Today we’re talking to Brian Abramson, Co-Founder and Director of business operations (and avid snowboarder!) at Method Homes. Method Homes is our partner for the Dwell on Design 2015 show home. Take a virtual tour and learn more about the house.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into building homes.

I grew up in the Washington D.C. area, went to college in Montana and migrated west to settle in the Seattle area. I did not always know I wanted to build houses – but always gravitated toward entrepreneurial ventures and have had a passion for architecture and good design. I have been building homes for 15 years.

How did you decide to build prefab homes?

We decided to build prefab homes out of a desire to add innovation to how homes are built, sold and delivered and to attempt to streamline a process that can often not be very streamlined. 

A lot of people hear “prefab” and think “trailer.” That’s obviously not true of Method Homes beautiful houses. How long do you think it will take for prefab homes like yours to reach mainstream consumers?

The tide is turning. Homeowners are interested in smaller, smarter, more efficient homes. Means and methods of delivery are being reassessed. That said, it will still be a decade or more before offsite construction becomes more mainstream.

Prefab house by Method Homes

On our visit to your shop, we were struck by your unique approach to design and material pairing. How does that set you apart from other prefab companies?  

Method Homes is a privately-owned custom shop and not a traditional large-scale, automated modular factory. That means we can focus on quality, craftsmanship and detailing. We can build anything from large custom 10-module homes to affordable housing – and apply the same approach and values to both of them.

We’ve known you guys for while but Fort Peck is our first project together. What have you learned from this process? How can prefab help communities in need?  

For remote areas with short building seasons and limited labor, prefab can make a lot of sense. Our goal is to not only inspire the community and also to teach them trades and construction practices with the on-site completion of the homes. We value the collaborative process and have learned other approaches to some construction detailing from Make It Right’s construction and LEED teams.

How did meeting with the Fort Peck community influence your home design?

We came away with meeting with the meetings inspired to deliver homes that would be functional for the community. We added woodstoves at the community’s request and focused on single story design.

What is your favorite thing about Method Homes’ Fort Peck house?

The amount of natural light and windows in the correct locations. These affordable homes have more and higher quality windows than a standard market rate production home.

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More exciting Greenbuild news! We’re partnering with Hanley Wood, USGBC, LivingHomes and the Cradle to Cradle Institute to bring you the Greenbuild 2014 Show Home in the Expo Center this year.

The 2014 Greenbuild show home offers a look at the latest green building technologies and practices. True to Make It Right’s core principles, the home is also beautifully designed and affordable. The home showcases sustainable products from Benjamin Moore, Shaw Floors, Cosentino, Kohler and more.

Tour the Show Home in Person

During Greenbuild, you can tour the home in the Expo Center. Afterward, the home will be transported to our neighborhood in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward and sold to a family currently in our homeowner counseling program. Make It Right homes in New Orleans are available to former Lower 9th Ward residents, teachers, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians.

Make It Right strives to meet, exceed and set new standards for sustainable, affordable homes. To that end, this is our first home built to meet new LEED for Homes v4 Platinum certification. We will also be seeking certification under the ENERGY STAR Homes v3.0 program.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Show Home

If you’re not coming to Greenbuild, we’ll miss you! But you can still take a virtual tour of the home online. And stay tuned here for more exciting announcements about Make It Right at Greenbuild 2014!

Greenbuild LivingHome Virtual Tour Floorplan

Greenbuild LivingHome Virtual Tour Bedroom View

Show Home virtual tour product information

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The People’s Climate March proved what we already know: Climate change isn’t a green issue; it’s an everyone issue.

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I was there to support our design team and architectural partners as they unveiled the five new home designs for our project on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Read more about that here – but only after you read this!

After three days of viewing thousands of new designs, here’s my TOP 10 Dwell List!

#1 Clei Living Systems – If you find yourself short on square feet and need stylish furniture that can serve a dual purpose, these are your guys! From wall beds to sofa beds to wall system that hide tables, they are leading the way in “versatile and multifunctional furnishing solutions.” What attracted me was how easy the pieces are to use.

# 2 Haiku by Big Ass Fans – Do I have to count the ways? ENERGY STAR rated, FSC certified, comes in a variety of finishes. If all that wasn’t enough, this company brought the residential ceiling fan out of the 1970’s! Can we get a round of applause?

#3 Resysta – Folks, I have looked at A LOT of siding and deck material in my lifetime and this hit the spot! Pure innovation – no wood just rice husk, rock salt and mineral oils. You’ll never have to worry about termites or rot again! It is a bit more expensive that the conventional material – but it comes pre-finished and maintenance should be minimal. So it’s worth the investment!

# 4 Sandwichbikes – I don’t even bike and I want one! When your girlfriend asks you to justify this purchase, tell her that it’s an investment piece – heck, it’s art on wheels! It speaks to the best in us with its responsibly harvested wood and sweet, sweet lines!

#5 Paper Punk – This is for all of you out there raising “little beasties” that need to be entertained for hours on hours. Their flyers say “”good for the brain, super cool” – and I agree. It’s like the wood blocks we would play with as kids but better. They come is a variety of creatures and things but if you’re a purest like me you will probably get the UrbanFold. You can thank me later for getting the kiddos away from the TV!

#6 The Up Filer – Tired of having flat content just laying around your desk or floor but you refuse to buy those bulky hangers you find at the store that also sells meatballs (you know what I’m talking about). Up Lift gives you organization and style all in one, while making sure that files never go “missing” since regardless of the size all files remain visible.

# 7 Modern Urban Planters – Honestly, I would use these on every Make It Right project if I could. They are durable, affordable and – since they’re made out of metal – recyclable!

# 8 Eco-Made – I love this simple yet useful little idea. We’ve all been there: you’re trying to play a video or song on your iPhone / iPad but it’s not loud enough so you hold it up to your ear but still not loud enough. These guys have made a portable, recyclable, made-in-the-USA amplifier for you!

#9 Galanter & Jones Heated Furniture – Not sure why I like this as much as I do since I live in a state (Louisiana) that has only one season known as HOT. Maybe I caught the design bug? However, this should be very useful for those of you that live in states that have seasons.

#10 Hutte Hut Teardrop Caravan by Sprouting Sprocket Studio – This is the item I would buy if I was a wealthy bachelor that loved the great outdoors and wanted to rough it for a few days. While I do love the great outdoors, I work for a non-profit so getting one of these is going to take a while. Slick design, beautifully crafted piece of art!

And that’s my Top 10! Hope you’ve enjoyed it and found some design inspiration of your own.

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