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This modular home prototype by Meka is a shipping container clad in cedar.
This modular home prototype by Meka is a shipping container clad in cedar.
The 800-square-foot house is among the first shipping container residences in San Diego County, according to Mike. He hopes it will soon by joined by a larger container home on the property, at which point it will become the guesthouse.
The 800-square-foot house is among the first shipping container residences in San Diego County, according to Mike. He hopes it will soon by joined by a larger container home on the property, at which point it will become the guesthouse.
Mike McConkey, a superintendent for a general contractor, tasked Chris Bittner of OBR Architecture with designing an environmentally sensitive home for he and his wife in San Diego County. Utilizing three shipping containers and a bevy of cost-effective appliances, they managed to limit the budget to $160,000.
Mike McConkey, a superintendent for a general contractor, tasked Chris Bittner of OBR Architecture with designing an environmentally sensitive home for he and his wife in San Diego County. Utilizing three shipping containers and a bevy of cost-effective appliances, they managed to limit the budget to $160,000.
Clad in white HardiePlank siding, the duplex was designed to mimic the industrial look of the shipping container extensions.
Clad in white HardiePlank siding, the duplex was designed to mimic the industrial look of the shipping container extensions.
Designed for a hillside site or lakefront property, this modest, efficiently designed home allows multiple spaces to share in primary views. A deep covered porch allows for ample sheltered outdoor living while the screened porch, accessible through a 12 foot retractable wall of glass, allows for seamless flow from dining area to screened sitting area. The living and dining areas share in the light well that fills the kitchen with light via the loft above. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/den, along with 3 baths and a screened porch, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
Designed for a hillside site or lakefront property, this modest, efficiently designed home allows multiple spaces to share in primary views. A deep covered porch allows for ample sheltered outdoor living while the screened porch, accessible through a 12 foot retractable wall of glass, allows for seamless flow from dining area to screened sitting area. The living and dining areas share in the light well that fills the kitchen with light via the loft above. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/den, along with 3 baths and a screened porch, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
Architect Whitney Sander and product developer Eric Chu used bus graphics to provide an attractive privacy screen for a Los Angeles prefab house. Chu ran a couple of photos he had taken of a tree through some Photoshop filters for what he calls “a painterly effect,” sent them to Astek Inc., and, about $5,000 later, he had a pair of roughly 500-square-foot vinyl panels.
Architect Whitney Sander and product developer Eric Chu used bus graphics to provide an attractive privacy screen for a Los Angeles prefab house. Chu ran a couple of photos he had taken of a tree through some Photoshop filters for what he calls “a painterly effect,” sent them to Astek Inc., and, about $5,000 later, he had a pair of roughly 500-square-foot vinyl panels.
The challenging topography the architects encountered in the village of Combe Down provided inspiration for the angular construction. Built on a series of terraces with some prefab pieces (as a means to reduce construction disruptions in the residential neighborhood), the project utilized locally sourced timber and ashlar stone, including some recycled from demolished buildings. This view shows the top of the site, which was once the apex of a sloping entryway into a quarry.
The challenging topography the architects encountered in the village of Combe Down provided inspiration for the angular construction. Built on a series of terraces with some prefab pieces (as a means to reduce construction disruptions in the residential neighborhood), the project utilized locally sourced timber and ashlar stone, including some recycled from demolished buildings. This view shows the top of the site, which was once the apex of a sloping entryway into a quarry.
Metropole Aluminum House (1949) The winner of a 1949 contest to create a portable classroom for French students, the gleaming metal structure might have resembled a sci-fi spacechip to '50s schoolchildren. Prouvé's meticulous metalsmithing is on display in this highly regarded example of portable prefab housing, crafted in his Nancy workshop and easily assembled with a few tools. He included a glassed-in garden and wooden accents to the interior walls to make the structure less imposing.
Metropole Aluminum House (1949) The winner of a 1949 contest to create a portable classroom for French students, the gleaming metal structure might have resembled a sci-fi spacechip to '50s schoolchildren. Prouvé's meticulous metalsmithing is on display in this highly regarded example of portable prefab housing, crafted in his Nancy workshop and easily assembled with a few tools. He included a glassed-in garden and wooden accents to the interior walls to make the structure less imposing.
When planning regulations limited what could be built in an English forest, PAD Studio devised a prefab structure that can be moved by crane. “The whole building is based around a steel frame, which provides us with the stability to be able to top-lift it easily,” explains designer Ricky Evans.
When planning regulations limited what could be built in an English forest, PAD Studio devised a prefab structure that can be moved by crane. “The whole building is based around a steel frame, which provides us with the stability to be able to top-lift it easily,” explains designer Ricky Evans.
