Net-zero Unity home is a solar-powered prefab that pops up in just 3 days
What do you get when you mix prefabrication technology, with extreme efficiency, and a style worth garnering second looks? A Unity home. Yes, it’s a pre-fab, but it pops up in 3 days, is 93% efficient—with state-of-the-art insulation and triple-glazed windows—and is solar-powered for crying out loud! Heck, it’s even built to meet LEED v4 Platinum and net zero-energy standards, with additional cradle-to-cradle (C2C) components. Perhaps the only downside, especially within the “keep it frugal” group, is that it currently sits in the $240K-ish price range. Considering many homes come in at or around that price, this may be a deal when you consider the lifetime perks of solar power and energy.
f you aren’t yet sold on factory-built housing, the gorgeous prefab Unity home may have what it takes to change your mind. Unveiled as this year’s Greenbuild demonstration project, this beautiful net-zero home can pop up in less than three days, but is designed to last centuries. Most impressively, the Unity home is a beacon for sustainable design: the prefab dwelling is built to LEED v4 Platinum and net zero-energy standards and is outfitted with the largest collection of Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified building products ever used in a residential project.
Constructed by Unity Homes in collaboration with BUILDER magazine and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, the 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home was fully constructed at Unity’s New Hampshire-based factory over the course of five weeks and assembled on the Expo floor in just three days. The 1,620-square-foot net-zero-ready house is based off of Unity’s contemporary Zūm model and comprises a system of prefab pods and panels including sheathing, wiring, insulation, and finishes. Building a pathway to affordable homes is key to the Unity Home design. The house is currently priced to about $150 per square foot and could drop below $140 .
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