tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post7931782842320786814..comments2024-03-03T15:23:35.934-05:00Comments on Modern House Plans by Gregory La Vardera Architect: PreFab is Dead - the staggering FAIL of US Housinglavarderahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07241073948874188058noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-28603441341785602052010-11-29T12:38:03.516-05:002010-11-29T12:38:03.516-05:00Yes, Agave is a development dedicated to modern ho...Yes, Agave is a development dedicated to modern houses. I greatly appreciate efforts like this because their success is evidence that there is demand for modern homes and that builders should be offering them. While Agave is not alone, this and others like them are certainly the exception to the housing industry at large.<br /><br />So while I am grateful for their existence, it is no substitute for wanting a world where you can have a modern home anyplace where houses are being built. On the face of it that sounds like an outrageous expectation, but its not. The one thing we can take away from the Swedish housing industry is that it is entirely possible for the entire spectrum of housing producers to have modern houses among the range of designs they offer, and for that to be a profitable strategy. It is not outrageous at all, and I will never retreat from that expectation.lavarderahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07241073948874188058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-88612111851427851102010-11-29T12:12:38.192-05:002010-11-29T12:12:38.192-05:00Hey Greg,
been looking for this link for a while....Hey Greg,<br /><br />been looking for this link for a while...<br /><br />For those in Austin,<br />this might be right up their alley.<br />http://agaveaustin.com/index.phpRobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755641385168532842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-81958920549374206112010-11-27T12:15:58.835-05:002010-11-27T12:15:58.835-05:00There is not much the consumer can do, so don'...There is not much the consumer can do, so don't beat yourself up. But note that the little you can do is very important. <br /><br />Its unrealistic for all of us who want change to expect every modern house fan to over-spend to get a modern house. We can't expect you to go out and hire an architect, or even suffer through a custom build process with a set of modern house plans. I'm grateful that some do it, but its a difficult process at best and not everybody can do it.<br /><br />So what can you do? <br /><br />Number one is wear your preference on your sleeve. Print out images of your favorite houses and pin them up in your workstation, magnet them to your frig, post links in your blog, engage your friends and coworkers about your preferences - let it be know you want a modern house and the industry does not deliver.<br /><br />If you end up buying a house through the typical channels, then make sure your builder/developer hears it from you - I'm buying this but this is the type of house I'd really like to have. Give them images, send them links, explain to them why they should offer more than traditional. If the agree to work with you to modernize one of their standard houses, then bust their balls about why it should cost more than any other house.<br /><br />Live your preference, get it out of the closet. That is all you can do, and perhaps the most important thing that anybody can do.<br /><br />For my part - I will continue to offer modern house plans. I wish I could offer them cheaper, but I need to offer them at a price that allows me to create them. <br /><br />I will continue to pursue the creation of a true swedish like business model for building houses here in the US. It will never happen over night, if it happens at all, but I believe in it, I believe that superior tech in building houses ultimately pays off in greater design opportunity = opportunity for modern houses. Don't hold your breath, but continue watching as we fight to realize this here.lavarderahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07241073948874188058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-88480047519370670572010-11-26T18:10:46.604-05:002010-11-26T18:10:46.604-05:00But what do WE do? WE, as the customer, do have th...But what do WE do? WE, as the customer, do have the final say with our dollars, but only in withholding them as a sale. We can't force the investment of new building processes or the change of building codes. Hell, just enforcing the codes we already HAVE would be a refreshing change!<br /><br />Yeah, I'm coming off as a Debbie Downer but, while I think the the Swedish model looks absolutely brilliant and would love to participate, there's no choice or access for me to do so on this side of the pond. Aside for custom build, with its attendent higher costs, there doesn't seem to be much movement to optimise systems into this general direction.<br /><br />Would it be a good idea? Of course. It looks to me like an obviousity. Do I have a factory implement it? No. Can I force someone to do it for me? Can't see it. Can we insist on it in our building codes? I don't see how. Even now, the R2000 house is unusual let alone some of those innovations like the foundation system.<br /><br />Damn. I've now depressed myself. :( There's got to be an answer. It's tiring to keep inventing the wheel when you want something done right.Dimwitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-17650006202774940092010-11-24T15:24:40.254-05:002010-11-24T15:24:40.254-05:00Be glad to chat about it - email me, its off topic...Be glad to chat about it - email me, its off topic for my blog.lavarderahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07241073948874188058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-2106974633174966362010-11-24T15:13:45.988-05:002010-11-24T15:13:45.988-05:00what do you use for your CD's? ever looked int...what do you use for your CD's? ever looked into ArchiCAD?Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755641385168532842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-31487412260427155172010-11-23T12:00:26.921-05:002010-11-23T12:00:26.921-05:00Its a strategy that serves everybody but the custo...Its a strategy that serves everybody but the customer. Its good for builders if all they have to build is the same house as everybody else - less risk of building something unpopular. Its good for the realtors if every house is the same - makes sales easier if no house is any different from another. Its good for banks and lenders if all houses are the same - keeps things as liquid as possible. But its lousy for the customer, especially if your taste leans to something modern. The industry does not have the customer's concerns as their first priority.<br /><br />Revit, no. I lump Autodesk in with Microsoft - a company I prefer not to do business with. I'm not dependent on Sketchup, rather enabled I'd say.lavarderahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07241073948874188058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38363189.post-34846494402198279442010-11-23T11:25:36.528-05:002010-11-23T11:25:36.528-05:00the proof is in the pudding as they say, living in...the proof is in the pudding as they say, living in Vegas, EVERYTHING looks the same. Beige on beige with a hint of beige or brown. Stucco here, stucco there, a little more stucco and it's a "house". It's more like solidified puke. <br /><br />Now, with that said, the builders that still have work are the ones that do custom work, cause they actually know what their doing. All the others, they're out of work, cause building a standard house that every tom-dick-and-harry in this city owns could be built by a chimp. And yes, the quality is similar to something a chimp would build. <br /><br /><br />Frustrating is an understatment. Madening is putting it mildly.<br /><br />btw Greg, i'm surprised you're not using Revit and so dependent on Sketchup.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755641385168532842noreply@blogger.com