A Mid-Century Modern Techbuilt House

A one of a kind, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 29900 Highmeadow sits comfortably on a crest overlooking the other homes around it through expansive panes of glass and cleverly elegant framework. This home is known as a Techbuilt.

Techbuilt was a company founded Carl Koch in the early 1950s. He was educated at Harvard College and received a Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He attended Harvard alongside Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus. After receiving his architectural training at Harvard, Koch taught architecture at MIT.

First introduced in 1953, the Techbuilt house was a low-cost, semi-factory-built modern style house, which used modular construction. It was based on a consistent four-foot wide module for all major building components such as wall, floor, and roof panels. The pieces were delivered by truck and could be erected in a few days. In some cases, the owners also purchased carports or garages. Carl Koch received an award in 1954 from the American Institute of Architects for his innovative mentality and success as by the end of 1957, Techbuilt homes had been constructed in thirty-two states. He was also named “The Grandfather of Prefab” by Progressive Architecture magazine in 1994.

29900 Highmeadow was originally designed and purchased with a custom-built clerestory garage partially attached to the main house by the roofline. It is showcased on the front of the Techbuilt Idea catalogue and known as the E House – based on the style of design. It started out as a large one-bedroom house with unfinished areas that were capable of evolution to satisfy the needs of the owner. It now has 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a half bath off the kitchen, making it perfect for entertaining.

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The Techbuilt homes are characterized by simplicity of shape, low pitched roofs and overhanging eaves with the extensive use of glass, especially on the wide glazed gabled ends. When it comes to E House, one gabled end gives a beautiful view of the front yard and an outdoor escape to a patio for lounging or dining. The opposite gabled end has a view of the quaint courtyard between the house and garage. All gabled windows on this side of the house showcase the ability to display an automobile through a large elevated clerestory glass panel in the garage. This distinctive trait is paired with beams attaching the roof from house to garage framing the courtyard, a feature that was custom designed by the original owner and builders. The yard has a gorgeous Copper Beech tree which is over 50 years old. It is perfectly symmetrical and shades the lot with its beautiful copper dripping leaves. This is one of the most exceptional features of the property, along with the Dogwood tree which graces the entrance with a blanket of white flowers in the Spring. This tree’s strong horizontal lines compliment those of the house.

The Techbuilt houses incorporated various structural innovations including the use of steel posts and wooden beams for support rather than load bearing walls. This can be seen throughout E House as the beams were cased and represented as part of the modern atmosphere. The other upside to this type of architecture is the ability to evolve in the future. Without load bearing walls, there are endless possibilities of open layout designs without restriction. Many Techbuilt homes have a chimney matching the exterior brick extending through both levels on each of which embraces its own fireplace. E House features this epic design with the main level fireplace featuring a wood storage area and matching brick hearth. The second level loft fireplace includes a cantilevered steel floating hearth. 

In keeping with Techbuilt philosophy, the houses are typically set into a natural and wooded landscape. E House is set back off the road ensuring privacy and a peaceful atmosphere. The placement on the lot and architectural roofline is the only Techbuilt in the neighborhood with these attributes and the only one I have ever seen documented aside from the Techbuilt Idea magazine. This high elevation also gives a treehouse feeling from the top of the upper level and a true feeling of being in the forest. The bottom floor looks at the wooded backyard at ground level yielding the same atmosphere.

The Techbuilt House was featured in various national publications including Better Homes and Gardens and Parents Magazine and was awarded the American Institute of Architects “Best Development House” Award.