#Industry News
These prefabricated mnmMOD wall panels could revolutionize the way we build
Imagine a building material that isn't only beautiful, but promotes energy efficiency, so you save money heating and cooling your home.
Now imagine that it significantly cuts construction time and cost, as well so you get your house faster and on budget. California-based design studio Minarc has made this dream a reality with mnmMOD - a standardized but customizable structurally insulated wall-panel - and beautiful homes are popping up across the world in as little as eight hours.
Minarc, a Santa Monica based design studio, designed the mnmMOD prefabrication system as an innovative and energy-efficient solution to cheap and poorly-constructed low cost housing. Minarc’s kit-of-parts prefab house system is based primarily on the simple building block of the Structural Insulated Panel – commonly known as a ‘SIP‘. Minarc’s mnnMOD SIP is a bit like an ice-cream sandwich with recycled-steel-framing surrounded by Gypsum board and a waterproof exterior membrane — filled with air-tight expanded polystyrene insulation and all necessary mechanical and electrical. By replacing traditional insulation with airtight thermal breaks, these prefabricated structural panels reduce heat loss and gain, lending to homes with tighter building envelopes and lower carbon footprints. The panels also contain a high percentage of recycled material and can be easily dissembled and reused at the end of their building lives like a set of LEGOs. Watch how easily it’s all put together!
The conveniently flatpacked panels are transported and then assembled at a building site with no more than a screw gun, often by as few as two workers in as little as eight hours. With remarkably fuss-free shipping and construction, mnmMOD is garnering attention for its approachable and affordable use in timeless, high performance, net-zero, structures. As an industry favorite, the panels have made their way into luxury homes, schools, habitat for humanity dwellings, and even the personal pads of renowned architects – like Studio Nova A founder and former AIA LA president, Stuart Magruder. For other unique designs using mnmMOD check out Iceland’s Ion hotel and Superb-A House .
