16+ Prefab Homes in the Middle of Nowhere

Large windows and sliding doors with maximal operability are placed throughout, including the master bedroom, where expansive lift-and-slide mechanisms line three exterior walls. The room is furnished by a custom mahogany headboard and bed frame by Larry Hepler and a glass Murano lamp by Massimiliano Schiavon.

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

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

Located seven miles from Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate, Tim Wright and Karen Ellzey’s prefab home is meant to pay homage to the great American architect’s experiments with modular housing.

“You’re surrounded by what appeals to most people on a small island, which is the sound of nature.” —Resident Mimi Parsons

The Wedge is among the new cabin designs that will eventually be integrated into California State Parks.

Architect Jesse Garlick’s rural Washington vacation home references its rugged surroundings. The steel cladding has developed a patina similar to the ochre-red color of bedrock found in the area.

A courtyard at the center of the home offers an outdoor space with protection from the harsh coastal winds.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.

Subtle features incorporated into the design, including an elevated terrace and jetty, help the home float above the 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.

“I’m interested in designing things that are exactly what they need to be and nothing more.” —Architect Linda Taalman

The units don't even require foundations—simple ground screws from Krinner are enough to support them.

The roofline of the Tind house prototype, designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune for prefab company Fiskarhedenvillan, has more conventional Swedish gables than the flat-roofed modernism of typical prefab units.

Tucked away on the edge of a small lake surrounded by mountains and topped off with a grass-covered roof, this hunting cabin designed by Snøhetta is made with locally sourced stones. The 376-square-foot prefab mountain hut sleeps up to 21 guests around a central fireplace.

The Cora House’s configuration maximizes views, while its siting limits environmental impact. Bonnifait + Giesen Atelierworkshop, the firm that designed the structure, retained the mature trees on the property.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

Many prefab architects and suppliers specialize in either modular or panelized construction. Minneapolis architect Charlie Lazor has worked with both mediums. This lake house in rural Ontario, Canada, is an example of one of his modular projects. It was built in a Wisconsin factory about 400 miles away.