Inhabitat Staging » iT HOUSE

November 28, 2005

iT HOUSE

by NK

“Can you see yourself in an iT house?”

Linda Taalman, Alan Koch, and the iT house designers ask this question, examining what potential homeowners desire in a machine for living.

Utilizing an aluminum frame structure manufactured by Bosch, the all glass house is constructed within an 8 week timeframe - from pouring the “Smart Slab” to appliance installation. Thoroughly designed to be an intelligent dwelling, radiant heat flooring and rooftop solar panels are incorporated within the rapid-build construction system. At a mere 1,000 sq-ft, the units offer separate public and private wings, as well as exterior courtyard space.

Where the iT house varies from many other prefab housing systems is that it is made to be customized. Integral to the design is the ?outFiT,? a 3M skin applied to the Fleetwood Glass Enclosure available in several patterns and colors. Like a kit of parts, the iT house can be accessorized with items ordered specifically for individual living tastes. Softwall moveable walls, Fireorb suspended fireplaces, Bulthaup kitchen accessories, and designer furniture are some of the many available add-ons.

The iT house is for those who want high design and modernized living out of a prefabricated home. Can everyone live in a glass house? Probably not. Other than obvious privacy issues, the insulative properties of this little jewel box might be something to consider when evaluating your future home site. However, TallmanKoch has created a modern glass box that is accessible to all, accommodating to many, and ready to build. Prefab has a long way to go before it is mass-marketable, however the iT house proves that it can be done, that it can look good, and at as little as $175 per sq-ft, can be an affordable alternative for the right homeowner. Eat your heart out, Mies.

(Thanks Angie!)

+ iT house

6 Responses to “iT HOUSE”

angie m Says:

November 28th, 2005 at 6:06 pm

wow! thanks for posting …

you’re welcome.

i love this house… from top to bottom and side to side.

it will be perfect when they can offer self-cleaning glass.

Andrew K. Says:

November 29th, 2005 at 6:37 pm

Self-cleaning glass, that’s a great point.
When you mentioned insulation properties, I immediately thought of my situation, out here in the desert. Shade it and you’re at least halfway there. They really need to invent a hinged awning that folds up above the roof during the winter to help with solar uptake and down during the heat of the summer days. This would also help with the whole glass house problem of privacy. It would be a bit of a challenge to do it so that it doesn’t look like a butt and doesn’t interfere with the solar panels…

angie m Says:

November 30th, 2005 at 7:48 pm

andrew,

for shade … you might want to check out the site: things then outdoor things… shade curtain and canopy.

privacy….
“Insulated aluminum-skinned panels are also available for areas that you would prefer to be opaque.”

http://www.tkithouse.com/

Inhabitat » Blog Archive » NONDESIGNS TOPO TABLE Says:

June 1st, 2006 at 3:15 pm

[…] The NONdesigns booth was one of the last we visited at ICFF, and were we ever glad we didn’t miss it! They shared the booth with PadLab, another fabulously innovative group of southern California-based designers. There will be more from NON later today, and if you want to see some of their larger-scale work, check out our old post about the TKiT House. NON is responsible for the super cool visual identity of this art-adorned prefab dwelling. […]

Inhabitat » Blog Archive » PREFAB FRIDAY: iT House almost complete Says:

August 25th, 2006 at 1:38 pm

[…] The reality of prefab versus its promise has been a hot topic as of late. Last year, we wrote about the iT House when it was just a bit more than a glimmer in Taalman Koch Architecture’s eye. Today, not one, but two of their sleek glass dreams are set to shine on actual sites. In anticipation of their talk at this year’s Dwell on Design Conference, we thought we would catch up with them and find out how their best laid plans were coming to fruition. […]

Inhabitat » Blog Archive » PREFAB FRIDAY: TKiT House almost complete Says:

August 25th, 2006 at 3:53 pm

[…] The reality of prefab versus its promise has been a hot topic as of late. Last year, we wrote about the high-tech, interactive iT House when it was just a bit more than a glimmer in Taalman Koch Architecture’s eye. To refresh your memory, the TK iT House is an ambitiously “smart” prefab house that comes with a whole host of high-tech amenities such as radiant heat flooring, photovoltaic roof, and custom-designed vinyl panels to screen your glass walls. In short: its a high-tech prefab dream. Today, not one, but two of their sleek glass houses are set to shine on actual sites. In anticipation of their talk at this year’s Dwell on Design Conference, we thought we would catch up with them and find out how their best laid plans were coming to fruition. […]

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