PREFAB FRIDAY: Bicycle Rack-Inspired Modular Home

Inhabitat, By: Bridgette Meinhold
Friday, July 24th, 2009

This curvaceous modular home by Palo Alto architect, Joseph Bellomo, is joining the ranks of affordable, modular housing. Dubbed the House Arc, Bellomo was inspired to create the home after the success of his modular bicycle rack design, the Bike Arc — designed to provide efficient storage space for bicycles. The House Arc prototype will make its debut sometime this year on the big island of Hawaii.

Made from tubular steel armature, the home is placed above ground on concrete piers or a wood deck and then sheathed in translucent polycarbonate plastic. The home is designed to be off-grid and is coated in a photovoltaic film, which will power all the internal lighting and appliances. The modular component arcs are designed to be lightweight making transport easier and cheaper.

Bellomo estimates that it could cost $100,000 for an 800 square foot prefab home. His design lends easily to additions and extensions of the home as needed. The simple design and modular capabilities could lend themselves well to emergency shelters and even low-income housing should the costs to manufacture the home decrese. The curved walls are certainly not traditional and may require some interior design ingenuity, but it is a fresh design and the prototype house should be very intriguing.