it's a brand new year!

It's a Brand New Year!!! In welcoming 2010, I thought I would do something I've been wanting to do all of 2009... which was to find a way to feature some of the amazing talents we are so fortunate to meet here at ideabox.


One of the incredible opportunities we have at ideabox are the people we meet. We've met Hollywood types, (directors, art directors, costume, script writers, ect...), TV people, Ad Agencies (owners, creatives), Architects, Restaurant Owners, Artists, Bakery Owners, Authors, Artists.... and so many more. If we kept a list it would be not only amazing but very humbling. There is so much talent in the world.


Something I've been wanting to do is introduce you to some of these people and share their amazing abilities. At first I thought I could find a place on the ideabox website, but that didn't work so well.  Now we have this blog, and since I get to write it, I think this is a great place to share from!


The graphic above is an example of something pretty cool. It is a painting by Jim Morehead of Morehead Studios in Newberg Oregon. The painting is not on a canvas, but on a piece of wood where the fundamental composition is done by wood-burning, the color added on top of the wood. It's remarkable. We have a couple of Jim's pieces here at ideabox, and featured them in last years Portland Home & Garden Show. Much of Jim's work is "re-working" the masters employing the wood-burning technique. The piece above is an original from a day at the beach watching a fishing boat readying its launch off the shore. Active in the art community, Jim's work can be seen at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located on the Central Oregon Coast in Lincoln City. Learn more about the gallery and its member artists at coastalartisans.com. Jim can be reached at moreheadstudios@msn.com or by phone 503.332.1329.


What an exciting year 2009 was! Here's to a how incredible 2010 will be!

'tis the season

Just in Time for the Holidays

Looking for a new twist on the whole "home for the holidays" thing? Well twist you will when you see the new design from ideabox. The new ideabox "urban cottage" comes with one bedroom or two and ranges in size from 670 SF to 910 SF. It's the perfect present for under the Christmas tree  - well - actually the tree would probably need to go inside the "present" (ie new house from ideabox).  The fresh new design features cool new materials, more efficient energy efficiency, and a fun new floor plan that takes a small footprint and dynamically expands your lifestyle.


We're adding new efficiency opportunities. We've always been fans of zonal heating, and we're adding mini-split heat pumps for heating and cooling. It's looking at simple, proven efficiency technologies we know deliver comfortable conditioning using minimal energy. Cool new materials offer a clean modern look we're pretty excited about. And true to an ideabox house, natural light comes in from everywhere through another fun combination of windows, (with new glazing technologies making them more efficient than before!)


We're very close to releasing our new little gem, (maybe just in time for Christmas!) 


Happy Holidays! 

the next big thing in small living

It began back in 2005. It was a small decision - well - sort of small but big in what we were deciding. We were putting the concept of what ideabox was going to be together.  We looked at the markets and realized there had to be an end to the mcmansion philosophy of housing. We saw crazy financing of houses by people who couldn't afford them. And we sensed at some point quality of life would become more important than mass consumption.

(For all of our sensing we didn't sense the almost complete erosion of the economy).  But that's okay, because we made a literally small decision that day back in 2005.

Our "small" decision was that ideabox would become "the next big thing in small living."  ideabox would focus on small spaces that are modern, easy, and a delight to be inside and outside  (as we think about how our houses interact on their sites. Outdoor "rooms" are as important to us as the indoor ones!) Every house would be energy efficient and built to green standards. We wanted a simplistic modern lifestyle.

The ideas behind ideabox came from a career ranging from architectural design, energy & resource efficiency, and commercial design and marketing. We were inspired by real, actual energy savings our programs were realizing. We saw opportunities to use resources more efficiently by creatively using cool building materials. And we saw that we could create an identifiable brand that represented our beliefs about design and living more responsibly.

And perhaps most important, we figured out construction methods that allow us to build incredible houses at reasonable costs without compromising quality. It's kind of exciting.

So you can see - ideabox is the next big thing in small living!

