Watch the Affordable "Pop-Up House" Spring Up in California

New Web series shows the cutting edge of sustainable design. Also see green modular homes.

October 29, 2009 at 4:18PM by Brian Clark Howard | comment

With a name like Pop-Up House, we were envisioning some kind of 3D greeting card. But it turns out that House Port's design for an affordable home is a "cost–effective, energy-efficient package that can be finished and upgraded to one’s personal taste, on any budget, large or small."

The Pop-Up House ships flat–packed, ready–to–assemble, which means substantial savings on labor, shipping costs and waste. It comes with parts and written and DVD instructions, and is user-friendly enough so anyone with building experience should be able to put it together. Naturally, the owner is responsible for preparing the site and the foundation, and finishing fixtures are also not included (plumbing, lighting, etc).

The core of the Pop–Up House consists of prefabricated SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), which are designed to deflect heat. The space between the roofs of the Cubes and the House Port allows for air circulation for natural cooling. The price for a Double Cube Pop-Up House and port is $160,000, not including any labor, fixtures and sliding doors.

Get a visual tour of the Pop-Up House in a new eight-part web series, following Hally Thacher’s five-week adventure in developing the first Pop-Up House in Northern California. She creates a beautiful home in the desert for a budget of $250,000 from start to finish.

Here's the first webisode (I don't care for the term "webisode" btw):