A Lakeside Prefab in New Jersey A New Zealand expat and her son use their prefabricated lakeside New Jersey retreat as an outdoorsy counterpoint to city life. Photo by: Mark Mahaney Curious on what was popular last week? Click here!
A Lakeside Prefab in New Jersey A New Zealand expat and her son use their prefabricated lakeside New Jersey retreat as an outdoorsy counterpoint to city life. Photo by: Mark Mahaney Curious on what was popular last week? Click here!
A compact home that lives large. With the possibility of 5 bedrooms, this 55-foot wide home belongs as much in an established city neighborhood as it does in a lakeside community. Kitchen and dining areas open to the 2 story great room, which extends up to the loft office and gallery space above – providing expansive views within the home and beyond. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/family room, along with 3 baths, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
A compact home that lives large. With the possibility of 5 bedrooms, this 55-foot wide home belongs as much in an established city neighborhood as it does in a lakeside community. Kitchen and dining areas open to the 2 story great room, which extends up to the loft office and gallery space above – providing expansive views within the home and beyond. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/family room, along with 3 baths, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
A compact home that lives large. With the possibility of 5 bedrooms, this 55-foot wide home belongs as much in an established city neighborhood as it does in a lakeside community. Kitchen and dining areas open to the 2 story great room, which extends up to the loft office and gallery space above – providing expansive views within the home and beyond. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/family room, along with 3 baths, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
A compact home that lives large. With the possibility of 5 bedrooms, this 55-foot wide home belongs as much in an established city neighborhood as it does in a lakeside community. Kitchen and dining areas open to the 2 story great room, which extends up to the loft office and gallery space above – providing expansive views within the home and beyond. The house features 3 bedrooms and a loft office/family room, along with 3 baths, making single level living possible. #turkeldesign #prefab #dwellprefab #residential #modern #design
Each of the nine residential units was made with prefab timber frames to reduce costs and make it easier to work on such challenging terrain. The homes achieve a high environmental rating (Code For Sustainable Homes Level 5 and a BREEAM Very Good rating) via extensive insulation, south-facing windows and balconies, and other green features.
Each of the nine residential units was made with prefab timber frames to reduce costs and make it easier to work on such challenging terrain. The homes achieve a high environmental rating (Code For Sustainable Homes Level 5 and a BREEAM Very Good rating) via extensive insulation, south-facing windows and balconies, and other green features.
GRID, Carter Williamson Architects, 2012 Envisioned as emergency housing for after tsunamis, this steel prefab from Australia arrives flat-packed and can be assembled in four hours. With solar panels and rainwater tanks, it's possible for it to house up to 10 people in a pinch.
GRID, Carter Williamson Architects, 2012 Envisioned as emergency housing for after tsunamis, this steel prefab from Australia arrives flat-packed and can be assembled in four hours. With solar panels and rainwater tanks, it's possible for it to house up to 10 people in a pinch.
To make the sub-300-square-foot units in San Francisco’s prefab and LEED Platinum–targeted Smartspace SoMa building more livable, Panoramic Interests and ZETA Design + Build installed clever convertible furnishings, including a hydraulic table that lowers to become a window seat and a Murphy bed that turns into a dining table.
To make the sub-300-square-foot units in San Francisco’s prefab and LEED Platinum–targeted Smartspace SoMa building more livable, Panoramic Interests and ZETA Design + Build installed clever convertible furnishings, including a hydraulic table that lowers to become a window seat and a Murphy bed that turns into a dining table.
Wood cladding skins the facade of a completed Marmol Radziner Prefab home in Venice, California.
Wood cladding skins the facade of a completed Marmol Radziner Prefab home in Venice, California.
A Velux skylight above the sleeping loft includes remote-controlled integrated blinds. The prefab unit can sleep up to four people between the bed loft and the lower-level daybed.
A Velux skylight above the sleeping loft includes remote-controlled integrated blinds. The prefab unit can sleep up to four people between the bed loft and the lower-level daybed.
Only a few days after the modules are delivered, the prefab house is ready to receive its finishing touches. As fabrication occurs at the warehouse, the foundation is prepped on-site. This concurrent activity allows Marmol Radziner's prefab homes to reach completion in as little as twelve months.
Only a few days after the modules are delivered, the prefab house is ready to receive its finishing touches. As fabrication occurs at the warehouse, the foundation is prepped on-site. This concurrent activity allows Marmol Radziner's prefab homes to reach completion in as little as twelve months.
Prefab construction made it possible for the Monogram Modern Home to travel the country. Prefab housing is a notoriously flexible solution that treads lightly on the land. At 825 square feet, the Monogram Modern Home is easy to transport by truck. If a homeowner chose to use multiple units to form a larger house, they could break it apart and move them separately.
