When the Wicked Witch of the East had a house fall on her, could anyone recall
the color of the house or what it looked like? If you’re still thinking, then
you have your answer. Obviously not central to the story, the house was not a
memorable one. But for those residing outside the movies, color and design are
everything. Especially for people seeking a unique living experience.
Alan Koch of Taalman Koch Architecture has found a way to create that living experience with prefabricated “iT” homes, whose structural frame is built with extruded aluminum framing from Bosch Rexroth Corp., Hoffman Estates, Ill. The iT house and iT Kit are certainly Taalman Koch Architecture’s signature pieces-creating a completely unique approach to modular housing: a prefab kit with the opportunity for extreme personalization.
A Groundbreaking Innovation
Taalman Koch Architecture was founded in 2003 by Koch and Linda Taalman in Los Angeles, but the duo’s collaborations originated in New York City in 1997. Since moving west, they have completed a range of architectural projects, including several residences; a contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles; and a master plan in collaboration with Tom Leader Studio for an archeological park in Castellemarre, Italy. The development of the iT house is just another groundbreaking innovation for the fi rm.
Made entirely with glass and an aluminum structure, the house is for clientele interested in seeking unique lifestyle experiences. The structural frame’s lightweight and easy-to-assemble components create clean lines and a sleek exterior design.
Currently, two models are offered: a 1,100- or 1,600-square-foot
(102- or 149-m2) house. Other sizes can be customized but require a whole new series of designs. The iT houses under construction now are being built with Rexroth extruded aluminum profiles with two main shapes: A 3 1/2- by 3 1/2-inch (90- by 90-mm) profile cross section and a 3 1/2- by 7- inch (90- by 180-mm) profile. When a house is ordered and the aluminum is needed, a cut list is sent to the nearest Bosch Rexroth distributor, which then cuts the columns and beams to the proper length.
“The challenge was to produce a new kind of prefab house that would provide an exceptional product at a relatively average price through smart erection strategies, reduction of on-site waste, and the elimination of heavy equipment and/or specialized trades,” Koch explained.
One of the main exceptional features of the house is the use of Bosch Rexroth’s structural extrusions because they are not typically used to build houses. Rather, until now, the components have been used most frequently in manufacturing operations to build machine bases, factory workstations, and machine and perimeter guarding. Initial architectural projects have been mostly partitioned office and factory spaces (including cleanrooms) using Rexroth’s special wall and ceiling components. But the key ingredient in the products’ factory success also appealed to Taalman Koch Architecture: Assembly is easy because of the aluminum framing system’s bolt-together construction. No special tools or skills are needed, and assembly time is significantly reduced when compared to steel (or wood) structures.
As a result, aluminum structural framing can now add real estate to its list of applications. Advantages include the aforementioned speed and ease of construction with factory pre-cut and pre-drilled parts; lightweight components that require as few as two people to erect a structure; an attractive, high-tech look that won’t rust; and a special factory-finish so that once installed, further trades are not needed to complete the work. “All of these elements combined make building the house quicker and less expensive,” Koch said. “The parts are extremely high quality, thus making the final product a high quality home.”
The Prefab Idea
The idea to build a prefab home from aluminum framing came when Taalman Koch Architecture built an architectural folly/sculpture for the Basel Art Fair in Switzerland. The firm invited conceptual artist Chris Burden to co-design a house with them. Burden discovered a loophole in the Los Angeles building code that would allow him to erect a “house” less than 40-feet (12-m) tall and 400 square feet (37 m2) without a building permit. The result was a building dubbed “Small Skyscraper.”
Koch said of the skyscraper’s construction: “While in Basel, it took a crew of four just two and a half days to build the four-story Small Skyscraper. We realized from this experience that it would be a perfect solution for an actual house, and it lent itself most logically to a prefab house.”
For the team members to construct the building themselves, online research led them to Bosch Rexroth’s structural framing as the framing system with the best components for their project. Bosch Rexroth was a natural selection because of its global presence; animportant factor for Taalman Koch Architecture because the architects are interested in the distribution network as an alternative to centralized shipping.
Customers can have quick access to the product and have assistance with the application, design and building right on-site. Also important was “the fact that we were building a scale model of the Small Skyscraper prior to the real one and Bosch Rexroth has a 20-mm [0.8-inch] component that we could use to make a 20:90 scale model,” Koch added.
The iT Kit
Once a client decides to build a structural prefab house, there are many steps in the process prior to construction. Along with purchasing land, having the site surveyed, building the foundation, installing in-ground plumbing and electric, and installing a radiant system comes the iT Kit. The iT Kit is comprised of Bosch Rexroth structural framing, epic steel decking for the roof, Flat-Pak cabinets, storefront/glazing for glass walls, the graphic outfit (a vinyl decal), and appliances and equipment. Once the Kit is complete, there is the final electric and plumbing.
Another unique feature to the house is the glasswork. In the instances of privacy or sun versus shade preferences, 3M graphic film offers an array of choices from opaque to translucent glass to graphic designs with colors and patterns (from 3M, St. Paul, Minn.). All are laser-cut directly onto the glass from a computer- controlled pattern. “The glass changes the personality of the house, depending on what you want outfitting it,” Koch said.
Originally started in late 2003, Taalman Koch Architecture completed four houses located throughout southern California in 2007. The project is continuous though as more iT houses are ordered and constructed.
The feedback has been very positive. “It has been very popular. Thousands have been following the construction progress, and about 100 people have inquired about buying their own framed glass house. We are building a model in the desert that will act as both a laboratory for new developments and as a space for people to rent and see if the lifestyle is for them,” Koch explained.
Prefabricated housing is becoming quite the rage, and according to Koch: “The consumer can buy a house much more like buying a product-what you see is what you get. Otherwise, working with an architect is entering into an open-ended design process where no one really knows what the end result will be like. Although this is a very interesting way to make buildings, it isn’t for everyone. That is where prefab comes into the picture. Clients will also save on the design fees, normally 15 to 20 percent the cost of construction, in buying something that is pre-designed.”
The option of a structural glass house further allows people to make more progressive design decisions in what they choose to live in. Speed of construction is also a huge perk. The fact that a house can be set up in a matter of days is ideal. It’s amazing that a house of this caliber wasn’t thought up long ago.
The Next Step
As for the direction of Taalman Koch Architecture and its new design, Europe is the next stop. Koch’s goal is to build small garden communities (around five to 10 iT houses) with developer partners. A central interest is having small communities share amenities such as a solar farm for shared electrical generation.
“Controlling the entire layout of a community can help us establish ideal settings for each home, which is especially important considering these are glass houses,” Koch said. “Also, since Bosch Rexroth is a global company and their main components comprise the houses’ structure, this should be a great, long-lasting partnership.”
Kevin Gingerich is director of marketing services for Bosch Rexroth Corp., Linear Motion and Assembly Division, located in Charlotte, N.C.
