prefab

Anthrazit House – Dwell Magazine Prefab Issue

dscott@ecosteel.com · December 7, 2016 ·

Anthrazit House featured in the latest issue of Dwell Magazine! In collaboration with architect Hector Magnus, EcoSteel provides an amazing home with strength and beauty through it’s all metal fire resistant structure. Make sure to pick up the December Dwell issue at your local book store.

Full Dwell Article Linked Here – https://www.dwell.com/article/from-the-ashes-e4a7a479

From The Ashes

– a few words from the article – Copyright Dwell

“After a wildfire, a prefab home in California puts resilience first.”

When the Tea Fire swept through parts of Santa Barbara and Montecito in the fall of 2008, more then 200 properties were destroyed. Some home owners cut their losses and moved on, but others vowed to rebuild. Combining a prefab steel super-structure with concrete walls and insulated metal panels, Anthrazit House in Santa Barbara was designed by architects Pamela and Hector Magnus and built in collaboration with EcoSteel.

“We were looking for ways to rebuild faster and to help a building take the brunt of the fire.” says Hector

So began a three-way collaboration between the owner, Architect Magnus, and Ecosteel to design build a 3,300 SF residence – dubbed Anthrazit House for it’s charcoal hue that could withstand future conflagrations while remaining energy efficient. The key lies in the materials: A foundation and walls made of concrete, a prefab recycled-steel frame, a standing seam insulated metal roof, and fire resistant insulated metal panels that envelope the exterior steel.

“The construction method is a little different then traditional wood frame” explains Hector. We spent more time in design because we wanted to see on paper what the final details would look like. The roof, for instance, is a super-thin plane, and we wanted to make sure it terminated correctly on the leading edge. And the exterior skin had to align properly with the windows.”

“That’s the beauty of prefab, you can minimize field work”

Connecting the steel to the foundation at just four anchor points paved the way for sweeping mountain and canyon views. “Steel allows us to do that” Hector says. Expansive windows on the second floor face a park, while a steel-and-glass stairway keeps things open. The house is laid out on three levels, with the main entrance leading to the top-floor kitchen which features concrete floors, quartz counters, a refrigerator and wall oven by Electrolux, and a stainless steel apron-front sink from Kraus. The ground-floor studio is built into the hillside, which helps keep indoor temperatures moderate.

Interested in custom building your own home with EcoSteel? Contact Us Here

More images of the Anthrazit Project below:

Prefabricated Steel Homes

dscott@ecosteel.com · July 3, 2016 ·

EcoSteel Prefabricated Steel Homes Process

There’s little question that prefab steel is the current direction of the future of building. Cost effectiveness, efficiency and speed of construction combined with new technologies allows for 100% custom buildings. All of these make steel a very powerful option whether you’re building your next home or starting a new development. (If you’re thinking of pursuing a commercial option, you can also build a prefab office building with EcoSteel.)

1: Prefabricated steel homes are a fantastic choice, and you can get the home you want with less time, money, and inconveniences. It is important to understand what this process includes though, so you do not have unrealistic expectations about prefabricated steel homes. A common misconception is that prefabricated steel homes only take a week or two, and another is that the home is delivered already assembled and no further labor is required. These homes are much faster to build, and normally cost significantly less, but they still require some time to manufacture, and do require final assembly on the building site. You will also still need permits, plans, and other paperwork requirements as well.

Paperwork, Design, And Engineering Steps

Once you have decided on prefabricated steel homes to meet your home needs, the first step is the design and engineering aspect of the home. You will need to have the architectural plans drawn up for the home, and this is the first step required for prefabricated steel homes usually. Once you have the plans drawn up you will need to decide on a quality company for the best possible eco prefab home. The next step is to virtually build the prefabricated steel homes using three dimensional modeling and engineering software. This will take between four and six weeks usually, and can prevent costly mistakes later on. You will also need all of the required permits, and you can arrange these while your prefabricated steel homes are going through the virtual build process.

Manufacturing

Once the virtual build is done, the prefabricated steel homes will be manufactured. There are many companies that can perform this step. EcoSteel prefab homes include panels for the walls and roof that are manufactured according to your specific home plans, and these panels are insulated and may include wiring and channels for other components to be installed, depending on the company you choose to do the manufacturing. Prefabricated steel homes are ordered as a kit, and should include all of the panels and framing materials that are needed to assemble the home on site. Doors and windows are not included in most basic kits, and these will usually need to be purchased as well. Homeowners considering home renovations may want to weigh the costs and benefits of new windows vs windows replacement to determine the best course of action.

Delivery And Assembly Of Your New Home

Once all the components of the prefabricated steel kits have been manufactured, the contents are delivered to your new home building site. You will need a subcontractor and a work crew to finish the assembly and building process, because the framing and the panels will need to be constructed or installed. The prefabricated steel homes kit does not arrive completely built, there are still a number of steps that need to be done before you will be ready to move in. Prefabricated steel homes do take some time, but you will save a lot of time and money while getting the home you want. EcoSteel is an industry leader in eco prefab homes that can help you through the entire process.

Click HERE To Start Your Prefabricated Steel Home Process

Featured Project: Miami Modern Prefab

dscott@ecosteel.com · May 11, 2016 ·

Miami Modern Prefab – The Tin Box: Pioneering the Future of Sustainable Architecture
Written By Kerissa Glentz

When EcoSteel client David Rifkind and his wife, Holly Zickler set out to build The Tin Box, they didn’t realize their project would become such a large public spectacle. This green design has since drawn the attention of neighbors and news channels alike; just one of many unintended consequences they have experienced by building their home from 100 percent recycled steel materials.

The couple and their design dream team had three major objections in mind; bring in social sustainability, ecological sustainability and mix it with top notch design quality. The result? A beautifully functional, economically manufactured home strong enough to withstand hurricanes, termites, mold, and any other growths typical of tropical living.

Let’s take a closer look at how EcoSteel helped produce this award winning residence:

Social sustainability: Located adjacent to public parks, The Tin Box serves to enrich the community by helping people see how simple energy conservation is, and how it can easily be achieved in normal day to day living. The house has also provoked local discussion about sustainable construction and site development strategies, in addition to providing an opportunity for building inspectors to study the successful use of steel technologies.

Ecological sustainability: The Tin Box was designed to use the least amount of energy and water possible. Not only during its construction period, but throughout the function of the home, an effort to “both reduce energy demand and replace fossil fuels.” Rifkind says. The home uses 100 percent recycled water gathered from steel rainwater cistern outside. The water is then run through three filters, a string filter, a UV lamp and a charcoal filter which purifies the water for indoor use.

Quality design: The home features a structural steel frame, with prefabricated panels which consume just one-seventh of the energy needed to fabricate a traditional home in the Miami area, making it ideal for solar and wind energy capability. With the durability of steel material from EcoSteel, also comes additional energy saving tactics-the strength of this unconventional frame keeps its stature safe from natural disasters and other harsh weather conditions.

From affordability to planted green roofing, this high-performance building is sure to have long lasting admiration. And with the goal of building a net-zero energy home, this couple get to reap the benefits of economic reward, as well as an abundance of personal gratification.

EcoSteel specializes in providing all-steel materials for economical and durable architectural development. We use 3D technology to bring our structural concepts to life, allowing our architect and builder counter parts to continue the design process by visually honing in on the specifications of each project. For more information about our steel material and collaborative efforts, please contact us at 555-5555.