Smart & Stylish Modular Housing. The House Arc By Bellamo Architects.

The House Arc is a modular off-the-grid housing solution where the pieces are shipped (ideally, fabricated locally) to the site and erected by the user or community. The future goal of the House Arc is to house people in devastated areas after catastrophic events and replace housing that was not built to withstand such forces.





The House Arc could be utilized in locations where natural disasters have displaced people, such as Haiti and New Orleans. Hopefully, organizations dedicated to finding the most affordable off-the-grid modular housing solutions will consider the House Arc.



The first House Arc was permanently installed on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2010 (a time lapse video of that construction can be seen at the end of this post.) Large windows provide natural light, maintain views, and funnel in ocean breezes to cool the interior while the shading trellis limits heat infiltration.





The raised structure allows air to flow underneath for cooling, functions with the site terrain, and maintains the permeability of the site.




The House Arc’s simple and modular design allows it to be assembled extremely quickly. Construction assembly is much like building modular furniture with a kit of parts and an easy-to-follow, graphic installation manual requiring no special training.



Time lapse video of the House Arc being constructed in Hawaii:


Bellomo Architects

Modern Modular Eco-Friendly Indoor and Outdoor Playhouses for Kids.

Play Modern designs indoor and outdoor easy-to-assemble modular playhouses for children. Made of FSC Certified wood, the outdoor models are made from high quality, weather-resistant, marine-grade plywood and the indoor models are made of Baltic Birch plywood.









The finishes are non toxic and the products comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards, which are among the most stringent in the country for indoor air quality.








Even the railings are made from aluminum that is 100% recyclable and has a high recycled content.



above: Custom House letters, aluminum hanging boxes and magnetic chalkboards are available as accessories.


above: the Cuba in Baltic Birch requires no hardware to assemble


• Modern, modular playhouses with limitless possibilities
• Environmentally friendly materials
• Made in USA
• Outdoor and indoor modules available
• One or two story
• Quick, easy assembly with minimal tools
• Expandable to grow with your child
• Ships flat; Stores compact


Learn more and/or purchase here.

Check Out The Tetra Shed. A Modern Modular Office Pod Available Next Month.

A Mod pod that rocks. Available as of January 2012 is yet another modular office pod from the UK (they are big on garden sheds and modular pods). The tetra shed® by architect David Ajasa-Adekunle of Innovation Imperative is a new modular building system which, as a single module, has been designed to be a modern garden office.



The tetra shed® is available with external finishes in any RAL colour or clad in either copper, zinc, corten steel or marine plywood.







Inside, the tetra-shed can be internally lined in either birch faced plywood or plasterboard.





A double module layout has also been designed to create a larger office for larger gardens.



Clusters of up to 6 modules have primarily been designed as additional work, rest and play space for homes. Larger tessellations can be used for a range of applications such as classrooms, exhibition space, corporate events, tourism & leisure facilities and retail space. Designed to exceed the building regulations, tetra shed® is suitable for permanent year-round use.
additional images courtesy of sinbad design

Tetra Shed