Beautiful home in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey took as little as 24 hours to pop up on site. Local architect Marina Rubina completed the prefabricated Quarry House—named after the street where it resides—as part of a sustainable and affordable housing “experiment.”
A beautiful home in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey took as little as 24 hours to pop up on site. Local architect Marina Rubina completed the prefabricated Quarry House—named after the street where it resides—as part of a sustainable and affordable housing “experiment.” The contemporary, Energy Star Rated house was installed in one day and was designed to meet LEED Gold certification.
“The house was an experiment in providing high quality sustainable residential development affordably,” says Rubina. “It was fabricated at a modular factory in less than a month, installed on site in one day, finished completely in about a third of the time it would take to build on-site.” Completed in 2012, the modular two-story home has an L-shaped plan that spans 2,000 square feet and connects to a 500-square-foot studio.
Off-site prefabrication helped minimize construction waste and ensure an airtight energy-efficient envelope. A high-efficiency HVAC system, long cantilevered roofs, and solar shading reduce cooling costs, while large glazed openings let in natural light to minimize reliance on artificial lighting. The ground floor comprises the main communal areas including the living, dining, and kitchen spaces, as well as a small office. The bedrooms and a play loft for children are located upstairs. The attached studio suite is set up as a small office that can be converted into a guest suite.