Our first house was 400 SF in size.... and you wouldn't know when standing inside. Our houses are the resolution of details coming together.  Blending "the right amount of everything" to create spaces that are truly delightful. Careful use of glazing to cast your eyes beyond the walls. Simple lines that ebb and flow allowing an ideabox to nestle in its surroundings making each home a unique living experience.  Our biggest house is just over 1,200 SF, and it seems huge.

It's practically perfect!

ideabox houses live beyond their walls. Our houses are crafted and real. Each and every one is a unique build, not a product out of inventory or on a lot somewhere. They're not the result of a fad or trying to be like something else. They are the result of a career looking for solutions that better peoples lives.

It's why ideabox is the next big thing in small living!

it began with a bike travel trailer

Over the years, especially lately with the new "fortino" in Seattle, we've been asked about where ideabox came from. To answer the questions, we thought we'd use this blog to sort of tell the story.  This is Chapter One, or maybe a prologue.... we'll see.


The ideabox story - we think - goes way back to a pivotal event in my childhood, which was the day we created the "bike travel trailer". I was about ten. I had already built a tree fort, and a back yard fort. The idea of a fort on wheels, a fort I could take anywhere with my bike, now that was a cool concept of a fort. So with the limit of materials my dad said I could use (plywood, 4x4's, a ton of nails, some tar paper, and an old awning thing for sides) the design was created. A couple of days in construction the first prefab fort (otherwise known as a bike travel trailer) was complete. It was very cool, complete with working blinkers controlled from the bike's handle bars, interior lights with switches, a radio with two speakers, all powered from a 6 volt battery.  There was a sleeping loft above the main level. To save weight, we cut the awning cloth material to make the sides. The new prefab fort was designed to attach to a sting ray bike with the banana seat (easier connection).


I called the City with for applicable permits, (none required). Two red flyer wagons were required, so we thought. (They were my sisters wagons, which was great because they weren't my wagon). Wagons affixed, "hitch" attached to the sting ray banana seat, blinkers attached to the handlebar and tested, we were ready to go. The goal of the inaugural journey was a county park along the river, several miles away. We had a long journey ahead of us.


The first journey quickly became the only journey. The prefab fort/bike travel trailer was heavy. Really heavy. (My dad thought it might have been the thousands of nails we hammered into anything that would take a nail). The idea of pulling via the stingray was jettisoned in favor of a push assist from the back of the unit.  But that was okay, cuz we could see where we were turning because of the blinkers. The journey was epic, we knew we were doing something way ahead of its time. All the neighborhood kids were gathered to watch.  My sisters were even okay with using their red flyer wagons.


We were off. About 25 yards from our driveway, the first wagon lost its wheels, the metal flattened and the rubber part shredded due to the weight of the prefab fort. Not to be deterred, another wagon was summoned (my wagon). This worked... for about fifty yards when the second wagon lost its wheels - again flattened.  My sisters were already calling for mom.  This wasn't going to end well.  


By the time we made it to the corner of our street, all the wagons and all their wheels were flattened. It was metal on pavement. It wasn't pretty. The executive decision was made to return to the production facility (my backyard) using the hopelessly flattened wagon wheels. It was embarrassing. All the neighborhood kids watched our less than triumphant return. My sisters were crying.  My mom was mad. And dad wasn't even home yet (but he was due soon, as the 100 yard journey took most of the day).


The prefab fort lost its bike travel trailer status, finding a home on top of a couple of saw horses. We added a sterno stove and an old coleman cooler creating a kitchen. It was starting to get very cool. We had the only elevated prefabricated fort with blinkers, lights, a working radio with speakers, and now a kitchen, in the neighborhood.


And what was to be ideabox was born.


Next - the more recent story.

Jim to speak at Urban Land Institute Fall Meeting

ideabox co-founder and chief design guy Jim Russell was invited to speak at the Urban Land Institute's Fall Meeting, starting today in San Francisco. The annual meeting expects over 5,600 attendees over its four days and speaks to ULI's relevance to current real estate concerns in a rebuilding economy. 


