A Fabulous Green Prefabricated Home: Living in L.A.

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Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.
Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.
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LivingHomes prefabricated houses are manufactured in modules and assembled on site. This one was constructed in eight hours.
LivingHomes prefabricated houses are manufactured in modules and assembled on site. This one was constructed in eight hours.
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This modern home will cost less to operate over time because of its energy- and water-efficient appliances.
This modern home will cost less to operate over time because of its energy- and water-efficient appliances.
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Owner Steve Glenn's favorite aspects of the home—volume, texture and complexity—are enhanced by its connection with the outdoors.
Owner Steve Glenn's favorite aspects of the home—volume, texture and complexity—are enhanced by its connection with the outdoors.
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Several separate but open living spaces allow homeowners and visitors to work, chat, cook and watch television in distinct areas, while still being within view of one another.
Several separate but open living spaces allow homeowners and visitors to work, chat, cook and watch television in distinct areas, while still being within view of one another.
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Radiant in-floor heating and FSC-certified wood throughout the interior soften the home’s cutting-edge design and make it warm and homey.
Radiant in-floor heating and FSC-certified wood throughout the interior soften the home’s cutting-edge design and make it warm and homey.
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Several systems throughout the home save and repurpose water. The living roof collects stormwater runoff for reuse within the home, while the graywater recycling system provides landscape irrigation.
Several systems throughout the home save and repurpose water. The living roof collects stormwater runoff for reuse within the home, while the graywater recycling system provides landscape irrigation.
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The home's upstairs sections include open spaces offering views to the lower levels, furthering its spacious, integrated feel.
The home's upstairs sections include open spaces offering views to the lower levels, furthering its spacious, integrated feel.
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The home features moveable walls and built-in furniture so homeowners can modify the space to suit their needs.
The home features moveable walls and built-in furniture so homeowners can modify the space to suit their needs.
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The kitchen's Paperstone countertops, made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, are available in seven colors and are stain and heat resistant.
The kitchen's Paperstone countertops, made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, are available in seven colors and are stain and heat resistant.
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Glenn's home features a rooftop garden. Photovoltaic cells generate energy for the home and serve a dual purpose, creating shelter and a pergola.
Glenn's home features a rooftop garden. Photovoltaic cells generate energy for the home and serve a dual purpose, creating shelter and a pergola.
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Living Homes founder and owner Steve Glenn
Living Homes founder and owner Steve Glenn
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Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.
Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.
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Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.
Gorgeous, airy views and outdoor living spaces such as balconies, decks and a living roof garden connect this healthy, modular home with its urban environment.

Perched in an established hillside neighborhood in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park neighborhood, LivingHomes CEO and founder Steve Glenn’s modernist home is quite a conversation starter. But this is no superficial conversation about how hot prefab has become in the last few years. (Prefabricated houses are manufactured in units and assembled on site.) Steve’s house–which also acts as a model home for his sustainable residential prefab development company–boasts an array of eco-friendly features, from solar panels and a green roof to recycled-cellulose countertops and LED (light-emitting diode) lighting.

The first residence to receive a platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes program, the two-story, 2,500-square-foot home is composed of 11 modules that were crafted in a factory and constructed on site in just eight hours. Steve’s home was also named one of the American Institute of Architect’s Top Ten Green Projects for 2007. (We introduced readers to this home in “Your Green Home of the Future” in the March/April 2007 issue.)

We recently visited Steve’s home and asked him about living in this open, airy space.

Natural Home: You live in a zero-energy, zero-carbon, zero-emissions residence. Can you explain what all that means?

Steve Glenn: It would be a misnomer to say we accomplished all of that–those were the design goals we set up to guide the design of all our houses. We’re reclaiming water from the house for irrigation, which is what we mean by zero water. We’re minimizing waste and carbon, as well as VOC offgasing inside the home. Note: VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are toxic chemicals from manufactured items–such as building materials, adhesives and paints–that outgas into the air.]

  • Published on Jul 1, 2007
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