While the home’s simple, boxy forms starkly contrast with surrounding residences, its compact shape and modest scale help it fit into the traditional neighborhood without calling attention to itself. The house was built around a large birch tree, with dwarf fountain grass and porcupine grass planted in front. A weeping blue atlas cedar provides a focal point near the front door.

Pavers and succulents in a yard in Malibu, California, help save water.

Builders, developers, designers, and architects have developed a range of homes that are composed of prefabricated, modular, or kit-of-parts pieces that can allow for lower costs, faster and easier on-site construction, and even higher quality spaces. Here, we delve into the differences—and similarities—among these manufactured residences.

“The backyard, which was kind of the focus of the project, was overgrown and quite disconnected from the house itself,” said architect Nigel Parish. The glass doors of the addition open onto a patio and lawn where the kids can play.

Stephen Waddell and Isabel Kunigk worked with architect D’Arcy Jones to breathe new life into their “dank old” structure. The couple chose to sacrifice square footage inside in order to make the most of outdoor space.

A path leads past glazing and gravel to the front door.

The back wall of the garden, made from stacked concrete blocks, was initially meant to be a row of vertical planting boxes.

Sphinx, the family Carolina dog, scouts the perimeter of the Concrete Collaborative pavers in the backyard. The pavers were installed on a slight angle to channel water to the surrounding gravel, lawn, and planting beds. This substantially lowers the landscape's water demand. Perforated PVC pipes and a pump move excess rainfall (which would otherwise go to storm drains) into an underground basin where it can later drain off. Redwood fencing reflects the material palette of the interior and creates visual continuity around the backyard.

The house sits on a corner lot, which makes the side yard (shown here) also a front yard. Five-and-a-half-year-old Maya (left) and two-and-a-half-year-old Yumi (right) play on the gravel while Mayuko, David, and Shota sit on the bench.

The Pine Plains, New York, home of Elise and Arnold Goodman boasts 48 windows, the largest of which measures 8'6'' by 7'6''. As architect Preston Scott Cohen explains, the "free facade makes it impossible to identify how many levels there are, or even to tell the difference between a door and a window." Photo by: Raimund Koch

The new all-white office space frames the iconic Shard. Flush skirting creates clean lines and allows furniture to butt up against the walls. Wide plank high-density fiberboard in a white wenge finish reflects light and makes the space feel larger. It also resists scratch marks from skidding the Eames side chairs.

The lightweight staircase leading to the terrace is composed of lacquered black steel and oak treads. Its floating design frees library space beneath and allows light to reach the office from the skylight above.

Warmth is provided by a Morso wood-burning stove and radiant heated floors. Lacquered medium-density fiberboard paneling conceals a foldaway workstation.

A stepped back view shows the confined site, bracketed by multi-unit residential buildings. The lone window is angled to grab maximum light while protecting privacy.

The kitchen cupboards have the same high-gloss cladding as the collapsible workstation. The countertop is polished concrete from Shaw Interiors, and the lighting is inset LED's. The space also features recessed ceiling speakers from B&W.

The Boglis love the self-reliance afforded by generating thermal energy and growing a garden on their roof. Photo by John Clark.

The expansion is lightweight timber construction clad in glass with a stainless steel trim, producing a glossy, reflective veneer. The full-height structural glass wraps overhead to capture more light. The roof terrace, with a balustrade and partial privacy screening, is accessible by a hydraulic roof hatch.

The home's spacious rear garden offered ample room for an extension. A sheltered deck allows the residents to enjoy the outdoors even when the weather's inclement.

Svenson calls the floating aluminum stairway “a major sculptural element.” He adds, “We really wanted to celebrate the entry,” which is elevated because the site is ten feet higher in the rear. The earthy stucco and local stone cladding keep the home rooted to its landscape.

The workstation extends directly from the wall, saving space underneath.

A view of Church and Jett's lush yard.

A view of the yard before the renovation.

For a family home in the Coghlan neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Policastro used textured, rendered, and exposed concrete; aluminum; and wood to forge a three-story structure.

It was important to Rice and Nissenboim to find a house with a large yard. They worked with Remark Landscape Architecture to remove three large hackberry trees to make way for a vegetable garden, while three citrus trees on the western line of the property produce oranges and lemons.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ivy softens the hard edges of the cinder-block structure. Photo by: Roy Zipstein

A single ergonomic rake, though tedious in practice, will usually suffice for most urban or small land plots, so it's worth considering whether you get enough leaves to justify a dedicated tool like the Jet. If you decide to take the plunge, consumer leaf blowers don’t look better or provide more power than the Jet.

Fold Yard Font by Benoit Challand The French designer’s new font showcases a new kind of Action Office. Photo Courtesy of Benoit Challand

Fold Yard Font by Benoit Challand “The main inspiration was the work of industrial designer Richard Sapper,” says Challand. “When I saw his work, I immediately thought of how I could make the space more fun and surprising.” Photo courtesy of Benoit Challand

Fold Yard Font by Benoit Challand The multifaceted illustrator and designer, who’s currently working on a table, has fielded some offer to purchase the font, but he said nobody has asked him to recreate the letters in real life. Photo courtesy of Benoit Challand

"Making It In NYC" brings New York manufacturers to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Photo by SITU Studio.

FormLA Landscaping principal Cassy Aoyagi integrates drought-resistant plants into her Southern California projects.

Melanie Maher sunbathes beneath the lattice of a pool house, which is clad in Cor-Ten steel.

A second-story balcony overlooks a small yard.

White stained, salt treated blocks of concrete were installed in a symmetrical pattern throughout the backyard area instead of a deck.

The Lucent Cube: Yun Wan, Silvia Lopes, Balazs Fekete (London) One of two first prize proposals calls for a simple, polycarbonate structure, with teaching spaces and offices spread out over multiple levels. Inside, dividing walls can be easily rearranged, allowing for flexibility.