Update 5/18/09: This Blue Sky Homes prototype is complete!

Just the other day, we mentioned a beautiful green home designed by o2 architecture, but they’ve also been involved with another interesting company, Blue Sky Homes. Blue Sky Homes was created to be a next generation prefab company — they’ve developed a system to construct homes faster, stronger, greener, cheaper, and easier than standard industry practice. The Blue Sky Homes Building System involves fabricating the elements of the home in a factory and assembling those pieces on the job site. And they’re testing this system on a 1,000 square foot prototype home in Yucca Valley right now.

The prototype is being built with steel, but it’s actually a light-gauge, cold-formed steel, which incorporates recycled steel in a less-intense and more affordable process. With this process, Blue Sky Homes can produce strong homes and quick on-site assembly. More specifically, footings to envelope = ~ 5 days, and entire home construction = ~ seven weeks.

Blue Sky Homes is planning a full catalog of home designs for future release, and pricing information will be forthcoming as well. Their designs incorporate a number of green elements and products: bamboo and FSC-certified cabinetry, solar PV, solar hot water panels, grey water system, low-VOC paints, high-performance double-E windows and doors, Energy Star appliances, efficient STEPs (steel thermal efficiency panels), and the allowance of abundant natural light.

The Yucca Valley Prototype House began construction on March 10, 2009, and we’re excitedly monitoring progress on Blue Sky Homes’ website to see the finished home. If these renderings are any indicator, the home will be an absolute stunner. You watch.

Photos from construction starting March 10, 2009.

Photo credits: Blue Sky Homes; rendering credits: o2 Architecture.