Jim was asked to talk about his design and energy efficiency experience, and about the ideabox solution to small, designed, green and energy efficient prefab housing and its place in urban environments. Of particular interest is Jim's thoughts on "right sized" density applications and a reexamination of existing development models such as parks and land based condominium solutions. "We are looking forward to a lively discussion, there a lot of bright minds at ULI," Jim said. "Even in a challenging economy, we think good reality based design will result. There are a lot of people who are looking for a terrific lifestyle and a housing solution that is more about living than about keeping up a house."


Jim's session is on Wednesday. "It's terrific an organization like the Urban Land Institute recognizes what ideabox is doing. It speaks to our market relevance."


Hope to have interesting thoughts to write about after the presentation.  Enjoy the week!

wow! it's good to be fortino in seattle!

Thank you to all who came to the Seattle show - there are a lot of you!  While we were excited to introduce the new "fortino" to the world, we were a little nervous too... being a new design and all... you never know! Not to worry, the design and the quality of our new house was so well received, we are more excited by the response! 

We want to thank in harmony for their outstanding landscaping, let them re-introduce you to nature through your own backyard! Also, big thanks goes to modern design sofa who not only did a beautiful job with furnishings and artwork, they are also comfortably priced. Thanks to decks by jrw who made getting in and out of the house and gardens easy!


Also special thanks to the seattle home show who always does such a terrific job. It's always a well planned, well presented event. Seattle is lucky to have their spring and fall shows!


Introductory show pricing on the new "fortino" extends for orders received by December 15, 2009. It's a great price and if you're even close take advantage!


THANK YOU SEATTLE! Look for upcoming cool stuff from ideabox.

it was the night before the home show....

... and all through and all around the house, a lot of activity was stirring, fortunately nothing requiring a bouse, but almost! (look it up)  The new fortino house from ideabox is simply amazing, it truly is a modern home that lives well beyond its small footprint. Surrounded by a wonderful landscape designed and installed by Seattle's In Harmony, we've created a little oasis in the heart of the city.  The interior features furniture and artwork from Modern Design Sofa, bringing out the livability of the spaces.

It is a house that needs to be seen. The house is.... well.... it's really nice.


The Seattle Home Show is now - we can't wait to show you our new house!

ideabox announces show pricing

ideabox announces pricing for the new "fortino" model, set to debut this week at the Seattle Home Show.  The new 1,250 SF 2BR/2BA model, with the typical ideabox "its all in there" palette of materials and finishes, is being offered at $148,750. For orders placed by December 15, we're offering special show pricing at $142,250.  Further, for a $5,000 reservation deposit received at the show, we'll add an additional $1,000 toward furnishing your new ideabox with furniture from our Seattle Show furniture partner, modern design sofa.

For more information, come see us at the Seattle Home Show starting Thursday, October 22, 10:00 AM, at Qwest Field.  If you can't make it to the show and are interested in all the details, email us at tellmemore@ideabox.us or better yet, call 503.510.4789.

We hope you can see new "fortino" at the Seattle Home Show.  We can't wait to show it to you!

It's Monday of Show Week!

If you have visited our website lately you hopefully saw the countdown clock on the front page. At first it was kind of fun, one of those cool website features that makes the site more fun. When it went it up the novelty was great!  "Look at our countdown clock....!" we would exclaim.  Back then, the infamous little clock thing was counting down from sixty days. Time was on our side. It was fun!


Today I took a look and it's like TWO days away.... and the emphasis has shifted from "how cool is this" to "wow, it's only TWO days away!" 


We are so excited to present this house. The "fortino"  represents a new urban emphasis for ideabox with a design that works as easily on a tight infill lot as it does on a site with territorial views. It's why we worked with the Seattle Home Show to present it.  It's why we have such a great team demonstrating what you can do with landscape, decks, and furnishings..


We look forward to seeing you "at the show!"

urb-appeal enroute

It's on its way! The newest dwelling from ideabox left this morning bright and early and has now literally arrived Seattle. Tomorrow it will move into the Qwest Field conference center next to the stadium. Of course, the Seahawks need to play their game first - but once they're done, we're moving in. A lot of activity begins both inside and outside the house - but in a couple of days it's like the house was always there, except for the whole living in Qwest Conference Center thing.