Prefab construction made it possible for the Monogram Modern Home to travel the country. Prefab housing is a notoriously flexible solution that treads lightly on the land. At 825 square feet, the Monogram Modern Home is easy to transport by truck. If a homeowner chose to use multiple units to form a larger house, they could break it apart and move them separately.
Combining a prefab steel super-structure with concrete walls and insulated metal panels, Anthrazit House in Santa Barbara was designed by architects Pamela and Hector Magnus and built in collaboration with EcoSteel.
Combining a prefab steel super-structure with concrete walls and insulated metal panels, Anthrazit House in Santa Barbara was designed by architects Pamela and Hector Magnus and built in collaboration with EcoSteel.
Monad Vancouver, Multi-storey prefab housing https://www.dwell.com/article/a-modern-multiunit-prefab-prototype-in-vancouver-55fe6124
Monad Vancouver, Multi-storey prefab housing dwell.com/article/...
Jennifer Siegal’s other house is the portable ShowHouse, a 720-square-foot example of her factory-built prefab housing, wedged in among the boutiques and coffee bars on trendy Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice. “I set it up so people would have a place to come and kick the tires,” Siegal jokes. “What does modern prefab feel like?”
Jennifer Siegal’s other house is the portable ShowHouse, a 720-square-foot example of her factory-built prefab housing, wedged in among the boutiques and coffee bars on trendy Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice. “I set it up so people would have a place to come and kick the tires,” Siegal jokes. “What does modern prefab feel like?”
At the end of a steep driveway, off a road less graveled, await the happy innkeepers: Chris Brown, Sarah Johnson, and Michael and Joshua, two of their three sons.
At the end of a steep driveway, off a road less graveled, await the happy innkeepers: Chris Brown, Sarah Johnson, and Michael and Joshua, two of their three sons.
In 2003, Resolution: 4 Architecture was one of 16 firms who participated in the Dwell Home Design Invitational—a competition to design a modern prefab home for $200,000. Their winning design, constructed in Pittsboro, North Carolina, is a groundbreaking case study that combines prefabricated construction with contemporary, modern design.
In 2003, Resolution: 4 Architecture was one of 16 firms who participated in the Dwell Home Design Invitational—a competition to design a modern prefab home for $200,000. Their winning design, constructed in Pittsboro, North Carolina, is a groundbreaking case study that combines prefabricated construction with contemporary, modern design.
The project features passive design strategies to maximize natural daylighting and temperature control. The design process began with extensive site analysis to determine year-round shading and solar heat gain; Greenfab also conducted energy modeling to compare the energy impacts of different facade materials.
The project features passive design strategies to maximize natural daylighting and temperature control. The design process began with extensive site analysis to determine year-round shading and solar heat gain; Greenfab also conducted energy modeling to compare the energy impacts of different facade materials.
A prefab pool- and guesthouse designed by LABhaus frames views of a Massachusetts property’s original structure, a Dillman model Sears, Roebuck kit house from 1928.
A prefab pool- and guesthouse designed by LABhaus frames views of a Massachusetts property’s original structure, a Dillman model Sears, Roebuck kit house from 1928.
The Outward Bound cabins, designed by the University of Colorado Denver's design-build program, have steel frames that lift the structures above a three-foot snowpack while supporting corrugated-steel "snow roofs."
The Outward Bound cabins, designed by the University of Colorado Denver's design-build program, have steel frames that lift the structures above a three-foot snowpack while supporting corrugated-steel "snow roofs."
The architectural tour de force of the home, according to Riko CEO Janez Skrabec, is the cornice-shaped roof, built from a series of light fiberglass modules that can be disassembled, recycled, reshaped, or reused. In addition to conceling elements such as the wind turbine from view, it also functions as a green roof. “The hollow 'sinks' of the cornice act as flowerpots and are able to host plants, which can be watered with the help of rainwater collection systems," says Skrabec. “Furthermore, the large arches of the roof provide shelter and cast additional shade on the rooms below, combining a number of benefits in a single solution."
The architectural tour de force of the home, according to Riko CEO Janez Skrabec, is the cornice-shaped roof, built from a series of light fiberglass modules that can be disassembled, recycled, reshaped, or reused. In addition to conceling elements such as the wind turbine from view, it also functions as a green roof. “The hollow 'sinks' of the cornice act as flowerpots and are able to host plants, which can be watered with the help of rainwater collection systems," says Skrabec. “Furthermore, the large arches of the roof provide shelter and cast additional shade on the rooms below, combining a number of benefits in a single solution."

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