Sep 12 2005
Dwell magazine announced an exciting partnership today, signaling a seminal step forward for modern prefabricated housing.
Bound by a collective commitment to building well-designed, affordable modern homes, Dwell has teamed up with Empyrean International LLC (formerly Deck House), Resolution: 4 Architecture, and Lazor Office to create The Dwell Homes(TM) by Empyrean -- an exclusive collection of custom-designed, modern prefabricated homes.
"One of the major obstacles prefab has faced," said Dwell Editor-in-Chief Allison Arieff, "has been effective collaboration among designers, manufacturers, and clients. This partnership brings together experienced parties across that spectrum, all of whom are passionate about and committed to prefab's potential. As a result, we're able to offer the public not one but three beautifully designed, highly functional, and eminently livable homes."
The three designs are featured in the October-November Fifth Anniversary issue of Dwell, on newsstands Tuesday, September 20.
Designs
Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz of Resolution 4: Architecture -- winners of the first Dwell Home Design Invitational in 2003 -- have adapted their winning Dwell Home design, heralded as "arguably the most high-profile prefab house in America" by The Washington Post.
Charlie Lazor of Lazor Office will commercially launch his brilliant FlatPak system, which Newsweek described as "the first revolution in American housing in decades."
Joel Turkel of Empyrean, with first-hand experience in both architecture and manufacturing, has envisioned Next House, an inspiring brand new design to complete the package.
Manufacturing
Empyrean will also be the exclusive manufacturer of The Dwell Homes by Empyrean, adding unique synchrony to the partnership. The homes will be manufactured at the Empyrean factory in Acton, Massachusetts with regional offices serving clients throughout the country. Each home is pre-cut and panelized for easy assembly in a fraction of the time that it takes to assemble a typical architecturally designed home.
"Our association with Dwell and a group of bold modernist architects is a key element in the transformation of our company from a manufacturing firm that designs into the only architectural firm that manufactures its homes," says Michael Harris, Empyrean president and CEO.
Specifications
All designs are available in two levels and square footage for each of the three designs ranges from 2526 to 3044 square feet not including optional porches and decks. The FlatPak and Empyrean designs feature post and beam structural systems; the Resolution: 4 Architecture is wood frame. All designs are pre-specified for interior doors and finishes, floor, wall and roof systems, stairs and rails, windows and sliding doors, and cabinets and casework. Though prices vary based on selected size and local labor costs, the average cost of a 2,500 square foot Dwell Home is estimated to range between $175-$250 per square foot.
Design Seminars
The Dwell Homes by Empyrean will launch at a series of kick-off events throughout the Fall.
- San Francisco October 26
- Los Angeles October 27
- New York November 10
- Annapolis November 11
- Boston November 12
For more information, please visit http://www.thedwellhomesbyempyrean.com