yesterday i had the pleasure of attending aia/la's venice home tour, "a stroll through venezia" hosted by snaidero usa. there were many beautiful features and details throughout the tour but what struck me the most was mdesign's mark baez's mcube modular prefab system. with a steel frame and concrete floors, baez uses translucent light emitting fiberglass insulated panels that serve as cladding, exterior and interior walls, insulation, operable windows and moveable /removable walls/doors. the panels are reminiscient of shoji screens but are definitely modern. it was remarkable how cool and comfortable the space inside was for such a hot sunny day. there was also plenty of light and no electrical lighting needed. the modular system can be fully erected in 90 days at a starting cost of $100 per square foot! there are more sustainable elements too like photovoltaic panels, radiant floors, and passive solar design. the space we got to tour was actually 1 unit in a 3-unit case study building at 709 5th ave. it is clear that this system is successful since baez has almost completed a similar structure on the corner of rose and 4th.
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