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A wood-burning stove from Harvia, of Finland, heats the sauna. The pavilion’s rough-cut pine walls are treated with tar, a preservative that yields a time-worn aesthetic.

Native landscaping borders the estate, which frames captivating views of the mountains beyond.

Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.

The long-leaf-pine roof decking was salvaged from the original home and used on the ceiling in the new playroom.

Floor plan of Kowalow Residence by Jack Viks, restored by Victor Drapszo

The weeHouse exteriors are clad in corrugated Cor-Ten, but with a custom pattern of folds to create an organic randomness. The foundations were designed with a shallow recess around the top to make the modules look like they’re hovering. After they bought the property in early 2014, the Siegels camped there for two summers while they saved up money and planned a permanent structure. In his research, BJ came across this design, a customizable prefab house by Alchemy Architects. "Of all the things that I found, I was drawn to that one because it was absolutely the simplest and cleanest," he says.

The Luoto sauna-cabin is perfect for lakeside settings where its full-height window provides unobstructed views, and its slim profile blends in with the surrounding shoreline.

Builders, developers, designers, and architects have developed a range of homes that are composed of prefabricated, modular, or kit-of-parts pieces that can allow for lower costs, faster and easier on-site construction, and even higher quality spaces. Here, we delve into the differences—and similarities—among these manufactured residences.

The house has two modules: a living space on the left and a utilities, laundry, and outdoor kitchen on the right.

This modernist Palm Springs home was completed in just two months using a hybrid building system. The core of the dwelling features concrete walls and floors and prefabricated lightweight steel beams. The exterior walls were trucked to the site after.

The deck, which overlooks the uninterrupted forest, has been left uncovered so the inside of the house receives ample natural light throughout the year.

“The pitched ceilings and ribbon of clerestory windows make the interior feel more spacious than it is,” notes Gooden.

The three-bedroom Iniö model from Pluspuu features floor-to-ceiling windows, a loft-like interior, a wraparound deck, and a gable outline reminiscent of a traditional log cabin.

This Beverly Hills kitHAUS is comprised of modernist prefab modules that can accommodate a variety of uses: from yoga studios to home offices, and from weekend retreats to pop-up kiosks and guest rooms.

With the home’s glass walls pulled open, the patio and fire pit become an extension of the dining room.