Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Mobile/manufactured housing

[Debbie Behrens (debbeh]

> Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 08:53:32 -0600
> From: "David Liset"  <dliset [at] telecomm.umn.edu>
> Subject: Mobile/manufactured housing parks
> 
> > Has anyone ever tried to install
> > mobile/manufactured housing vertically as in a steel skeleton of a
> > skyscraper, with elevators, like a big pigeon-hole parking lot?
> ...
> As to "mobile/manufactured housing", if by "mobile" you mean "able to be 
> transported to the site", rather than necessarily meaning that the unit has 
> wheels, there was a large development, in Canada, which was put up for 
> something
> like the Olympics, or World's Fair.  As I recall, in one of the designs, the 
> units were octagonal pre-cast cement, which were finished and trucked to the 
> site, where they were essentially stacked like a honeycomb.  The visual look 
> of 
> the exterior was pleasing enough.  

I think that was the Habitat project, built for the Montreal World's Fair.
Pictures of it seemed pretty attractive at the time.  
Does anyone know how it has faired since?

I also remember hearing, several years ago about a Japanese factory that 
built homes.  The purchasers could go to the factory or a sales room 
somewhere, and pick their designs with options and whatever mods they 
wanted off a computer that I think could do 3-D displays of the results, 
and provide the changed pricing on the spot.  I think all the pieces were 
built in the factory, trucked to the site, and just assembled.  
Of course Japanese homes already had a built-in modularity based on 
standard tatami mats.

I think it was a National Public Radio feature in the mid/late 80's.  
It fascinated me at the time - I would have liked to visit the 
factory, still would.  I keep waiting for it to show up in the US.

                            ~___~
                            (0 0)
 +-----------------------ooO-(_)-Ooo---------------------------------+
 |  Debbie Behrens                              debbeh [at] auto-trol.com |
 |  Highline Crossing CoHousing                      W (303)252-2215 |
 |   1611 W. Canal Ct Littleton CO 80120             Fx(303)252-2249 |
 |  Rocky Mountain Cohousing Assn                    H (303)797-7779 |
 +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
 |      All opinions expressed are mine, and do not necessarily      |
 |   reflect the opinions of Highline Crossing or RMCA in general.   |
 +-------------------------------------------------------------------+