Although Seattle has long been acclaimed for being surrounded by water, mountains, and evergreen forests, more recently, it's become a hotbed for modern design and high-quality architecture.
With real estate prices at an all-time high and inventory at an all-time low, it’s understandable why prefabricated and modular homes are increasing in popularity. Ahead are eight of our favorite prefabs in the Seattle area.
1) A One-Story Prefab by Stillwater Dwellings
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Seattle–based Stillwater Dwellings designed this one-story prefab just north of Seattle in Edmonds, Washington, for a client who wanted to "age in place." With this in mind, Stillwater incorporated wide hallways and an open concept living space with the company’s signature glass wall for year-round daylight and views of the outdoors. A deep overhanging roof shades the interior, along with other features such as clerestory windows, natural materials, and high ceilings, to reflect Stillwater’s commitment to sustainable design.
As Seattle's first LEED Platinum Modular Home, Lane Street was completed by Hybrid Architecture and Greenfab with a focus on energy reduction through a combination of eco-friendly exterior materials and energy-conscious heating and cooling equipment, including a hybrid heat-pump water heater and energy recovery ventilation. The 1,870-square-foot home consists of three bedrooms, and was completed for an all-in cost of $405,000 in 2010.
Inspired by the traditional shingle-clad homes in the neighborhood, this prefab was based off a design by Method Homes and then customized by Grouparchitect to accommodate the client’s needs, as well as the unique site. Doors were widened, a rear porch was enclosed for an additional bedroom, and specialized storage was added, including an enlarged laundry room, a generous pantry, and built-in cubbies for each member of the family.
The MOD Urban Apartments were designed as a complex of eight housing units for a tight urban infill site. When completed in 2013, the project achieved LEED Gold certification. Its interior layouts eliminated the need for an elevator or internal hallways, and were outfitted with Energy Star appliances, low VOC paint and finishes, as well as radiant heating.
Consisting of three prefabricated units in West Seattle on a 5,000-square-foot lot, the townhomes range from 1,250 to 1,400 square feet, and each have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The generous glazing of the living rooms are set back from the exterior cedar rainscreen, and the rest of the facade is sheathed in metal panels. The ground floor was built onsite, and the upper two floors were prefabricated offsite in a factory.
This hybrid prefab was designed for Habitat for Humanity’s Next Fifty Celebration in Seattle, which commemorated the 1962 World’s Fair with new visions of future domestic life. At the center of the home’s 1,400 square feet sits a prefabricated wet core for a centralized, compact setting of the property's electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. The two-story home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and its exterior was constructed of panelized segments.
In a small community with a shared garden, FabCab built this prefab home, which integrates high-quality materials to keep the dwelling from feeling clinical, despite its construction in a factory. The architects also incorporated universal design features to make the homes both appropriate and comfortable for aging clients.
Perched on a steep urban hillside, this three-bedroom, two-bath home features energy-efficient elements including triple-glazed windows and FSC bamboo floors to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Even the home's garage was designed to be sustainable, as it is prewired for electric charging. The design’s emphasis on livability and openness are also reflected by ample outdoor terraces, as well as the flexible basement.