Future of U.S. Housing Being Built in China

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | March 9, 2008 | By Lew Sichelman

[JACKRUSSELL]

(WASHINGTON) -- The future of American housing is rising in Beijing. As in China.

The house is being built as part of the Future House demonstration project commissioned by China's Ministry of Construction to show off the world's most modern and environmentally sustainable construction practices and technologies.

The United States is one of 10 countries participating in the project. But its house is the only one not sponsored by a government or corporate entity. The other participants are Sweden, Japan, South Korea, China, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, Canada and Norway.

The 10 houses will be on display for six years, including during this year's Summer Olympics. Organizers anticipate they will be seen by more than 5 million visitors.

The American entry is backed by a consortium that includes the Alternative Energy Living Foundation as the principal managing sponsor, Florida International University as the founding academic sponsor, and the National Defense Council Foundation as the main general sponsor.

Future House USA, a strictly American product, is a 3,200-square-foot structure with four bedrooms and four baths. That's a tad large for homes of the future, especially in light of today's higher energy costs and other environmental concerns. But it didn't start out that way.

"When we began, it was supposed to be 1,500 square feet," said George Bialecki, the Moline, Ill., builder who founded the Alternative Energy Living Foundation and is responsible for building the U.S. entry. "But they came to us and asked us to make it bigger so each visitor could feel comfortable touring the house."

But big is still an American trait, at least for the time being. And while the house integrates the Chinese practice of feng shui, the futuristic design pays homage to Frank Lloyd Wright, the Midwestern architect who Bialecki says "was way before his time."......

[JACKRUSSELL]

(Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.)

[NonValueAdded]

Future of U.S. Housing Being Built in China

All I can think of is that picture of the building being ripped apart by an atomic test blast. I'm sure that is the real housing future being built.

[adorno]

Future of U.S. Housing Being Built in China

And sold at Wal-Mart?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

“But big is still an American trait, at least for the time being.”

I’m sure this trait is much to the chagrin of the writers at this fish wrapper.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

And why not? 100 years ago buying houses from Sears Roebuck wasn't that rare...

[katiedidit1]

you know Cosco sells coffins.

[tired1]

interesting

[neodad]

Future House USA, a strictly American product, is a 3,200-square-foot structure with four bedrooms and four baths. That's a tad large for homes of the future, especially in light of today's higher energy costs and other environmental concerns.

Sorry, not interested. 5 boys approaching the teens need more than 3,200 square feet.

[WVKayaker]

, adorno wrote:

Future of U.S. Housing Being Built in China

And sold at Wal-Mart?

...and K-Mart, and Lowes, and Home Depot, and Radio Shack, and ...

Why can't you get a grip on corporate life. Walmart hires more Americans, and buys/sells more American products, than any other retailer. They also pay a lot of taxes to keep the country going. I would imagine they contribute a lot more to America, than could you (unless you are the richest man in the world!)!

For the rest of us, I like to keep more of MY money. I shop at Food Lion and Martins/Giant), and buy their specials. For the rest of stuff, specials are just everyday low prices at WallyWorld.

I do not own Walmart stock, nor work for American, and I buy American. That doesn't mean that I won't buy an Aussie Wine, or some Italian tomatoes. I prefer to stay away from Chinese products, by personal choice. Your mileage may vary!

[WVKayaker]

...I do not own Walmart stock, nor work for American, and I buy American.

Should read: "I do not own Walmart stock, nor work for them. I HIRE American, and I buy American."

[driftdiver]

I guess lead pipes are back in vogue.

[adorno]

Why can't you get a grip on corporate life. Walmart hires more Americans, and buys/sells more American products, than any other retailer. They also pay a lot of taxes to keep the country going. I would imagine they contribute a lot more to America, than could you (unless you are the richest man in the world!)

Did you think I was knocking Wal-Mart?

Wal-Mart is one of my favorite stores, if not my favorite. In fact, most of the trips I make to the stores are to Wal-Mart. I know that I can get virtually anything from them and at very reasonable prices. Why go anywhere else?

