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As is true in the auto market, not everyone appreciates green. Gary Lapera, who with Graves designed Lindal's more traditional homes, says the public may eschew the stark boxiness of some of the new houses. "They tend to lack what we call domesticity"--a feeling of warmth and home, he says. Even Kalkin, who has already sold a dozen of his shipping-container homes, admits they are not for everyone. "They have a low price hurdle, but they have a very high sophistication hurdle," says Kalkin. "It's hard to imagine them being welcomed with open arms on Main Street U.S.A." Some municipalities still turn up their noses at them, even though only manufactured homes are subject to restrictive zoning laws.
Prefab owners still spend the same amount of money for site development as do owners of custom-built houses. Sometimes prefab homes come prewired and carpeted. But more often, buyers work with a local builder who lays the foundation and installs the plumbing and electrical systems. And while prefabs are cheaper than most custom builts, they generally don't carry the bargain-basement price tags of builders such as Hovnanian Enterprises and Pulte Homes. "You're not going to see these things rolling out like typical subdivisions because even though they're priced less than custom homes from big-name architects, they're still relatively expensive," says J. Robert Hillier, an architect in Princeton, N.J.
The appeal of designer prefab may be strengthened by its surprising durability. Whereas conventional homes are built by nailing or screwing drywall to studs, the new prefabs use both screws and adhesives, making them sturdier, says Bevier. "They're built to withstand the rigors of being trucked down the road and lowered into place with a crane," he says.
Unlike older prefabs, even the smallest of the new designer models are often highly customizable. Steven Quinones-Colon of Crockett, Calif., added a darkroom and a printmaking studio for himself and a Jacuzzi for his 11-year-old daughter to his Glidehouse. "It's small, but it's designed for the way we live," he says. Graves' two Lindal models offer buyers the choice of several exterior trims and room additions. "Our kit-of-parts approach allows people to make lifestyle choices as well as choices of colors, materials and details," says Graves.
And as these designer prefabs become more popular, the increase in volume could help drive down prices. Kaufmann and her husband Kevin Cullen, a builder, say that day has already arrived, at least on their block. Before Kaufmann began mass-producing her Glidehouse, she and Cullen constructed a custom-designed prototype for use as their residence. The price: well above $500,000, not including land. Recently a neighbor purchased a kit version of the house and built the identical home just across the street--for close to half the price. Says Kaufmann: "Every day we look out the window and think about what a great deal they got. We're still trying to get over it."