Henry Ford supposedly said his customers could have their cars painted any color they wanted as long as it was black.

How things have changed.

Freedom of choice and consumer demand have always driven the U.S. economy, but perhaps nowhere as dramatically as in the car-buying industry. Though the choices may be limited to either leather or stain-resistant fabric, car buyers want to choose their own options.

Henry Ford supposedly said his customers could have their cars painted any color they wanted as long as it was black.

How things have changed.

Freedom of choice and consumer demand have always driven the U.S. economy, but perhaps nowhere as dramatically as in the car-buying industry. Though the choices may be limited to either leather or stain-resistant fabric, car buyers want to choose their own options.

Now, one architect thinks the real estate market might benefit from a similar solution. Konyk Architecture has created what it calls the Up! House, an all-steel, prefabricated home that borrows its inspiration from the automotive industry.

The idea for this kind of a modern, modular, prefabricated home was the brainchild of the firm’s founder, Craig Konyk. The Up! House is a two-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot tubular-shaped structure constructed of metal panels over a steel unibody chassis. A cantilevered design allows it to rest like a seesaw on two reinforced concrete walls, freeing up yard space and saving on foundation labor costs. The exterior has a lifetime-guaranteed finish. The interior is painted a high-gloss white enamel. Insulated windows are tinted gray.

The home can be customized to include more rooms, an optional master bedroom suite or a home theatre. As a bonus: it’s 100 percent recyclable.

Perhaps as interesting as the building is the way Konyk is advertising the project. The Up! House Web site mimics an online car dealership, where potential buyers can look at floor plans, take 360-degree tours of the interior spaces, fill out an order form with favorite features, and even try on different finishes by clicking on a palette of colors and watching the house change hues.

“We wanted to move away from the ‘McMansion’ model of home building” where a majority of homes begin to take on a similar veneer, he said. “We began to look at how more people view their cars more like a home, with televisions being installed inside.

“We also saw that people have come to expect a high level of expertise when they buy their cars, demanding a certain kind of finish and features, and we wanted to apply that to a home.”

Up! House owners avoid the sometimes-unfamiliar world of contracting and building codes, Konyk said. The home is delivered in pieces to the site, then assembled.

“We are a design-oriented firm that always looks at how we can distinguish a project with a unique design aspect, whether it’s an interior for an exhibition or a new store,” he said, adding that Konyk Architecture takes on unique architectural challenges with relish.

Take the firm’s Smart Surface home, a prototype housing project. In addition to environmental controls, this prototype home would be constructed with translucent latex rubber stretched over a robotic subsurface, responding to the DNA of the homeowner by transforming the environment as soon as the owner walked in the door.

When it came to the Up! House, however, Konyk stuck with the ideas that have made car buying a simpler process.

This very American idea seems to be working. The company has had hundreds of inquiries and the first Up! House will be built in Florida in the spring of 2004, Konyk said. But the house itself? It’s likely to be made in China.

***

Send a Letter to the Editor for publication.
Send a comment or news tip to our newsroom.
Please include the headline of the story.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×