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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.

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More images of the Anthrazit Project below:

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 which allow for 100% custom buildings all make steel a very powerful option whether you’re building your next home or starting a new development. But there are a few things to consider before starting your prefab steel project. Here are the top five…

1: Go Green! – How concerned are you with sustainability or green building? Will you be seeking LEED certification on your project, or applying for sustainable tax credits? If so, steel is probably your best option. Prefab steel is one of the most renewable resources on earth, and all prefab steel is currently 75-85% recycled content, and rising.

2: Superior Insulation – What type of environment is your project in? A steel prefab building with EcoSteel’s insulated panels achieve the highest insulation values available anywhere, with no thermal gaps or bridging prevalent in all lumber buildings. What does this mean? Lower power bills forever, green credits, and a more comfortable building to start!

3: Ultimate Durability – The average lumber home requires 3-4 acres of timber to build. It is susceptible to fire, termites and other insects, and its integrity will be quickly diminished by extreme temperatures and marine or humid environments. The average steel home on the other hand will require 3-5 junked cars, and is infinitely more resilient to these common issues. In addition, steel is much more durable during earthquakes, floods, fires, and other disasters that would normally destroy a stick build. Insurance companies know this, and your rates will permanently reflect it!

4: Design Flexibility – What kind of design do you envision for your project? Prefab steel affords the highest level of design flexibility in the world. From cantilevers to clear-spans giving you wide open spaces. Steel prefab allows possibilities that would be impossible to achieve with any other material. And this doesn’t mean you have to end up sacrificing the aesthetics you want. With modern prefab steel the design opportunities are truly endless. From classic to modern, it can be accomplished with steel!

5: Construction Speed – Finally, where do you want to build, and how quickly? Bolted and screwed prefab steel buildings go up faster than any other traditional building method. They can be accomplished in some of the most unforgiving, smallest or most remote building locations in the world. Imagine having your new building up in a matter of weeks, not months. With prefab steel, it’s a reality.