Smart Home is made up of seven modules that were constructed by All American Homes in Decatur, Indiana. The modules were made on an assembly line over the course of about three weeks and then delivered to the museum’s east lawn, where the house was set in place within 48 hours.
 

The curators of the Museum of Science and Industry’s just-opened Smart Home, a sustainable modular house, played it smart when they hired Michele Fitzpatrick to head up the interior design effort. Fitzpatrick, owner of the green-centric home decor showroom Verde, brought together a dream team of local furniture makers and other eco-minded craftspeople to furnish the three bedroom, two-bath house, called mkSolaire, which was created by California-based architect Michelle Kaufmann (michellekaufmann.com). Look for chandeliers made out of repurposed objects by Ted Harris; Lisa Elkins’s coffee table made from ash trees that had been ravaged by the emerald ash borer beetle; accent lighting made out of discarded PVC pipes by Bruce Tharp; and more. "Every piece has a recycled story," says Fitzpatrick. You can check out the latest innovations in energy efficiency and smart technology for the home, and even order your own (unfurnished) mkSolaire through the architect; it is designed to fit a standard Chicago lot. The exhibit runs through January 4, 2009. 773-684-1414; msichicago.org.

Illustrations: Michelle Kaufmann Designs