M-House by Michael Jantzen

Los Angeles-based architect Michael Jantzen was dedicated to studying and creating sustainable architecture, prefabricated housing and CO2-neutral living situations long before the terms became hot-words of a newly incentivized crew of contemporary eco-friendly contractors. Jantzen, who studied under Richard Buckminster Fuller (a guru of ecological design-thinking) in the 1970s, has finally established himself as one of the greats through his “M-House.” Built from the M-vironment system – a wide variety of manipulatable components that can be connected in many different ways to a matrix of modular support frames – the M-House consists of a series of rectangular panels that are attached with hinges to an open space frame grid of seven interlocking cubes. Designed to function either as a single private vacation retreat or as a high-tech resort complex, the structure is entirely self sufficient, powered by alternative and sustainable energy sources such as the sun and the wind. Although it may look like something a Bond villain would dwell in, the M-House is a great example of architecture that’s “doing good.” Read more from EDITION29 ARCHITECTURE Issue 006.