The 2016 International Builders’ Show proved a veritable
bonanza for people who make the annual pilgrimage to gather design ideas from
show homes. This year’s demonstration homes ran the gamut, from $3.3
million condos on the Strip to $7,000 do-it-yourself huts designed for
developing countries. And there was just about everything in between – tiny homes,
custom contemporaries, net-zero prototypes, concept homes with hooks to lure
first-time buyers, and even an experimental home built with a 3D printer.
At the top end of the spectrum, a dozen manufacturers of luxury products collaborated to provide access to five recently completed condos at The Residences at the Mandarin Oriental. The condos, which sell for more
than $3 million, feature killer views of the Strip, were outfitted with the latest luxury creature comforts, including a Dacor Discovery iQ range with wireless tablet controls and a Kohler toilet that synced to your music playlist. One condo belonged to Jean-Robert Bellande, a celebrity poker player and reality television show contestant. Robert Messiana designed him the ultimate bachelor pad, with a touchscreen-controlled shower, a toilet with an automatic deodorization system, and a fireplace with color-changing LEDs. A giant Murphy bed for guests will eventually drop out of the wall and take over a room currently occupied by a pool table.
At the opposite end of the economic spectrum, Abod Shelters brought its latest prototype low-cost structure
aimed at developing countries. With the help of sponsors, the arched, $7000 homes can be assembled in one day with four or five people and some expert help. Most of the organizations 100 projects so far have been in Ghana and South Africa. Abod’s demonstrated how the buildings can serve as commercial buildings – schools and meeting places -- as well as homes. Abod Shelters built one of its low-cost homes designed by BSB Architects in the parking lot of the convention center (photo courtesy Abod).
Nearby on the convention center parking lot, a tiny home with only 432 square feet of living space showcased off the grid as well as small-home living. Sitting on a 12’ by 36’ trailer, the cylindrical home featured arched
beams that formed the walls and roof. The developer, Shelter Dynamics, estimates the finished cost of similar pod homes at $120,000 to $140,000.The net-zero approach is a natural for tiny homes that often
find their way into remote locations (construction photo courtesy Shelter Dynamics). The home achieves net zero energy through a sealed envelope, optimized insulation, and the addition of photovoltaic panels. Closed-cell foam was applied to the roof and walls. Lateral framing over the beams sandwiches curved polyisocyanurate insulation. A fluid-applied membrane coats the envelope.
In the Inspirada masterplan community south of town, at Henderson, Builder magazine, working with Pardee Homes and Bassenian Lagoni Architects, built two "Responsive Homes" to showcase concepts for luring buyers into the new-home market. The "Transitional Residence", a contemporary take on traditional architecture, was intended to wow design-oriented move-up buyers. A second home was designed to excite debt-ridden millennial buyers. At 2,100 square feet, the contemporary farmhouse included several spaces that can be finished later – an upper level loft that could be converted to a bedroom, an optional flat over the garage, and an optional rental unit (described in a previous post: see Airbnb Home).
The New American Home once again featured breath-taking contemporary design that’s become a
hallmark of the high-end custom market. At 5,300 square feet, designed for multigenerational use with two master suites, the home is an entertainer’s dream. Nearly everything you’d expect to find inside the home – a
kitchen, dining area, and sitting space – could be found outdoors as well.
A concept home found its way on to the floor of the show itself – AMIE, a home built with a 3D printer by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (shown at the top of this post). Researchers used an industrial-sized 3D printer to manufacture C-shaped formed that were packed with vacuum-insulated panels, reinforced with steel, then bolted together to create the cocoon-like home. The home featured the ultimate in kitchen islands,
a central micro-kitchen designed by GE. It not only includes a sink, dishwasher, and table, but a bed folds out of one side as well.
At the top end of the spectrum, a dozen manufacturers of luxury products collaborated to provide access to five recently completed condos at The Residences at the Mandarin Oriental. The condos, which sell for more
than $3 million, feature killer views of the Strip, were outfitted with the latest luxury creature comforts, including a Dacor Discovery iQ range with wireless tablet controls and a Kohler toilet that synced to your music playlist. One condo belonged to Jean-Robert Bellande, a celebrity poker player and reality television show contestant. Robert Messiana designed him the ultimate bachelor pad, with a touchscreen-controlled shower, a toilet with an automatic deodorization system, and a fireplace with color-changing LEDs. A giant Murphy bed for guests will eventually drop out of the wall and take over a room currently occupied by a pool table.
At the opposite end of the economic spectrum, Abod Shelters brought its latest prototype low-cost structure
aimed at developing countries. With the help of sponsors, the arched, $7000 homes can be assembled in one day with four or five people and some expert help. Most of the organizations 100 projects so far have been in Ghana and South Africa. Abod’s demonstrated how the buildings can serve as commercial buildings – schools and meeting places -- as well as homes. Abod Shelters built one of its low-cost homes designed by BSB Architects in the parking lot of the convention center (photo courtesy Abod).
Nearby on the convention center parking lot, a tiny home with only 432 square feet of living space showcased off the grid as well as small-home living. Sitting on a 12’ by 36’ trailer, the cylindrical home featured arched
beams that formed the walls and roof. The developer, Shelter Dynamics, estimates the finished cost of similar pod homes at $120,000 to $140,000.The net-zero approach is a natural for tiny homes that often
find their way into remote locations (construction photo courtesy Shelter Dynamics). The home achieves net zero energy through a sealed envelope, optimized insulation, and the addition of photovoltaic panels. Closed-cell foam was applied to the roof and walls. Lateral framing over the beams sandwiches curved polyisocyanurate insulation. A fluid-applied membrane coats the envelope.
In the Inspirada masterplan community south of town, at Henderson, Builder magazine, working with Pardee Homes and Bassenian Lagoni Architects, built two "Responsive Homes" to showcase concepts for luring buyers into the new-home market. The "Transitional Residence", a contemporary take on traditional architecture, was intended to wow design-oriented move-up buyers. A second home was designed to excite debt-ridden millennial buyers. At 2,100 square feet, the contemporary farmhouse included several spaces that can be finished later – an upper level loft that could be converted to a bedroom, an optional flat over the garage, and an optional rental unit (described in a previous post: see Airbnb Home).
The New American Home once again featured breath-taking contemporary design that’s become a
hallmark of the high-end custom market. At 5,300 square feet, designed for multigenerational use with two master suites, the home is an entertainer’s dream. Nearly everything you’d expect to find inside the home – a
kitchen, dining area, and sitting space – could be found outdoors as well.
A concept home found its way on to the floor of the show itself – AMIE, a home built with a 3D printer by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (shown at the top of this post). Researchers used an industrial-sized 3D printer to manufacture C-shaped formed that were packed with vacuum-insulated panels, reinforced with steel, then bolted together to create the cocoon-like home. The home featured the ultimate in kitchen islands,
a central micro-kitchen designed by GE. It not only includes a sink, dishwasher, and table, but a bed folds out of one side as well.
