Our design proposal for a speculative prefabricated house employs a system of structural insulated panels (SIPS) that provides flexibility while eliminating the need for expensive, on-site rough carpentry. A simple but varied materials palette elaborates a contemporary aesthetic.
Because the walls, floors and roof are all constructed out of SIPS, the panels can be maximized into multiple spatial arrangements, affording the owner a variety of orientations. Here, the house is sited so that the landscape slopes toward the main floor, which is situated two feet below grade. The exposed, precast-concrete foundation viscerally embeds the house into the topography and defines its front and back yards. Shuffling private and public floors, the kitchen/dining area is connected to the living room by an open stair with glass guardrails. Other elements, such as cement-board siding patterns and a large, copper privacy screen, add moments of delight.