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On Thursday, May 21, 2012, Method Homes, Habitat for Humanity, The Miller Hull Partnership, and the Seattle Center Foundation Next 50 joined to set the wet core modules for The House of the Immediate Future, a project utilizing established but forward-looking sustainable building systems and construction techniques such as Net-Zero energy, rainwater harvesting, reclaimed materials, and prefabricated elements–all of which can be universally applied in affordable housing construction. In 1962, Seattle's World's Fair showcased numerous 'houses of the future,' which were envisioned based on a world with unlimited resources and space-age technologies. Flash forward fifty years to The House of the Immediate Future, which offers a more sober response to the future of housing construction as we better understand the reality of limited resources and the need for more efficient, affordable and sustainable home design. Specific to Habitat for Humanity's needs and unique building model, sustainable design supports affordable post-construction home-ownership, while incorporating pre-fabricated elements that strengthen the Habitat model of community building through a volunteer (and generally unskilled) labor force. The wet cores, which were installed prior to enclosures of walls and roofing, are recognized as a key component of the building project. Wet core elements built by Method Homes include a mechanical room, kitchen, and bathrooms aligned in a two-story block. Skilled electrical and plumbing labor conventionally impacts the cost and schedule of building projects. When these core components are manufactured off-site, professional labor can be concentrated and performed more efficiently. “We chose to collaborate on this project to help educate the public about the benefits associated with prefab building,” says Brian Abramson, Co-Founder of Method Homes. “The House of the Immediate Future is intended to challenge assumptions and raise expectations of what sustainable prefab building can accomplish.” While the wet cores were constructed in the Method Homes Ferndale factory, Habitat for Humanity has been building panels for the exterior wall system with their massive volunteer labor force. The House of the Immediate Future will remain on view at the Seattle Center Next Fifty Pavilion throughout the summer, and in October, will be disassembled and moved to its permanent location in the New Rainier Vista neighborhood, south of Seattle.
