From Dan Hisel's blog, Temptation by Space:

THE PANEL HOUSE IS DESIGNED AROUND THE CONCEPT OF A MODULAR, VARIABLE SKIN THAT OFFERS THE CLIENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO "TUNE" THEIR HOME TO SUIT THE NATURE OF THEIR SITE.

A DOZEN OR SO PANELS (PERHAPS LESS?) RANGING FROM INSULATED, TO TRANSLUCENT, CLEAR GLASS, LOUVERED, AND VARIATIONS OF THE ABOVE, ALLOW THE CLIENT TO COMPOSE A FACADE THAT RESPONDS DIRECTLY TO EVERY UNIQUE SITE CONDITION. GREAT VIEW? ALL GLASS. NOSEY NEIGHBORS? SOLID PANELS. WESTERN LIGHT CAUSING GLARE? LOUVERED PANELS. UGLY STUFF TO THE SOUTH BUT STILL NEED THE LIGHT? TRANSLUCENT PANELS.

We love the way Panel House can be customized almost efforlessly to meet changing site needs. What would your panel configuration look like?

IMAGE VIA ACSA

This past weekend four Hometta studios were recognized for their exemplary work at the 98th Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) annual meeting, which took place at Tulane University in New Orleans.

The award-winning professors inspire and challenge students, contribute to the profession's knowledge base, and extend their work beyond the borders of academia into practice and the public sector.

Herewith, our award-winning studios:

M O E
Kiel Moe, Northeastern U
ACSA/AIAS New Faculty Teaching Award, Faculty Design Honorable Mentions / Presenter

Borden Partnership
Gail Peter Borden, U of Southern California
ACSA Faculty Design Award

Alterstudio
Kevin Alter & Ernesto Cragnolino, U of Texas at Austin
ACSA Faculty Design Award

Min | Day
Jeffrey L. Day & E.B. Min, U of Nebraska-Lincoln & California College of the Arts
ACSA Faculty Design Award

This recognition reinforces Hometta's commitment to seeking out studios who provide a larger cross-section of the population with quality design.

To learn more about the awards, visit the ASCA website.

The Shot-trot

We were especially honored to receive this award as the Heights is one of Houston's most significant historical neighborhoods, with numerous Victorian homes and bungalows that have literally stood the test of time. Under the stewardship of their owners, they are still beautiful and functional after 50-100 years or more on earth.

The fact that the judges deemed our modern bungalow an asset to such a revered traditional neighborhood supports our belief that Hometta homes can enhance any neighborhood, be it traditional or modern, urban or suburban.

Where do you want to build your Hometta house? Let us know, and we'll help you choose the right plan.

The Shot-trot is one of Hometta's most celebrated—and affordable—home plans. Check it out. Watch our podcast interview with Brett Zamore here.

"The 11 new studios that have joined the Hometta cause of advancing affordable, contemporary, and efficient residential design represent a broad range of proven talent and purposeful, thoughtful construction. I am most excited to know that what began as an effort from the new American city, Houston, has spread to traditional centers of the nation: from the industry of Wisconsin to the vernacular of the Carolinas, from the intellects of New York to the fashion currents of the California-Austin axis, our product is just what is called for in this new time of restraint and reinvention. And by the way, it's sure to end NIMBY syndrome where ever the foundation rises!"

So without further ado, we welcome: 

Alterstudio Austin, TX

City Desk Studio Minneapolis, MN

CUBE Boston, MA

Dan Hisel Architect Somerville, MA

Johnsen Schmaling Architects Milwaukee, WI

LTL Architects New York, NY

nARCHITECTS Brooklyn, NY

nottoscale San Francisco, CA

THinc Los Angeles, CA

Vernacular Studio Raleigh, NC

Vincent Snyder Architect Austin, TX

Meet the Nelsons by Wes JonesWe didn't get the news in time to alert you when Wes Jones, of Jones, Partners: Architecture spoke at SCI-Arc last week, but it's not too late for you to pick up a copy of his new book. Meet the Nelsons is based on his "notorious" mid-'90s comic strip, The Nelsons, which according to SCI-Arc "addresses themes ranging from the legacy of the machine aesthetic to the challenges of virtuality to key disciplinary personalities such as Buckminster Fuller and Manfredo Tafuri."

Now that's a book talk we wish we'd heard.

It's not too late, however, to make a date to see Hometta core architect Blair Satterfield, along with his partner Marc Swackhamer, on Feb. 25th at the fabulous Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The "Hou" in HouMinn devoutly wishes we could attend…

Drift House by HouMinn Practice

And mark your calendars for later this spring when David Erdman of Hometta's davidclovers presents on his groundbreaking Lunar House at SCI-Arc, in advance of a show that will feature finished panels from the house. Hometta visited the davidclovers workshop in Venice, California, last year, just before they decamped to Hong Kong (via a stint in Rome). The resulting podcast is here.

Lunar House by davidclovers

Rubix House, designed by Jones, Partners: ArchitectureAnd the future is coming on fast, as more homebuyers seek out quality, affordable, sustainable houses with smaller footprints. Houses that can be built in urban environments, but work equally well in suburban neighborhoods in need of rejuvenation. It's no accident that several of our studios provided renderings of their houses amidst traditional builder fare. If these neighborhoods are to be improved rather than abandoned, lots should be infilled with houses designed with sustainability and human scale in mind.

Food and Water House, designed by Studio TerpelukIn his lamentation in The Times, writer Timothy Egan describes "insta-neighborhoods that sprouted in what had been some of the world’s most productive farmland," now reduced to foreclosed homes and empty lots. This is where we think Hometta comes in. Food and Water House, for instance, with its multiple courtyards intended for small-plot farming, is one way to repurpose the slumburbia of the U.S. (Watch Food and Water House designer Brett Terpeluk discuss Food and Water house here.)

Food and Water House, designed by Studio TerpelukDesigned in top-quality studios all over the world, Hometta houses are all built by local builders and artisans in the neighborhoods they will be part of, stimulating local economies while beautifying the built environment and providing architectural solutions to modern housing problems. And that, we believe, benefits everybody.

Want to be part of the suburbia solution? Visit Hometta.com and choose your favorite plan. Unsure of where to start, or which house is best for you? We can help. Email info@hometta.com with questions.

Houston/Minneapolis based HouMinn Practice have been justly and widely recognized for their innovative approach to single-family housing. Recipients of Architect Magazine’s 2008 R + D Award, Hometta partner Blair Satterfield along with Marc Swackhamer are not only technological wizards, but they’re also--to coin a phrase--human, considering the demands of clients' modern lifestyles in their designs. 

Gingerbread no more, Draft House can now be yours. Build your own to enjoy its user-friendliness, revel in its technical sophistication, or, better yet, both. 

Read our feature on HouMinn here.