The Blue Sky Homes Building System^TM has been developed to allow us to build a high-quality custom home in about six weeks.  The system is comprised of four key features:

Light-gauge steel framing
Our homes are framed like no others.  We use mostly cold-formed, light-gauge galvanized steel to create a bi-directional, moment-resisting frame. 

We believe that steel is a superior product to traditional wood framing because steel is a consistent material, does not warp, twist or rot, is not a host for insects or mold and does not spread fire.  Click here to learn more about why steel.

Because the main elements of our proprietary frame are made of light-gauge steel, they are able to be erected by hand and do not require on-site welding, torque tools or specialized welding inspections.  This allows an entire house to be framed and enclosed in less than five days.

Click here to download a detailed explanation of the benefits of our framing methodology.

Factory fabrication / site assembly
All of the elements for the Blue Sky Homes Building System are fabricated in a factory setting to exacting tolerances.  Everything required to build the home arrives at the construction site in a sequenced fashion, ready to be added to the structure.  This allows the house to be built quickly and efficiently, eliminating on-site cutting or drilling and limiting the number of site trips by contractors.

This part of our system allows us to complete the entire envelope of the house – frame, walls and roof – in less than a week.

In some of our homes we offer a factory built “core,” where the bathroom, hot water tank, air handler, washer/dryer and electrical subpanel are all located.  This unit is constructed in a factory, shipped to the job site as a pre-assembled element and lifted into place with a small crane.  The only on-site work required is hooking up plumbing and electrical to the “core,” which takes dramatically less time than it traditionally takes to install these elements on-site.

Flexible design
Because our system utilizes a moment-resisting frame, the only structural components are columns at the corners of the building and along the perimeter walls.  This means that there is no need for load bearing or shear walls, inside or outside the house.  This allows us to create large open spaces that can be customized into limitless configurations. 

Our system is based on 500-square-foot segments that can be combined in any combination to create houses of any horizontal configuration and up to three stories tall.  In addition, all of our homes have been designed around standardized dimensions, making it easy to relaocate elements during the customization process and to use commonly available materials to keep costs down.

Because our frame carries all of the structural load, the exterior cladding of our homes is solely cosmetic and can be customized to create any look that the homeowner desires – including steel, stone, wood or virtually any other material.  The interior walls will accommodate traditional drywall finishes as well as plaster, wood or any other material used in a traditional home.

Finally, unlike “pre-fab” competitors, Blue Sky Homes ships elements of the house as opposed to completed modules.  Thus our designs are not restricted to heights and widths that can be shipped down a highway on a flatbed truck.  This allows us to create homes with large open spaces that bear no resemblance to the modified trailer home look of many pre-fab offerings.

High sustainability
Everything we do, from the way we build our homes to the way our homes will function over their lifespan, is done with sustainability in mind.  Beyond just using “green” materials, we take into consideration the durability and lifecycle of the home, waste of materials and time and health aspects of the home.

Our framing is made from approximately 70 percent recycled materials and is itself 100 percent recyclable.  Our base model home uses wood only in cabinetry and our options allow homeowners to choose to use FSC [Forest Stewardship Certified] or reclaimed wood for flooring, external siding and cabinetry.  The other materials that we have chosen for finishes are focused on reuse and the ability to replenish.

A key component of our system is waste reduction – up to 40 percent of the weight of materials delivered to a traditional home construction site ends up as waste.  Our factory fabrication process virtually eliminates on-site waste.  All scraps from the manufacturing process and the limited scraps on site are returned for recycling.  In addition to drastically reducing material waste, our system also reduces process waste – fewer trips to the project site, limited correcting of errors and fewer trade workers s required.

Our system also creates homes that are much more durable than those created with traditional building methodologies.  Steel is our key element, which offers a much greater lifespan than wood construction.  Our bi-directional moment-resisting frame is also much less susceptible to damage from earthquakes and storms than standard framing.  Unlike wood framing our steel system is impervious to insects, will not twist or crack as the weather changes and is highly resistant to fire.
 
Finally, we are creating homes that are healthier for inhabitants.  Unlike traditional wood framing, the steel frame does not foster mold growth and does not need to be treated with noxious chemicals to repel insects or prevent fire.