6 Northern California Prefab Homes With Verdant Forest Vibes
From secluded mountaintops to low-lying apple orchards, prefabricated residences have popped up across some of Northern California’s most beautiful landscapes. From serene weekend getaways to new family homes, these factory-built dwellings all share an affinity for the outdoors and a contemporary aesthetic.
Sonoma weeHouse by Alchemy
An exercise in simplicity, the Sonoma weeHouse consists of two steel-framed volumes with ipe interiors, oiled oak cabinetry, and massive sliding glass walls that overlook valley views.
Designed in Minnesota, built in Oregon, and then shipped to a remote Santa Rosa site, the Sonoma weeHouse is an award-winning luxury retreat for an Apple senior design director. Comprising a 640-square-foot main house and an adjacent 330-square-foot guest module, the ultraminimal residence is a custom take on Alchemy’s modular prefabricated housing system.
High Horse Ranch by KieranTimberlake
Conceived as an escape from city living, this 2,580-square-foot prefab comprises two primary and 11 secondary modules, while the 290-square-foot guest cabins consist of single modules craned into place atop concrete piers.
In response to a client’s brief for a low-impact home with reduced construction waste, KieranTimberlake turned to off-site prefabrication. The factory-built project—consisting of a main house and a pair of guest cabins—was sensitively set into place on a 64-acre site in Willits, and oriented toward panoramic views of the forested valley below.
Renovated Tiburon Kit Home by SHED Architecture & Design
Built with a heavy timber post-and-beam structure, this renovated Tiburon kit house retains its standard footprint, framing, and tiled roof. Massive sliding glass doors were added to create an indoor/outdoor living experience.
In Tiburon, a secluded town just north of San Francisco, SHED Architecture & Design reimagined a Nikko Farmhouse kit home from Haiku Houses that was originally delivered and built in 1991. Inspired by the traditional Japanese minka with a luxurious twist, the prefabricated home was assembled with imported Japanese tile, heavy timber framing, and high-end finishes including redwood paneling. The architects reconfigured the interior of the Tiburon house to feel more airy and spacious, while establishing a greater connection to the outdoors.
Orchard House by Anderson Anderson Architecture
This prefab house is built around a system of 4' by 4' concrete modules and a reusable formwork to save on costs and materials.
Named after the mature apple orchard upon which it sits, the Orchard House is a concrete prefab home for a family of four that blends cosmopolitan influences in a rural setting. Designed by Anderson Anderson Architecture, the home is defined by the existing tree grid and it spreads out as a low-lying, single-story volume. Cast concrete construction and prefabrication techniques helped to reduce construction costs.
Sonoma Connect 5 by Connect Homes
Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.
Commissioned by a daughter for her octogenarian mother, the Sonoma Connect 5 is a 1,600-square-foot in-law unit that follows universal design principles without compromising on aesthetics. After choosing the firm’s two-bedroom, two-bath Connect 5 model, the client was able to modify the design to suit her mother’s needs. The prefab property is located just down the hill from the client’s own home, and it was completed for about a third of the cost of a similarly equipped, conventionally built home.
Mayacamas Residence by Taalman Koch Architecture
Located in the Mayacamas Mountains, the off-grid Mayacamas Residence was prefabricated to deal with the challenges of the remote location.
After visiting Taalman Koch Architecture’s prefabricated iT House in Joshua Tree, San Francisco–based lighting designer Terry Ohm wanted one of his own. He commissioned the firm to design his modular Mayacamas Residence, an off-grid 800-square-foot getaway in Clearlake, California. Like its predecessor, the Mayacamas Residence—also known as the iT Cabin—features a lightweight aluminum frame and floor-to-ceiling glazing.
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