| The natural winner
NESTLED at the bottom of a valley in Pullenvale, the Kelly family's brightly coloured home is a striking structure set among a lush tangle of greenery. Built 11 years ago, the single-level home was originally a labour of love for rammed-earth builder Mike Glab. About three years ago, Keven and Annette Kelly stumbled across the acreage property. "We lived about 500m down the road. We got out of the car and had a look at this place and I just said, 'This is it,' " Kev says. "You can breathe out here. It's open and clean. "They've been building homes from rammed earth for thousands of years and it's such an eco-friendly material. The walls are so thick and it holds the cool and holds the warmth really well." The exposed wood beams are from the former Arnott's biscuit factory at inner-Brisbane Milton.
`Prefabulous' homes
In her foreword to Sheri Koones' new book, Prefabulous, architect Sarah Susanka makes an intriguing point: We'd never agree to have a new car assembled in the driveway or a new dishwasher put together on the kitchen floor. Yet when it comes to houses, many of us assume one built on site is superior to one constructed in a factory. Prefabulous offers evidence to the contrary. The book focuses on houses built using various types of prefabrication: modular construction, panelized construction, structural insulated panels, timber framing, log construction, concrete and steel. For the most part, these are substantial homes -- mansions, in some cases -- where prefabrication was chosen as the means to building a better house. Factory construction, Koones' book argues, saves time, money and building materials, and can result in sturdy houses that require less energy and maintenance.
No trailers for Schneider Homes
MOSES LAKE -- There will not be a manufactured home park in the Cascade Valley annexation according to Schneider Homes, Inc.Phil Grosso, Schneider's representative, came before the Moses Lake Council to clear up rumors surrounding the use of the land.All of the rumors citizens are hearing are false, he said. He is unsure where the rumors may have originated.
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