This 523 square foot off-grid home designed by Palm Harbor Homes will be on dispplay, along with 4 other demonstration homes, at the International Builders’ Show 2010 starting January 19, 2010 in Las Vegas.
The Osprey
3 thoughts on “The Osprey”
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Very good flexible plan that wastes no space to circulation. However, it presents several energy contradictions. 1)the ratio of glass area to floor area appears to be nearly 1:1 which would cause tremendous over-heating in a tropical climate (as rendered) and wide diurnal temperature swings in a northern climate. 2) there is little opportunity for thermal mass. 3) there is no opportunity for an air-lock entry 4)The alternating shed roof form would make for attractive interior spaces but would complicate installation of any solar array or water collection and flashing details. And this is supposed to be LEED gold? Rich
Last week I visited Palm Harbor in Oregon to look at a 15 x 40 ft model with a shed roof. It looked interesting but the cabinet materials and shelving were some composite material that looked pretty cheap.
I did not get the name of the model but it is based on the Paradise floor plan. It cost about 4K more for the shed roof model (around 59K) vs. the pitch roof model. I’ve got to chuckle a bit because right up the road about 45 min. from there is an outfit that makes the “Idea box” a very similar looking manufactured home but (and a big but) the quality finish in the Ideabox is far superior to the Palm Harbor. Bambo flooring, maple trim and maple cabinets, low VOC paint, U-0.33 energy star windows and more. It comes in at around 75K. You might want to google Idea Box
Rich 2
The solar array (not standard, but on the show model) is integrated thin film solar, right in the metal roof.
I thought the same about too much glass, especially on three sides of the living room, but manufacturers usually allow you to opt out of windows wherever you want. I think they put lots of glass in the show model so people think “Oh, this seems bigger than it is.”
In terms of having active solar on the roof, it seems to be the roof would be a bad orientation assuming the side with all the windows would be on the south side for colder climates anyway.
Although I usually like the simplicity of a shed roof, like Ideabox or Cavco “Freedom,” I liked this style the instant I saw the photo and think it is great that it has better insulation, R24-29-49 and good windows.
From my reading several sites on this home, I gather that it is made by a Palm Harbor subsidiary, Nationwide Custom Homes, and from the photos they show of their modular homes, they look very good quality. Never can tell, until you see it.