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A pair of Icelandic prefab pioneers deliver an efficient family home in Culver City. Building smarter is at the heart of everything designers Tryggvi Thorsteinsson and Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir do. Whether they’re testing the limits of indoor/outdoor living or developing a prefabricated wall system that they hope will make traditional wood framing a thing of the past, the founders of the Santa Monica design studio Minarc are consumed with making structures stronger, lighter, and more efficient.

The main living areas enjoy access to a front deck as well as a more private back patio shared with the master bedroom. Thanks to prefabricated exterior wall panels known as STEPS (Steel Thermally Efficient Panels), the house is well-insulated and resistant to fire, rot, mold, and termites.

The green roof is planted with local succulents, including cascading pigface.