Charles and Ray Eames are legends in the design world. Their furniture designs, from the molded rocker to the Eames lounge and ottoman, are pieces any modernist worth her salt is either saving for or proudly displaying.
The Eames are also known for their modular work, which was first seen in the 1940 Organic Design competition, and established the beauty and practicality of a modular approach to architecture.
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Whether she's making cool eco craft projects or designing innovative homes, Michelle Kaufmann is definitely one of my eco heroes.
Michelle designs green, prefab homes that are both beautiful and cost-effective. These homes are guaranteed to achieve either gold or platinum LEED ratings, the two highest ratings from the US Green Building Council.
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During a housing shortage in England after World War II, planners turned to prefab to help with the rapidly expanding populace. The Excalibur estates in the town of Catford (located in the borough of Lewisham in greater London) were built to shelter new families temporarily and were only expected to last for 10 years. Now, 60 years later, those houses are still inhabited.
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Today, I'm hanging out with other eco-minded folks at West Coast Green, a green building conference that explores ways to make all structures more sustainable. I'll be snapping pics of some cool furniture pieces too, so tune in next week to see what I've found!
This year at West Coast Green, one home that everyone is eager to check out is this house made from five 40-foot-long shipping containers, which combine to form a 1,700-square-foot, 2-bedroom home.
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LivingHomes builds houses that appeal to the eco-minded modernists of the world. The designs of the homes are focused on simple, sustainable, modernism, and start at $185 a square foot. LivingHomes are made with natural, non-toxic, and sustainably derived materials, and are built in specialized factories that ensure superior quality, lower construction cost, a quick turnaround, and minimal waste.
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I've been a fan of Michelle Kaufmann's green designs for modular, prefabricated homes for quite a while now. Last Fall, her mkLotus house was displayed at West Coast Green, which I was lucky enough to attend. These houses are built to accommodate such green features as a graywater system, geothermal heating, and solar panels.
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Who doesn't need a little backyard bungalow? A prefab modern escape hatch? With the Kithaus K3 ($44,900) you can have just that.
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If you're cramped on space but aren't interested in knocking down walls for renovation, the company Magic Box, Inc., may be able to help. With the odd and interesting tag line of "A Box to Explore, A Room to Live," this Japanese company, headed up by Jun Ueno, makes prefabricated houses and extension rooms for homeowners who need some room to grow. It can be used as an additional room, office space, a play room for children, a studio, a guest room, or however you can think to put it to use.
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Thanks to a heads-up from Tdamji, I was reminded of the smartly affordable housebuilding business, BoKlok. BoKlok (pronounced "book-look"), means ’live smart." Based on the idea that everyone should be able to afford quality and attractive homes that are roomy, safe, and have access to green space, the homes have an open layout, lots of light, high ceilings, and a modern look. 
Xin Yucai, 50, of Shenyang city in the Liaoning province in Northeast China, has built a home out of two cement pipes. Although his daughter invited him to live with her in her apartment, he turned the offer down, since he loves living in his home so much.
"He bought two cement pipes from a construction company and turned them into a real house, with windows, door, and even a chimney," says Xin Yucai's daughter.
