The HingeHouse project was the result of a unique partnership between an independent architect and a prefabricated home manufacturer, Acorn Deck House Company - a partnership that is among the first of its kind in the country.
In 2008, the partnership was created to rethink pre-engineered post-and-beam and panelized systems to connect clients to a more modern and integrated set of design values. By integrating systems, factory design approach, manufacturing methodologies, and construction sequences with design criteria grounded in sustainable planning and rigorous implementation, HingeHouse was developed.
HingeHouse is a fully customizable, prefabricated home which can be configured to meet the needs of any site, and any family. It is flexible and expandable using Acorn Deck House engineered building components. Starting with basic floor plans that are optimized spatially to Acorn Deck House’s standard components, the living spaces are rotated around a hinge point.
This design solution addresses the limitations and challenges of a particular site, while highlighting the best aspects of it. HingeHouse considers passive solar orientation depending on where the home is placed on the site, and how it is “hinged”. It provides for maximum cross-ventilation from prevailing winds, preserves existing site formations and trees, and works on sloping grades. The design also addresses specific desired views while mitigating unwanted adjacencies, and provides great flexibility for entry sequences.
Since the formation of this partnership, Maryann Thompson Architects and Mathison | Mathison Architects (MMA) have worked with Acorn Deck House Company on numerous full or partial prefabrication projects in the Boston area, western Massachusetts, Maryland, and Michigan. We have become an advocate for their services and products because we believe that it offers advantages on a variety of levels, including schedule, cost, and quality. Today, many pre-fab companies have adopted this collaborative approach, recognizing that homeowners are looking for unique, custom homes while taking advantage of reliable and predictable construction methods and costs.
