Prefab

Since the front door is located in the exterior wall, residents first enter a vast garden before reaching the gable roof house.

“One of the goals of Zenkaya was to create employment in a country crippled by [an unemployment rate of over 25 percent],” explains the architect, who likes to call himself a social entrepreneur.

Heating for the unit is provided by a Spartherm fireplace, with electric heating integrated into the magnesite floor. Walls are insulated with fire-tested wool felt under plywood panels.

The living room's double height makes the space seem larger that its actual size. Stairs leading up to the sleeping loft are placed next to the open fireplace. The plastered wall and the soapstone tiles on the floor add some roughness to the wooden interior.

Photo by Patrick Barta

An Asymmetrical Prefab Home in Sweden It took a mere six months—three in the factory and three on-site—for this prefab to come to fruition on the shore of Sweden’s Müsko Island.

Helsinki architect Ville Hara and designer Linda Bergroth collaborated on a prefab shed-meets-sleeping cabin, which can be assembled with little else than a screwdriver. Bergroth, inspired by nomadic yurt dwellers, wanted an indoor/outdoor experience for her property in Finland.

Studio owner Joey Williams uses his space to work from home as an Austin-based media director.

New pine and spruce wood from the Pyrenees (both recyclable and PEFC certified) were selected for the façade of the 1,000-square-foot prefab. Smart blinds cover the windows, rigged to open and close depending on the weather forecast.

The Monogram Modern Home is a prefab structure designed by Chris Pardo and manufactured by Method Homes.

The main building sinks then elevates in full view of ocean.

The L-shaped secondary building perches over a craggy escarpment. It offers the best vantage point for taking in the moss-planted roof, forest, and ocean.

Designed by Cal Poly Pomona students, this factory-built Wedge cabin prototype features plywood interiors for a raw and rustic vibe.

When they are eventually integrated into the parks, the cabins are meant to stand in groups of ten to 15.