For quite a while, the term “prefab” had about as much architectural cachet as “double-wide” or “trailer park” But about a decade ago, that changed when a couple of gifted architects, engineers and designers started making beautiful, modern, eco friendly homes. Really houses, really.
It was a prefab revolution.
While they’ve become a great option for anybody considering building a home or adding an outbuilding, there are still many misconceptions about prefabs, both positive and negative.
If you are thinking of going prefab, here’s some stuff you need to understand:
They aren’t necessarily less expensive than traditional structure. Along with the actual house, you need to consider any site preparation and the base . Placing a prefab on anything besides a set lot can get expensive fast. They aren’t allowed everywhere. Many jurisdictions do not want them. It is a leftover bias from the pre-prefab-revolution era. But there you have it. They aren’t cookie cutter. At the same time you do picked from a bundle of choices, and each version has a set layout, there are a variety of approaches to personalize prefabs, based on the organization you’re working with. Everything from the amount of bedrooms into the amount of tales to the type of tile is left up to you. You can’t order the home and then put it up yourself with a few friends. The whole process requires professionals, and you’ll have to employ a contractor accustomed to prefabs to manage it all. Complications aside, they signify a wonderful mix of form and function, of thinking beyond the box and pushing design and architecture to work for individuals, the environment and the community. I am a little in love. Here’s the reason why.
Sett Studio
I have long fantasized about having a prefab plopped down in my backyard to function as a workplace. This 92-square-foot beauty is by Sett Studio.
Marmol Radziner
This is a customized desert home by Marmol Radziner Prefab, one of the leaders in contemporary prefab. It has established also the ability and designs to make a home that was fully customized.
Blu Homes now owns Michelle Kaufman’s prefab designs, such as the Breezehouse along with the Glidehouse. Its fixed-pricing includes everything but the website preparation, and unlike many other prefab companies, this company has its own mill.
Stillwater Dwellings
A two-story prefab by Stillwater Dwellings in Seattle. Stillwater’s fixed-price packages revolve around energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Resolution: 4 Architecture
This contemporary three-bedroom, two-bath prefab from Resolution: 4 Architecture isn’t what most men and women think of when they hear “Vermont cabin”
Resolution: 4 Architecture
You do not require a wide-open space. Many prefabs, like the Bronx Box by Resolution: 4 Architecture, are designed for urban infill.
Resolution: 4 Architecture
Here’s the deck of the Bronx Box.
Resolution: 4 Architecture
Open interiors, multiuse spaces and a connection with the outside are signatures of most modern prefabs.
Method Homes
Clean lines, minimalist stuff and a lot of lighting are another frequent characteristic of modern prefabs. This one is by Method Homes.
Izumi Tanaka Photography
The open kitchen in the C6, a renewable prefab home by LivingHomes in Santa Monica, California.
Izumi Tanaka Photography
The living room — open into the kitchen — of those C6.
More:
Creating Prefab Work for All