The Kabu in model form.

A computerized rendering of Kabu, a standing desk prototype designed by three University of Pennsylvania design students with input from a panel of Alessi employees.

To make the design universal, the first thing the architects did was to "make a unit that a wheelchair bound person can use completely. The kitchen, the bath, the bedroom are all accessible, the way the living and kitchen are arranged, a small communal table, built-in storage, and a small terrace to keep the living room open and provide an outdoor extenuation and privacy," says principal James Garrison. "It's better designed and more comfortable than typically in New York!" Photo courtesy Garrison Architects.

The interior construction of the S House is simple and stragithforward; ten concrete posts braced by steel supports are filled with Nipa palm panels fashioned on site.

Missouri-based architect Rocio Romero designs ADUs that serve as studios, backyard offices, guest cottages, and short-term getaways. She’s sold over 50 prefab units in 17 different states, and she recently launched a line of more modestly sized, construct-it-yourself structures dubbed the Camp series. Here, Romero and product manager Julie Schaefer review plans together at a Base Camp prototype in Missouri.

In 2013, Ban’s office introduced its new disaster housing prototype, the New Temporary House, whose exterior is made of insulated sandwich panels and fiber-reinforced plastic.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects utilized passive design strategies and a double roof, constructed from Nipa palm and corrugated cement, to ventilate the home, an important consideration in a humid, tropical environment.

Costing just under $4,000 to build, the S House prototype provides affordable, durable shelter in a region where homes often need to be rebuilt every few years.

The Blue Sky prototype house leads a second life as desert getaway for David McAdam and his partner Scott Smith.

"It was erected in one and a half days; the modulars went up in one day, the stairs went up the next," Garrison says. The construction process can be viewed in a video on Garrison's blog. Photo by Josef Samuel.

This prototype fo Venezuelan designer Miguel Arroyo's Butaque Pampatar chair was made from painted mahogany and cedar in 1953.

After the foam configutation is set, the seat is upholstered and assembled.

The modest, 322-square-foot interior opens up into the environment.

The prefabrication process cuts a typical 18-month build in half as Garrison prepares the modulars in the factory. Utilities like the plumbing and HVAC systems are also completed in the factory. Photo by Josef Samuel.