Prefab

For Melbourne Design Week 2020, Sydney-based art and architecture collective Studio Rain created Atmosphere: A Revival, a sauna installation along the picturesque Yarra River meant to revive bathing culture.

Wrapped in timber, the 1,016-square-foot Koto LivingHome 1 (Yksi) includes two bedrooms and a flex room on the first floor. The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area is located on the floor above.

A central "street" runs through the development and affords the feeling of a micro-neighborhood with the recessed front entrances of each home connecting to the communal path.

The prefab can be customized and configured to the client’s liking, and it can even be outfitted with renewable energy systems such as rooftop solar panels.

Constructed from locally sourced poplar plywood, the lightweight cabin was designed to be mobile and can be moved around the campsite depending on the season.

For Mount Washington Residence, McBride Architects use prefabrication to save on costs while going big on functionality and style.

Named after its rooftop photovoltaic panels, the Solar Studio is the first completed build in NODE’s customizable Trillium Series.

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.