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After helping launch Marmol Radziner's line of prefab houses around 2002, architects Gordon Stott and Jared Levy saw modular prefabrication as a chance to make high-quality residences more affordable—so long as the construction method was extremely efficient.

In 2012 they launched Connect Homes with fifteen designs as part of its original Design Series. Since, Stott and Levy have made more affordable models as well as shelters and community buildings for unhoused people. Here, Stott tells us about the company’s new Pro Series and what makes the California-based fabricator unique.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?

Over the course of delivering 125 prefab homes, there are lots of way to interpret “exciting project.” When Connect first launched, we were less conservative with our delivery approach because our modules were small and originally designed to be delivered without a crane. This led to houses being installed in very inaccessible places where it was difficult to access by car. This sometimes made a project a little too exciting!

Today, our most exciting projects are when a client’s house looks like a beautiful, completed midcentury steel-and-glass home from the moment it’s craned on site. While there is still work to be done on site after delivery—the Case Study Houses are our inspiration—seeing something that looks like one deployed instantly is really thrilling.

What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include?

Current pricing on our website shows Pro 2 models going for about $208,000, including budget for doing basic site work, assuming local delivery, good soils, and utilities coming from the street. This cost is, essentially, turnkey.

What qualities make your prefab stand apart from the rest?

We build 2,000-square-foot homes to at least 90 percent completion in our factory every six working days.
Our all-steel frames allow clients to put glass anywhere on the perimeter of their home, adjusting the way a standard plan house interacts with its site.
We install what we produce in the factory,
We are currently averaging 80 days from delivery to completion on installed projects.
We have a track record of 125 houses.

We’ve launched a new prefab system—the Pro Series—which takes factory completion to 95 percent. This is big news for helping solve the logistics of prefab.
We try and be as transparent as possible with clients on pricing and process, helping them achieve the modern home of their dreams.

Where is the prefab currently available?

We currently deliver in California, but will be delivering our first homes to Texas this year. We are expanding to serve all states where there is a state-wide modular housing program.

Is your design currently pre-permitted in any U.S. municipalities?

We have ADUs pre-permitted in San Jose and Los Angeles.

How long can a client expect the process to take after they put down a deposit?

Connect Homes takes care of everything from design to move in except foundations and site utilities. The home itself is built to at least 90 percent completion on our assembly line in a matter of days. On site, after delivery, we are completing installations in an average of about three months.

The building approval process and procurement typically end up being the majority of timeline. Overall, the process can be as fast as six to eight months, if approvals move quickly. It’s probably more typical for projects to take a year.

What aspects of an install do you manage?

Connect Homes manages the whole process from design, engineering, approval, production, delivery, and installation through move in. The only parts of the process we don’t manage are the foundations and site utilities.

What aspects of the design can a client customize?

Both the Pro and Design Series are largely standard plan offerings. While clients can choose between finish, fixture, and appliance options, we don’t let them move interior walls around. That said, because of our steel-frame modules, our homes’ perimeter walls aren’t load bearing. This means floor-to-ceiling glass can be put nearly anywhere around the perimeter, tuning the house to its site. An optimized and site-specific relationship between indoors and outdoors is foundational to modern residential design. Our prefab systems promote this customization.

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