It is an amazing transformation. First, the house in installed by Ivy Construction who put the two pieces together and make it a complete house. Our guys get everything all ready on the inside. All the while, landscaping by In Harmony will be taking shape around the outside.  Decks will be built by Decks by JRW. Then the modern  furniture from Modern Design Sofas will complete the installation. The whole thing is orchestrated by Mike Kalian and the Seattle Home Show crew who have an amazing ability to handle any and everything.


And then it's on with the show!  More to follow, stay tuned...


The new "fortino" by ideabox. We can't wait to show it to you!

Are you ready? We are!

It's almost showtime! A new generation of ideabox is about to begin with The Seattle Home Show and the official introduction of our new house. It's exciting for us who have lived with the design from the initial concepts through design development to walking through the finished product.

In the last week the quartz composite kitchen & bath counters and the concrete and broken glass island counters were installed. Following that the stainless Kitchenaid appliances completed the kitchen and the Kohler Ying Yang vessel sinks and fixtures were installed in the baths. The finishing touches to a northwest modern design.

With our incredible fall weather of bright blue skies, crispy air, and changing colors we've had all six of the 8' tall sliding glass doors open swallowing it all up! We can't wait to get the decks off all the rooms, the very cool landscaping surrounding the house by in harmony sustainable landscapes, and interiorscape by modern design sofas.

And if that isn't enough, (I mean you would think that is enough already), we are planning on some exciting "purchasing opportunities" we'll be announcing shortly.

A quick aside - I had a couple of meetings in Seattle yesterday - one of those quick up and back days on I-5. Except that yesterday offered a truly breathtaking fall sunrise, cascading layers of fog and sun, and the color of the trees coming to life as the sun rose higher in the sky. And then leaving Seattle to catch that awe inspiring vision of Mt. Rainier against a foreground of changing leaves glistening in the afternoon sun. Then, almost like nature's own sequel, equal views of Mt. Saint Helen against the later evening sky.

It's that stuff that makes life.... life!

Terrific turnout from Green+Solar Tour

Saturday provided a bright and crisp fall day for the Salem Green+Solar Tour. It was a terrific soft opening for the new ideabox fortino modern prefab. The new house was universally received beyond expectation. (Especially because the house isn't finished yet!) We are looking forward to the "official" debut in Seattle, October 22-25, at Qwest Field.

I want to thank all of you who came to see the new house. Not only is it great to see you, your comments contribute to the development of our models. Hoping those of you who we pointed in the direction of our local wineries found them!

Also want to thank Cindy, Taylor, Greg, Buzz and Black Rock Salem for sharing your time, talents, and coffee with our guests.

Saturday was our third year participating on the Salem tour. You can see in the questions, comments, and conversations that the conceptual aspects of living more efficiently is moving past concept and to reality. Awareness and education has certainly grown. More people were working on new construction or remodeling projects employing improved thermal shell applications and active solar technologies. As solar PV production increases in Oregon plants and newer technologies find their way to the market, the reality of site power generation could be entering into its renaissance.

Exciting times.

fortino SNEAK PEEK 09

We're very excited to offer a sneak peek of the new fortino, tomorrow (October 3) from 11 to 4. The house isn't completely finished yet, but enough that you can walk through, experience the spaces, and see what green modern living can be like. Black Rock Coffee of Salem is sponsoring what we are now calling, "sneak peek 09" offering free coffee drinks at its Lancaster location (w/ coupon).

Saturday will be a great day to enjoy a brisk fall afternoon in Oregon. Visit Salem, see the next big thing in small living from ideabox, enjoy a Black Rock coffee drink, maybe check out a few wineries or a pumpkin patch, (find some of those apple cinnamon donuts...). For information, please call 503.510.4789 or visit http://www.ideabox.us

PREVIEW "fortino" SATURDAY OCT 3 in Salem

While it won't be completely finished, the new fortino will be close enough to have a PREVIEW OPEN HOUSE. In conjunction with the Salem Green+Solar Home Tour, Saturday, October 3, from 11 to 4, both the ideabox campus and the fortino will be open.

