Prefab-ulously Green

The story of Todd and Katie Gardner's picture-perfect prefab home began with an ugly-duckling single-wide trailer in Aspen's Smuggler Park. "The trailer was just 850 square feet," Katie recalls. "When we bought it, the ceiling was caving in and there was no insulation. It was barely livable, but we made it work until we could haul it away and begin rebuilding."??

In the meantime, Todd's diligent online search for information about green building led him to Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD), an Oakland, California-based, full-service architectural-design firm specializing in sustainable, eco-friendly structures. Of particular interest was their concept for prefabricated modular homes, which emphasized smart design, ecological materials, energy efficiency, water conservation, and the creation of healthy indoor environments. "It was a perfect fit," says Katie, "for us and for Aspen."??

While MKD offered plans for preconfigured modular homes (they're known for the award-winning Glidehouse, among other configurations), the Gardners, who as owners of Aspen's High Mountain Taxi are entrepreneurial by nature, opted for the custom route instead, which allowed them to address both personal desires and lifestyle requirements. "There were a lot of parameters," Katie explains. "We wanted to maximize our space, our privacy, and our light. Plus we needed three bedrooms and a family/playroom for our daughter." Beyond that initial input, the couple left the actual design work to MKD. "We said, ‘We're in the transportation business. You're the experts-go for it,'" she laughs. ??

Enter MKD studio head and project architect Paul Warner, who, upon assessing the site, discovered additional challenges. "It was a 5,000-square-foot lot in a planned-unit development," Warner recalls. "The Gardners could build anything they wanted as long as it stayed within the envelope of a double-wide [trailer], in part to help keep home sizes down and the neighborhood affordable. There was also a height restriction of 13 feet-or one storey-except for dormers, peaks, and eaves, which could go higher."??

Armed with that information and granted creative latitude by the Gardners, Warner set out to develop a cohesive design. "It was a custom solution for a unique site," he says. "We worked with Todd to come up with what they needed in terms of size and then tried to maximize what was there."??

Long and narrow to match the site, the two-level, 2,800-square-foot house was designed to sit just within lot setbacks of about 13 feet on each side, which allowed for some open outdoor space and room for garden planters. The upper 1,390-square-foot level-which would be fabricated in MKD's factory near Seattle to 80 percent of completion, shipped to the site in two 14-by-48-foot pieces, and then set atop an already poured and framed basement-consisted of an open kitchen/living/dining area, as well as the master bedroom and bath and a small powder room.??

Architectural details included a curved roof, clerestory windows that allow for views up to Smuggler and Aspen Mountain, and an aluminum NanaWall system to help maximize natural light and bring the outside in. For cooling purposes as well as privacy, a series of both stationary and sliding cedar louvers on barn-door tracks were installed on the west side of the house. Environmentally friendly materials include Galvalume and cement-board siding and composite Trex decking, along with renewable bamboo flooring and custom bamboo cabinetry with quartz countertops and glass backsplashes.??

After much planning and effort, from acquiring county permits to hiring local contractors for finish work to selecting appliances and shower tiles, the day of the prefab modules' arrival generated great excitement-from the entire neighborhood. "You don't normally see a house flying through the air," Warner explains with delight.

The process of positioning the modules was simple in both theory and practice. After arriving in two big trucks, they were swung into place via a crane by a "set crew" and positioned within an eighth of an inch of their final location. After that, a "button-up" crew handled tie-ins and seamless assembly.??

Next came the interior work. The two levels were connected by a large open stairwell that filtered natural outside light to the lower level, which consisted of the Gardners' young daughter's room, a spacious family/entertainment room, a guest bedroom, a large laundry/storage room, and a utility room. Finish work downstairs and up ensued under much the same routine as with a site-built house. "We had to be very organized and have things ordered and have people like painters, electricians, and drywallers lined up," says Katie. "Todd was there to crack the whip and keep things moving."??

Aside from items such as Energy Star-rated appliances, dual flush toilets and CFL light fixtures, most of the furnishings were selected by the Gardners. Couches from West Elm kept with the modular theme, while geometrically patterned birch lights and area rugs added to the modern sensibilities.??

From the day the modules arrived until the time the family moved in was about three months, or about one-quarter of the entire construction time. Looking back, all involved are highly enthusiastic about the process and results. "It's always exciting to see how a house reacts to a site, and it's been rewarding for me to see how well this one works," says Warner. "Plus it was at a good cost for the quality and detail they got."
"It was lot of work, but it was fun, too," Katie adds. "It's a wonderful place for us to live."??