Greg Lavardera's Modern House Plans + Bensonwood

All week we've been talking about factory house building in Sweden, and American timberframer and house manufacturer Bensonwood. The good news is that Bensonwood has begun to offer our house designs in their energy efficient building systems. The first house to be offered is the XHouse2.

We went through a detailed redesign of the XHouse2 with Bensonwood's engineering staff in preparation for this offering. The Bensonwood version of the house is subtly different on the outside. The front porch and rear deck framing is updated to be built with their timber-framing prowess. The wood cladding on the house reflects the products they have incorporated into their material stream. Internally the framing and details are completely revised to be built with factory made wall panels for a tight and energy efficient house. So although the design is clearly the same house, this is a unique edition you might say, only available through Bensonwood. Our house plan version remains designed for generic construction methods for the widest possible suitability. In fact its this generalized nature of my designs that allow them to be so readily adapted to Bensonwood's systems.

We're very excited to be able to offer our designs with such a high performance building system. Now you will find a new house plan group on our site for Bensonwood offerings, and the dedicated catalog page for the Bensonwood version of the XHouse2. From that catalog page you can click over to their site and land at their XHouse2 page.

Bensonwood will offer packages in different stages of completion from fully finished panels in their high performance Open-Built® format, to open framed panels only. This is a first step, although admittedly a small step, towards establishing a foothold for these new MMC/OSM manufacturing methods in the US. Look for us to expand the influence of these techniques in the future.

XHouse2 - New version breaks cover.

I have been working on renderings of this new XHouse2 version over the past few weeks, and I'm finally ready to show them. I'm not ready to reveal all the details of what this is about yet, but we can look at the images and at some of the differences.

The Construction Prints for the XHouse2 include three different cladding schemes. There is a simple fiber-cement scheme combining lap siding panels and board and batten panels. There is a plastic laminate panel option which features exposed flashing at the joints. And there is the rain-screen cladding option which is the appearance which was featured in the renderings of the house. The first thing you will notice about this new version of the XHouse2 is that it is not sporting any of those cladding schemes.

The cladding on this new XHouse2 scheme is a combination of ship-lapped horizontal panels, and flush vertical siding panels, all in solid wood. You will also notice that the steel framing from the original version is now replaced by timber post and beam framing. Similarly the cable railings are framed in wood rather than angle irons.

Lastly you'll notice that the foundation wall at the basement is now clad in corrugated metal which will be protecting an external insulation layer at the basement level, all designed for greater energy performance. Which will be key to this new version. Stay tuned, we are working to reveal this as fast as we can.

XHouse2 Construction Prints available starting Yesterday!

We are very happy to announce that the Construction Prints for the XHouse2 are complete, and available from the catalog page.

This is the first design from our summer '09 push to post new designs. It took a little longer than hoped to get the first Construction Print set posted, but that always seems to be the case. Next we are going to focus on the XHouse3, as we see its moderate size and compact footprint being appropriate for the times. Look for it in early 2010.

The XHouse2 at lamidesign.com/plans

XHouse Cladding Options

We've completed a drawing sheet showing a range of 3 cladding options for the XHouse series of designs. This will be included in each plan set for the XHouse collection.

Our Construction Prints have always described a range of siding materials in the Owner's Choice portion of the Material List. The idea here is to show a range of siding options, from simple to more complex which would be specific to the designs. They also range in cost from less to more expensive, but our plans have always been about an open ended design that allowed the home owner to tailor the build to their budget and taste.

The first option is for painted cement siding panels a combination of board & batten and lapped siding patterns. This is the default siding pattern that is shown on our Original Collection designs. The XHouse designs also lend themselves to this cladding option as they typically include two different siding patterns on the walls. This is an accessible option as there is nothing tricky or unfamiliar about the installation, and most contractors will be completely familiar with this.

The second option is for a combination of laminate siding panels and through tinted cement siding panels. In this case the laminate siding panels are shown in a wood grain pattern. There are many siding panels available with this appearance, some with a resin impregnated wood surface, and others with a printed plastic laminate face - think formica for the walls of your house. The installation is shown for 24" high panels with metal flashed horizonal joints. This is not an inexpensive material but is quite handsome. The cement siding in this case is a through tinted material that requires no paint. The installation is a grid of panels with joints backed by metal flashing - no battens. This includes the addition of a drainage layer behind the siding for superior performance.This very siding scheme was featured on the 0751 RS House, and you can see it in those illustrations.

The third option is a combination of open wood rain screen cladding and standing seam metal panels. The rain screen is a recently popular look on many modern houses, and this is in fact the cladding scheme we have been featuring in the illustrations of the Xhouse Series designs. There are a range of woods that can be used for the siding planks, but the key component of this system is the vapor permeable water barrier that provides the final weather barrier for the wall system. The metal cladding is used on smaller portions of the XHouse designs, but is an important part of the overall look of the houses.

Just a little bit more work to complete on the XHouse2 Construction Print set. Look for the official intro before Thanksgiving.

getting the show on the road - XHouse2

The XHouse2 is posted to the online catalog, and Design Prints are avaialble immediately. Construction Prints will be coming in the near future.

The XHouse2 at lamidesign.com/plans

inside the XHouse2

Fist image of interior view for the new XHouse2 design.

A similar treatment to the XHouse1 drawings, but rather than the organic textures I am using on the exterior views this time I am focusing on some funky retro patterns for the wall and ceiling.

Design Prints begun - XHouse2

Working through the exterior images now.

Yes, it is a similar look and feel to the XHouse1. At least the first couple of houses in the XHouse collection will have this look for the renderings, although the houses will vary. Later when I have a breather I can experiment with the rendering tools more and branch out. Right now I have to get better with the interiors. I was not satisfied with those on the XHouse1 and hope to do better this time.

In the ground - XHouse2

Its time to do that painting thing over the 3d image exports.

I have to see if I can recreate the same look I used on the XHouse1. Same look, smaller size. I've downsized the rendering's automobile aspirations too. No Audi this time. Its a Honda Fit, and a Chevy pickup in honor of GM's bankruptcy.

House model complete - XHouse2

I've finished the house model, and now its time to work on fitting it into a site model.

A section view - XHouse2

A cut through the stair at the center of the house shows how the levels are connected.

I think having spaces that you use day to day at the stair landing level makes the house feel larger, and also makes the floors feel more connected.

Look Mom, no porch posts - XHouse2

Making much progress on the schematic house model. The entire house is blocked out now, and we will be adding more detail next before we begin painting surfaces.

Porch posts are the last big piece here. We are still missing the big steel frame from the XHouse2's daddy the 3030 house, but we are trying to bring out a bit of finesse rather than the brute strength of its progenitor.

New Design Prints in production - XHouse2

The new house plan set based on the 3030 House design is now under production and we'll be updating the creation of the Design Prints moving forward right here in the blog.

Looking a bit like a wooden puzzle here, this is the interior spaces without the shell of the house exterior. Windows and doors are not punched through the walls yet.