We are very excited to preview the new fortino as it finishes up for its debut at the Seattle Home Show. For more information, directions, or questions, call us at 503.510.4789 or email at tellmemore@ideabox.us

it's about passion

ideabox is a concept derived from passion. A passion for designing houses that make living in and around them fun. About putting together a house that uses very little energy. Finding the right blend of materials. And mostly about bringing a little smile to your face every time you open the front door!

A lot of that little smile comes from a passion for design. Looking for solutions that find a balance of space, playing with natural light, finding forms that speak to the lifestyle inside & out! It's also a passion to integrate both energy & resource efficiency with style and presence. And a passion to deliver a very cool solution cost effectively mixing terrific products and appropriate pricing.

All that passion is only as good as its execution. For that you need a passionate construction team. A team of craftsman who take the time to do it right - the first time, every time. Engineering that performs, materials solutions that answer crazy design requirements, and a building team that is all over the crafting of a home.

The new "fortino" house is an incredible example of a design solution realized. You have to check it out - it will amaze you. It amazes us! And we're around it a lot! Seattle can't come soon enough..... we can't wait to show it to you.

Thoughts from a Home Show

If you follow ideabox, (and this blog), you'll know we were at the recently completed Portland Home & Garden Show. It was a great show, this year being a combined event featuring boats, RV's, and home and garden. A very professionally presented show featuring terrific displays by all the vendors, creative features including a room decorating competition, landscaping displays and plant sales, all surrounded by RV motor homes, trailers, and water craft.

I am always amazed by the amount of talent and innovation found at shows like these. Among the big product manufacturers were weaved landscape design and installation firms, interior designers, craftsman builders, and an ever widening array of new products by the larger manufacturers. There was a display by the ever clever smart car in one area of the show, and not far away an $800K motor mansion on wheels. Something we keyed into and will explore is a prefabricated shed roofed carport with a roof of PV panels - a terrific solution to proper solar orientation combined with a terrific use.

But the real reason for this post is to quickly comment on how positive the audience was. You couldn't help but get a sense of more confidence in the economy - more people searching for solutions, more enthusiasm for doing things, a better feel for where things are going.

Also wanted to thank all of you who came by our little booth in Portland. The response to the drawings of the new house was incredible. (I literally just left the production facility and have to admit "fortino" will be even more special than drawings can depict. Look out Seattle!)

New fortino being well received in Portland

We are delighted with the response to the soft unveiling of the new "fortino" at the Portland Home & Garden Show, running through Sunday at the Portland Expo. Though we've brought poster graphics and flyers for the new house at our booth here at the show, the reaction has been terrific. The house itself is under construction, on schedule for its debut coming up in Seattle.

It's been an encouraging show as people have a lot more confidence in their own economic position. More discussions about projects, more excitement in the air.

If you're looking for something "cool" to do this weekend, get out of the heat at the air conditioned Portland Expo. Come see us at booth 814 for a sneak peek!

It's Sunday at the Portland Home Show. It's been a great four days, people are excited, looking forward to Seattle!

Visit our booth at the Portland Home & Garden Show, today thru Sunday at the Expo. We have drawings & info on the new "fortino" house now underway!

new fortino underway

Construction has begun on the next big thing in small living. "fortino" by ideabox explores a new design direction. A little more modern, some new materials, fortino continues our quest of offering green built energy efficient prefab homes that are all about an active lifestyle.

The two pictures show a section of the "fortino" floor in its early stages of construction. The 2x8 floor framing is being insulated after the engineered insulated duct work and plumbing lines have been placed. While the floor was being built, the interior and exterior walls and the roof were under construction in another location. The second image shows the same floor, now with the walls and roof in place.

