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Alluring Meets Affordable With These 5 Chicago PrefabsView 6 Photos

Alluring Meets Affordable With These 5 Chicago Prefabs

Despite its compact urban setting, prefab homes are becoming increasingly favored in Chicago, Illinois.
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Globally acclaimed for its abundance of unique architectural styles, there's no denying the Windy City is the place to go when seeking innovative design. And lately, it's also the place to go for thoughtfully produced, eco-friendly prefabricated and modular homes, too. Keep scrolling to check out some of our favorite striking designs below.

1. A Prefab Work-Live Space by UrbanLab

Located in the industrial pocket of West Town, UrbanLab’s Martin Felsen and Sarah Dunn created a modern live-work building that serves both as a residence and production center for vegan food company Upton's Naturals. The Dukane Precast concrete panels were acid-etched for a more finished look.

Located in the industrial pocket of West Town, UrbanLab’s Martin Felsen and Sarah Dunn created a modern live-work building that serves both as a residence and production center for vegan food company Upton's Naturals. The Dukane Precast concrete panels were acid-etched for a more finished look.

Wheeler Kearns Architects designed this modern Chicago prefab on a typical 25-by-125-foot lot. The prefabricated structure of insulated concrete beams, wall panels, and floor panels were constructed in just four days. The team opted to celebrate rather than conceal industrial detailing, such as welded plate connections and concrete surfaces.

Wheeler Kearns Architects designed this modern Chicago prefab on a typical 25-by-125-foot lot. The prefabricated structure of insulated concrete beams, wall panels, and floor panels were constructed in just four days. The team opted to celebrate rather than conceal industrial detailing, such as welded plate connections and concrete surfaces.

Square Root Architecture + Design's initial C3Prefab was one of the first prefabricated sustainable residences in the Windy City. It's a prototype of how residential construction can be simultaneously affordable and eco-friendly within an urban context through modular construction.

Square Root Architecture + Design's initial C3Prefab was one of the first prefabricated sustainable residences in the Windy City. It's a prototype of how residential construction can be simultaneously affordable and eco-friendly within an urban context through modular construction.

As the second iteration in Square Root Architecture's C3Prefab line of homes, the V1.0 was constructed in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago utilizing prefab modular components including structural insulated panels (SIPs). This type of flat-pack system is more of a hybrid of onsite and prefabricated construction that both minimizes transportation and erection costs of the prefab units.

As the second iteration in Square Root Architecture's C3Prefab line of homes, the V1.0 was constructed in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago utilizing prefab modular components including structural insulated panels (SIPs). This type of flat-pack system is more of a hybrid of onsite and prefabricated construction that both minimizes transportation and erection costs of the prefab units.

Designed by Tom Bassett-Dilley Architect, this prefab home is located in Oak Park—a village adjacent to the west side of Chicago—and is comprised of six modular components that were brought to the site and erected in a single day. As a Zero Energy Ready Home, the property, like many other projects by the architect, is sustainably oriented, and was built in an Indiana factory by Hi-Tech Housing in the summer of 2017.

Designed by Tom Bassett-Dilley Architect, this prefab home is located in Oak Park—a village adjacent to the west side of Chicago—and is comprised of six modular components that were brought to the site and erected in a single day. As a Zero Energy Ready Home, the property, like many other projects by the architect, is sustainably oriented, and was built in an Indiana factory by Hi-Tech Housing in the summer of 2017.

Kate Reggev
॰ Architect & Preservationist ॰ Lover of buildings old, new, & everything in between! Inbox me at kate.reggev@gmail.com

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