Through a consortium of local, state, and community development organizations, the urban vacant lots that dot downtown St. Louis are beginning to be occupied by sustainable, affordable, modular homes built by Homeway Homes of Illinois.  Featuring bamboo floors, Low-E Energy Star windows, high efficient HVAC and other aspects designed to conserve water and energy, the first house, small at 1,360 square feet but with three bedrooms and two baths, was recently installed on its precast foundation.
EcoUrban, the redevelopment firm spearheading the project, says one of the highlights is the use of high performance SPF insulation made by NCFI Polyurethanes that effectively seals all mechanical and electrical openings throughout the house, according to SprayFoam.com.  This provides a leakage rate of under 10 percent as well as excellent air quality.  Seven additional homes are on the planning board. MHMSM.com first reported on this trend last year in  ‘Some Say the Future for Manufactured Homes Is Downtown‘ by Eric Miller.