The M-house

Michael Jantzen 2007 www.humanshelter.org PH. 310 989 1897 The M-house is prefabricated, therefore it can be taken apart and moved in pieces. It then can be re-assembled onto the customers site. The M-house can be made larger or smaller but it is presently designed to function as a guest house, studio, office, vacation retreat, meditation space, etc. The structure is presently 65 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 23 feet tall, with about 1000 square feet of interior and exterior living space. At this point the M-house is not finished on the interior. This would have to be done after the structures final function is determined, and moved to the customers site. The M-house has been featured in many books, magazines, and newspapers from around the world. Some of the books include, Architecture Now volume 2, Experimental Houses, Brave New Houses, A Guide to Contemporary Architecture in America, and Architecture in the 20th Century. Some of the other publications include, the LA Times, the New York Times, Architecture magazine, Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, World of Interiors, Popular Science, Wallpaper, Wired magazine, and the Robb Report Collection. The M-house has been shown on five TV programs so far, including a BBC documentary about the state of contemporary architecture in the world, the Discovery Channel, and on the Travel Channels Amazing Vacation Homes. Images and a model of the M-house have also been featured in various exhibitions. One of these exhibitions called Liquid Stone, New Contemporary Concrete Architecture, was located at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. The M-house is also scheduled to be exhibited in the summer of 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This exhibition is about the history and future of prefabricated housing.

M-vironments Relocatable M-vironments are made of a wide variety of manipulatable components that can be connected in many different ways to a matrix of modular support frames. The frames can be assembled and disassembled in different ways to accommodate a wide range of changing needs. The M-house, which is made from the M-vironment system, consists of a series of rectangular panels that are attached with hinges to an open space frame grid of seven interlocking cubes. The panels are hinged to the cubes in either a horizontal or a vertical orientation. The hinges allow the panels to fold into, or out of the cube frames to perform various functions. Some of the panels are insulated and contain windows and doors. These panels can completely enclose spaces that are heated and cooled. Other uninsulated panels fold in or out over and around open platforms to shade the sun, deflect the rain, or block the wind. Some of these unfold from the face of the cubes to become places to sit, places to sleep, places to work, or places to eat. Most of the slotted panels are oriented over and around these open platforms. The platforms and the cube frames are supported by adjustable legs, which are attached to load bearing footpads. In many cases the support frames do not require a foundation, and they can be adjusted to accommodate terrain variations. All of the M-house components are interchangeable, and can be increased or decreased in numbers and size. The panels can be made in a curved configuration and from many different types of materials. The existing M-house panels are assembled with a steel structural frame that supports thin sheets of a concrete composite. All of the exposed surfaces of the structure are painted. This M-house was designed to function as a single private vacation retreat, or in multiple numbers and configurations, as a complete stand-alone high tech resort complex. The house can be designed to be self sufficient, powered by alternative energy sources such as the sun and the wind. The M-vironments were developed to accommodate a wide range of markets. With different sizes, shapes, materials, and panel types, the system can be used for exhibit structures, pavilions, play environments for kids, retail spaces, office modules, and many other commercial applications.

M-house Floor Plan

Construction Drawings

Construction Photos

South East Views

East View

North East View

North View

North Detail

North Views

South West View

South View

South Detail Views

South Detail Views

South Detail Views

North Detail Views

North Detail Views

East Deck Details

West Deck Details

West Deck Details

West Deck Details

Interior Details Second Level

Interior Details Second Level

Interior Details Lower Level

Interior Details Lower Level

Interior Details Lower Level

Interior Details Lower Level

Interior Details Lower Level

Energy Gathering and Storage Pod The M-house can also be fitted with the Energy Gathering and Storage Pod, if it is to be used off of the grid. The Pod would be made from the same components as the M-house. It would contain photovoltaic cells and/or a wind turbine for electrical generation. It would also contain propane or natural gas storage, water storage, and batteries, along with some basic utility storage. The use of the Energy Gathering and Storage Pod, allows the M-house to have more freedom in its orientation, while the Pod can be oriented in the optimal site specific energy gathering way.

Partial Known M-house Publicity List From 2001 - 2007 Magazines: 1. World of Interiors-UK 2. Wired-USA 3. Architecture-USA 4. Architectural Record 5. Blue Print-UK 6. FHM-USA 7. Architectural Digest-Germany 8. E-Lite-Italy 9. Mark-UK 10. Centras-Lithuania 11. Architectural Design-Saudi Arabia 12. Abstract-Belgium 13. ERA 21 14. Hauser-Germany 15. Hot Air-UK 16. Art Forum-USA 17. Trendy-Japan 18. Zoo-UK 19. NEO 2-Spain 20. Colorfulness-China 21. Saab Magazine-Sweden 22. Nickelodeon-USA 23. Wallpaper-UK 24. Moderne Architektur-Germany 25. Escala-Argentine 26. Yacthar-64-Russia 27. City-USA 28. Elle Dcor-Russia 29. Identity-United Arab Emirates 30. Larca-Italy 31. Automated Builder-USA 32. Indian Architecture-India 33. Zinetta-Netherlands 34. Esquire-Italy 35. Pol Oxygen-Australia 36. Ambientes-Spain 37. The Robb Report-USA 38. Teknologi Debat-Netherlands 39. P.M.-Germany 40. T3-UK 41. QUO-Spain 42. Popular Science-USA 43. TES Teacher-UK 44. Walls&Roofs-Africa 45. AMC Aspekti-Bulgaria 46. Arquitectura& Construcao-Portugal 47. Residence-Sweden 48. Home Today& Tomorrow-Bulgaria 49. One 11 USA 50. Complexity&Sustainability. 51. Flair-Italy 52. De Architecture-Norway 53. Flair-UK 54. Audi Magazine-Germany 55. House Traders-Portugal 56. Bob-Hong-Kong 57. Flaunt-USA 58. M-2-New Zealand Books: 1. Architecture in the 20th Century-USA 2. Mas pequenos espacios urbanos-Spain 3. New Country House-UK 4. Architecture Now 2-Germany 5. Experimental Architecture Houses-Spain 6. A Guide to Contemporary Arch in America-Japan 7. Eco-Design Handbook-UK 8. Architettura: Dialoghi E Lettere-Italy 9. Compact Houses-USA 10. Styles of Architecture-Germany 11. Small Spaces-Australia 12. Liquid Stone-USA 13. Absolute Architecture-Belgium 14. Ritual House-USA 15. MXM Maximalist Houses-Spain 16. Brave New Houses-USA 17. Sustainable Architecture-Spain 18. Move House-UK 19. Experimental Eco Design-Switzerland Newspapers: 1. Los Angeles Times magazine-USA 2. Los Angeles Times magazine-USA 3. Los Angeles Times Calendar-USA 4. Los Angeles Times Home-USA 5. New York Times Currents-USA 6. Tampa Tribune Science-USA 7. Hindustan Times-India 8. Sydney Morning Herald Australia 9. Gatra News- Indonesia Television Programs: 1. BBC Documentary on the future of architecture 2. Amazing Vacation on the Travel Channel 3. Christopher Lowell Show 4. The Fine Living Channel 5. The Discovery Channel Exhibits: Liquid Stone, New Contemporary Concrete Architecture, National Building Museum in Washington DC Exploring the Future, Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton California The History and Future of Pre Fabricated Housing, The Museum of Modern Art, New York Out of Gas, The Canadian Center for Architecture, Montreal Photo Shoots: FHM Magazine-USA Flair Magazine-Italy Neiman Marcus-USA Many other shoots were canceled because of bad weather at the M-house location.