But, my little sarcasm was meant at the direction in which this country has been headed for a long time. We're manufacturing less and less of what we consume? And then the article for this thread is hinting at even the houses we live in being built elsewhere. Our food, our clothes, our houses, our computers, our televisions and electronics, our medicines, our automobiles are being manufactured elsewhere. Now, even our refueling aircraft are being designed and built by foreigners. What is going to be left? Even our service sectors are being outsourced. Even some government jobs have been done elsewhere. A large number of our doctors are foreigners and even the professors in our colleges are foreigners. And then, when I looked at the Oscar ceremonies a couple of weeks back, about half the awards went to foreigners, which of course means that even Hollywood is shipping a lot of the acting roles overseas.

Though I was mostly joking about Wal-Mart being the sales agent for China, there definitely is something wrong when America is not longer producing so much of what we consume.

[m1911]

I don't disagree with your concern, but it doesn't seem to apply to this particular item. From the article:

In addition, all the building materials and products are made in the United States. And the house itself was manufactured in Montana, shipped in eight containers from Portland, Ore., and is being assembled, in part, by Bialecki's uncles and cousins, all carpenters who volunteered to spend a month in Beijing to put the place together.

"This is a grassroots effort," said the builder, who is putting up some of the most environmentally advanced and energy-efficient houses in the United States. "It's about American jobs, design jobs, engineering jobs, architectural work and manufacturing jobs. 'Made in the USA' is a very important aspect of this project to us."

[RavenATB]

“Wal-Mart is one of my favorite stores, if not my favorite. In fact, most of the trips I make to the stores are to Wal-Mart.”

Guess your Spanish is better than mine...

[rurgan]

“Though I was mostly joking about Wal-Mart being the sales agent for China, there definitely is something wrong when America is not longer producing so much of what we consume.”

And why do you think that happened?

I think its because liberals/Democrats/socialists have imposed so many environmental laws, laws ,regulations, taxes, and other regulations on private businesses(capitalism) and corporations that companies cannot compete with private companies in other countries like China.

The solution is not to end trade with other countries as the liberals in the media want (which is why they are smearing products from China).

The solution is to repeal environmental laws, other laws regulating businesses , remove all taxes on businesses, and keep the government goons off of the backs of business in America.Also repeal all laws that make it easy for personal injury lawyers to sue companies and for unions to unionize.

[Age of Reason]

Sorry, not interested. 5 boys approaching the teens need more than 3,200 square feet.

People sure are spoiled today.

In the 1950s, I grew up in a house about half that size, with 3 bedrooms for family of 6.

Me and my two brothers shared the same bedroom, and nobody thought for a second our house was too small.

And my dad had his own contracting company, and built our house.

[WVKayaker]

OSHA is a government within the government, and is one of our worst threats. They make REGULATIONS which carry fines and fees. Yet, they apparently answer to nobody. They can do as they please to destroy our economy, and country, with their socialist plans. They require ten people to show up, on a two person job. They are an adjunct to union thuggery.

But, the article is about a display of OUR technology. It should be phallic in design, though. It is the biggest!

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Houses can be built in controlled factories now in a controlled climent were rain and other elements won't damage the building products.
Modular homes ( should not be confused with mobile homes ) are just as good or better than stick built homes.
You also have homes built out of ( SIPS ) were you have Styrofoam sandwiched between to panels of OSB.... were it becomes a wall panel, and I saw a demo on Bob Vila's show were they put a 5000 pound of bricks on the panel and it held the weight.
You also got homes that can be build out of ( kind of like Lego blocks ) Styrofoam blocks that are hollow on the inside and you pour concrete inside and then you have a poured concrete wall with a layer of insulation on the outside, they are called ICFs.
As the cost of building homes get higher, manufactured homes in a factory will be more commonplace than on the sight stick built homes because of the cost and labor cost.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" I guess lead pipes are back in vogue."
Or galvanized ( rusty leaky pipes ) also.