S²A Northern California MegaFactory: 300 Park Center Drive Patterson, CA 95363 … Contact online >>
S²A Northern California MegaFactory: 300 Park Center Drive Patterson, CA 95363
The first electrically self-sustaining, custom luxury homes are changing the way the
S²A Modular keeps it all under one roof in our many 100,000-plus Sq. Ft.
S²A Modular believes in sustainability, producing clean energy combined with
Like Sasha Jokic, founder of building startup Cosmic, points out, "homes count for roughly 45% of all the U.S CO2 emissions, with the vast majority of those emissions (87%) attributed to fossil fuel-fired heating, cooling, and hot water." The necessary response from the housing sector is therefore clear: it must aim for carbon-neutral, energy-efficient homes that, unlike many cases, must be affordable to be accessible at a massive scale. Once that is prioritized with the necessary urgency, we can begin to dream of really tackling the devastating effects of the ongoing climate crisis.
To reshape the housing sector, the first step is to question the way today''s homes are being built. The second is to adopt an entirely new approach and allocate resources accordingly. With this in mind, Cosmic has developed the first end-to-end housing development chain for fully electric, self-powered homes. Their first product is an innovative ADU (accessory dwelling unit) prototype that brings extra living space and pays for itself by self-generating clean energy. Also referred to as an autonomous backyard home, it produces zero emissions and avoids the irresponsible depletion of natural resources, seeking to improve people''s health and wellbeing.
A standardized system that reshapes residential construction
In an effort to deliver these self-powered homes at a massive scale, it was necessary to come up with an innovative modular construction system. Traditionally, projects are built in one-offs, meaning that design, engineering and construction costs are not shared between different projects. On the contrary, Cosmic''s approach treats buildings like a product, creating an iterative system with the goal of achieving efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
The result is a standardized building template centered around a modular, all-electric building chassis, which besides acting as a foundation system, includes built-in mechanical, electric and plumbing systems. These can be combined in practically endless ways without having to engineer each project individually from the ground up.
While the chassis is made of metal and wood, the joists, joints and decking are made of tubes and sheet metal. The roof is made of standing seam metal and other structural elements are composed of sustainably sourced wood. Similar to other prefab constructions, all of these components are initially built in a factory and then transported in flat pack containers to the building site. Since the module''s maximum weight is 600 pounds (272 kilograms), offload and assembly require only a small telehandler, avoiding the use of cranes. Altogether, the standardized design improves predictability, minimizes costs and accelerates project delivery by 50%.
Generating more energy than is consumed
Apart from offering additional living space, this tiny house stands out because of its ability to generate more energy than it consumes. This doesn''t just offset energy on the ADU itself, but also provides heating, cooling and power to the main home or any electric vehicle.
ADU is able to generate and store both electricity and thermal energy when it''s most efficient and cheapest and then distribute it into the household when it''s needed. – Sasha Jokic, Cosmic founder
But how is this achieved? Simply put, by integrating smart, innovative systems. This includes full scale solar panels in the roof and hybrid energy storage – thermal storage systems and lithium-ion batteries. In addition, the self-sufficient home features a heat pump for smart heating and cooling, as well as an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation System) that exchanges indoor air with fresh outdoor air for excellent air quality. To operate all of these technologies in a centralized manner, each ADU also incorporates an electric control panel.
When combined, these features enable sustainable living, eliminating the dependence on fossil fuels and emphasizing user wellbeing. But what''s unique to Cosmic''s ADU is that this doesn''t compromise affordability. By producing extra clean energy, electricity bills are drastically reduced and, eventually, the home is able to pay for itself. Thanks to the Cosmic ESA (Energy Service Agreement), owners can obtain the tiny home for no upfront cost, earn credits by generating energy and make monthly payments for full ownership, placing sustainability within everyone''s reach.
Sustainability without sacrificing good design
Like any industrial process that results in affordable housing alternatives, there is a risk of completely compromising aesthetics, comfort and creative freedom. While maintaining the efficiency of the standardized process, Cosmic presents a different scenario. The ADUs come in two different sizes that act as the base, but enable multiple layouts: Cosmic Studio and Cosmic One. While the first is a 350 square feet (33 square meters) multifunctional space to live and work, the second is a 700 square feet (65 square meters) two-bedroom, one-bath house with a roof terrace.
Made with the same natural, non-toxic materials, both models are characterized by a modern minimalistic style that is timeless, comfortable and versatile. In particular, the wall panels are made of cross-laminated timber and different types of plywood. Whereas flooring is made of engineered hardwood, cladding options include stained cedar (in black, grey or natural finishes) and composite panels in a copper tone, allowing the user to choose the desired aesthetic.
Exploring the future of the built environment
As Sasha Jokic indicates, "climate warming and the global pandemic have reshaped our living environment, and we are not going back." As this becomes more evident, a new building standard that points towards flexible, energy-efficient homes must be adopted. Existing efforts are definitely not sufficient – and those that are remain at a price point that is out of reach for many. Certainly, the industry has a lot of catching up to do.
But by creating well-designed, all-electric modular homes at a lower cost like Cosmic''s, it''s possible to imagine a greener lifestyle that simultaneously tackles the aggravating housing crisis. Of course, architecture is a broad industry and there are many other routes to explore, but the key seems to be evident: for people to take part of their sustainable future, they must be given access to the necessary tools and technologies. This way, they gain the power to improve their own built environment (and their quality of life in the process).
Cosmic has built its first prototype and will start selling in the U.S during the second semester of 2022. To learn more, visit their website.
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S2A Modular is the creator of the first-ever electrically self-sustaining custom luxury home, utilising high-end design and materials, faster construction speed, premium appliance features and smart-connected living. Self-sustaining power utilising Tesla Powerwall technology and solar panels, along with many other features enables surplus energy income to be generated by exporting power to utilities. The company is currently building a new MegaFactory with a floor space in excess of 100,000 square feet. This will enable it to build homes in a controlled environment with the latest state-of-the-art appliances, smartphone-controlled settings and other components already pre-installed.
S2A Modular basically builds modular renewable energy smart homes, and not only homes but commercial as well. Apartments, homes, hospitality, we''re involved in all of that. I have a partner in John Rollins, he''s the President of the company and he''s been in real estate and construction for about 30 years now. His background is mainly construction. I''m 55 and I''ve been in real estate since 1985. My background is condo conversion and development as well. We came together as a team about a year ago to go 100 percent modular and to build a factory.
We''re starting in California, where both John and I live. We''re building a factory here, in southern California. I think initially the first 200-500 homes are going to be west coast based. We already have orders for about that number, California mainly, I would say about 90 percent of the homes. Then we have an order for 62 homes in Montana. It''s funny though, we''re getting orders from all over now, and we''re also getting orders in different countries. Instead of shipping those orders, we''re looking simply to build a factory in those and oversee them, almost like a franchise concept.
That''s interesting you mentioned other countries, which countries in particular?
We have three, actually four people in front of us wanting to do this, but three countries. China is number one, there are some people there who approached John and I asked if they could take the identical concept and put it in China. We would oversee all that. There''s someone in Mexico that wants to do the same, and we''re in very interesting talks right now with a company that wants to do this in Pakistan. We''ll see how it develops but right now John and I are focused on getting the factory running and moving forward in California and the west coast for now.
Who will be able to afford these homes? What is your target market?
About Modular renewable energy smart homes
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