A couple quick observations... note the lack of waste material. At every opportunity building materials are ordered to length and size with little to no excess. Being built to ENERGY STAR and eco-rated standards, the insulation is carefully placed and will be fully lofted before sheathing is placed.

Keep checking - we'll continue to add images as the house comes together.

ideabox booth at portland's fall home & garden show

While we won't have a house with us at the upcoming Portland Fall Home & Garden Show, (September 10 - 13, at the Portland Expo), we will have a cool booth with big graphics and renderings of the new "fortino" model, as well as drawings of all our houses.

We are very excited about the new fortino house. Completely new, fortino offers terrific "urb" appeal, an urban loft like lifestyle anywhere you want to be. Retaining ideabox energy & resource efficiency, the new design lives inside out, equally perfect for a small urban lot or a country view property.

The Portland Fall Home & Garden Show will be the first time we show this new house in any form. Kind of a "soft" unveiling. We'd love to show it to you. And if you're in the market for a new house, come see us about introductory pricing.

The whole thing is fun, forward thinking, and we're looking forward to sharing the new fortino.

the next generation

reaching out

There is so much going on in the world of ideabox. As indicated in the previous blog post, we're excited by the continued interest in our houses and the very cool applications and projects people have for them. What is more interesting to me is all of the cool things our visitors are doing, what they're about, the places they are going or have been to, the lives being lived. It's a very cool world.

So this is a quick blog entry to simply say we are working on sharing all of this cool stuff via the web social communication stuff. The website is a given, so we added this blog. We're a little late in the blog game, but in short order it will be cool. We've also become part of the facebook community. And now the twitter community.

We're hoping to build the same experiences we have here at the ideabox world headquarters on the web. The sharing of cool stories. The amazing things we all do.

Stay tuned - there is some cool stuff coming from ideabox in the very near future.... But more on that later.....

A Summer of Possibilities

We want to thank all the people who are coming by the ideabox world headquarters this summer. It's been a little warm in the heart of the Willamette Valley, making it very "cool" to see all of you. Keep coming!

What a summer it has been. With the range, diversity and creativity of projects we are working on, it's exciting to see all the possibilities out there. From Southern California to British Columbia, and some incredible locations in between, ideabox offers unique product applications that perfectly adapt to a wide variety of lifestyle solutions. It's exciting.

All this activity speaks to continuing trends in lifestyle choices. We're seeing more people who are realizing there are better, cooler, more interesting ways to live. At the center is where people want to live, how much "house" they want to manage, and how the definition of space is more important than how much space... all the stuff ideabox has been focusing on for years.

It seems everywhere you look people are caring more about where things come from. We want to know what went into a product, who created it, what was the thought process, why is it cool.

There seems to be a renaissance of meaning, a value system to make decisions by. In this age of instant information via electronic delivery systems, it's the human element reasserting itself.

"Meaning" speaks to the questions and observations we experience at ideabox. People are finding value in the "how" ideabox came to be - that it's an effort that grew out of a desire to blend architecture, energy efficiency, green materials and methods, and prefab construction. Another observation we hear a lot is an appreciation that ideabox is a small company - not some large corporately owned entity following a market trend.

Anyway - it's the "Summer of Possibilities!" It's very exciting!

speaking of summer

Sometimes you go to places and realize just what a great thing life is. Imagine waking up to this view! And on a business trip no less. Should you ever want to go fishing in Canada, let us know and we'll steer you here! I'm on Vancouver Island, in Beautiful British Columbia, on the western shore. Summer in Canada - they tell me it's like this all the time! I'm telling you, this ideabox thing goes to amazing places....

Report from Orcas

Summer + ideabox + Orcas Island = Amazing! The Pacific Northwest is a special place. Nothing exemplifies this more than Orcas Island. For ideabox, we feel privileged to have the cottage house located on this idyllic site. The design works perfectly, capturing the incredible views of the waters and islands beyond. Add the expansive deck, the house literally extends the living space beyond the walls. You become a part of your surroundings, and being on Orcas Island that's a great thing!

summer in ideaboxland

Ahhh... it's summer and houses are finding their sites. And more are on the way! Here are two new ideabox confluence installations, both engaging their remarkable sites. For us seeing our houses integrated on to their sites and becoming their own unique places is the real fun of ideabox.

