Recession blues for green prefab housing

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Chalk up another victim of the recession: green prefab architecture firm Michelle Kaufmann Designs.

As reported in our sister blog Culture Monster, Michelle Kaufmann confirmed that the Oakland-based firm would close by the end of this week. Kaufmann Designs was an innovator in the modern prefab movement, hailed by architects for its sleek designs and by environmentalists for its energy-saving features and minimal construction waste.

But green prefab has yet to catch on big with the public and, like conventional construction, has been hit hard by slumping demand and tight financing.

-- Marla Dickerson