Steel’s inherent qualities, coupled with artful design and inventive fabrication, have yielded a beautiful and highly functional building for an internationally recognized children’s institute that provides transformational programs for children, families, schools and communities.

Situated on the bucolic campus of Starr Commonwealth in Albion, Mich., USA, Koby Cottage is the first building to employ the Kullman Frame System (KFS), which uses hollow steel tube frames in a Vierendeel Truss configuration to create very rigid and efficient modular frames.

Amongst numerous residential, recreational, classroom and other buildings on the Albion campus, Koby Cottage’s singular purpose is to provide an intimate and comfortable living space for resident teens and their visiting parents, away from regular dormitories.

Creator of Koby Cottage, James Garrison, of Garrison Architects, took inspiration for his design concept from the owner of Kullman Industries and his wife. He credits an unusually close collaboration with them for the fruition of the design, which is extremely sensitive to the interaction of teenagers and their families. The Kullman Industries owner also donated funds for the design and construction of the building.

The basic floor-plan of the 1,100-sq-ft Koby Cottage is an “X” form. Opposite wings of the X contain sleeping quarters, providing separate retreats for the teens and their families. A dining table in the center where the two legs cross provides a neutral meeting spot, an arrangement that allows both privacy and interaction, as families may desire.

Steel’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for this innovative structure. It enables expressive executions, such as use of the long cantilevers and Cor-ten® skin of Koby Cottage, and incorporation of relatively small structural pieces.

Its rigidity not only provides a relatively light-weight and very stable structure, it also enables the modular components to easily withstand vibration, flexing and general shifting about during transit from factory to job site. It also fosters reliable erection on site.

The KFS enables architectural innovations including a structural window system that supports the roof and a high-velocity hvac system of sleeved ducts that run inside the structural square and rectangular steel tubes. Once the pre-fabricated components were on-site and thanks to a proprietary patented connection system that minimizes field finishing and speeds construction, it took just two weeks to complete erecting the structure and button it up.

Garrison Architects, located in the DUMBO district in Brooklyn, New York, approaches projects through a process of extensive research that responds to the current economic, cultural, technical and environmental challenges. The firm integrates this critical approach with a highly refined modernist aesthetic.

This has enabled Garrison Architects to collaborate with an extensive group of designers, engineers, and manufacturers to create truly innovative work in industrialized building processes and sustainable design.

Kullman Industries is a leader in the modular building industry, advancing the state-of-the-art with ingenuity and innovations such as KFS. The company began building roadside diners in 1927 with great artistry and innovative use of materials such as stainless steel and Formica surfaces. As the U.S. Interstate Highway system grew in mid-century, these quintessential American roadside icons faded.

In response, the company coined the term "accelerated construction" and began constructing buildings in its factory using a process free from the uncertainties of weather, site conditions and contractor relations. Accelerated, or factory, construction uses the same building materials and labor found on any project site, but with extra measures of quality control, predictability, and savings of time and money.

The latest in a line of innovations, KFS comprises fabricated tubular sections that are more compact and require less welding than use of wide flange beams. The company expects to put up buildings of up to 12 storeys using KFS.