June in the San Juans

Nothing better when the sun is shining in the San Juan Islands. Blue skies, green trees, the waters of the sound, in one of the worlds more unique locations, can life be any more perfect than this???

Here are a couple of preview shots of an ideabox cottage on Orcas Island. With all the glass, the house takes in the incredible views created by this incredible place. The deck practically reaches outside to the views beyond making the living experience truly special.

We will post more of some of the incredible places ideabox homes get to go!

Hope you are enjoying a terrific beginning to Summer 2009!

just walking down the street

It's amazing weather. And coffee is... well... necessary. So, it makes sense to get out and take a walk. The Blue Pepper in downtown Salem has a cool sign, and great coffee. With the blue sky, the old building, and the aforementioned sign, just had to take the picture! If you're looking for great coffee while visiting our state capital, check them out....

that was quick!

Wow! Bring in a house, add a deck, maybe a garden and look out! The ideabox @ port townsend is really looking nice. A new geo deck leads to a garden beyond that truly brings living inside an ideabox outside. All within a small lot that defines big modern living in a small carbon footprint.

If you're in the Port Townsend area and want to visit, do so soon! Contact Charlie Arthur, RE/MAX First, 360.344.3930. Charlie has other lots in the Port Townsend area perfect for creating your easy living ideabox solution!

spring at the box!

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. The sun is shining, and it looks like it might even be warm! A perfect weekend for wine tasting and visiting the coolest modern prefab in the northwest! We're here this weekend. Call for your own appointment (503.510.4789).... Come see us!

sunshine!

The sun is out in force - what an amazing weekend in the Pacific Northwest. With all this sunshine comes energy and excitement. Our trees all around us here at the ideabox campus are filled with chirping birds, it's a great time to be in Oregon.

All sorts of ideabox activity with houses under construction, houses being installed, new exciting houses coming soon, and projects in development.

If you are in the area, please stop by. Look for the table on the deck, if it's there we're there! (With the sunshine we're trying to ride bikes... you know, do our part, get in shape, enjoy the weather...)

The Next Phase

ideabox + cube is supported to new FEMA 100 Year Flood standards. Ironically, much like most of the early homes built in the valley. Perimeter structural walls are next , and hopefully spring like weather!

installation begins

With the confluence + cube on site and positioned, the installation process begins. The pieces are fastened together, the foundation system is placed and soon after services are connected. Because the house is virtually complete when it arrives, the transition from a grass field to livable home happens quickly.

coming together

With incredible precision, the ideabox cube is positioned into place alongside the main confluence house.

cube delivery

It's delivery day. A new ideabox confluence + cube is brought to its building site awaiting installation. The building site, a grassy field located in a small rural Oregon town, will quickly transform into a new modern garden home.

been awhile

It's been awhile!

So much has changed in a couple of years. We have a line-up of houses, ranging from the 400 SF park model of our first post, to the "cottage," the "confluence", and "cubes." Each model offers big time living in small space - and each is built to resource and energy efficient standards. We have some terrific projects installed, ranging from the north rim of the Grand Canyon to Orcas Island. And some terrific projects coming. As they come together we'll post them.

With the economy presenting its obvious challenges, the ideabox concept of living has really taken form. More people realize that with a cool small scale home solution available, the concept of downsizing is very doable. Combined with materials that are both green and easy maintenance, you can live without the hassles of a full blown house. Another huge benefit of the ideabox lifestyle is true savings in energy efficiency by virtue of our certified ENERGY STAR and EARTH ADVANTAGE construction..... not to mention smaller footprint.

As we get pictures of cool installations we will post them - we have some amazing houses on very cool sites with views that are nothing short of amazing. All take advantage of the lifestyles around them - from the wine country of Oregon to island living in the San Juan's. It's all very fun and very active.

More to come! Get out there and enjoy this amazing spring!