SubscribeSign In

Prefab homes have always been a part of the Dwell DNA. Here you will find prefab homes published in dwell magazine as well as great prefab home ideas. Prefabricated means either panelized, modular, or kit homes. Prefab architecture works for both remote sites and dense urban spaces. Modular homes are popular but can be the most expensive to customize. It is best to change as little as possible when buying prefab. Possible advantages of pre fab include lower cost, higher degree of precision, and less construction waste.

NODE Prefab Homes Aim at a Carbon Negative Future
Determined to create a sustainable future, Seattle–based startup NODE builds modern, modular homes with carbon-negative...
The World’s First 3D-Printed Village Is Coming to Latin America This Summer
The walls of each home can be printed in just 24 hours with nearly zero waste.
The World’s First 360-Degree Infinity Pool Is Proposed to Tower Above London
Adrenaline junkies enter the pool through an underground spiral staircase that’s worthy of James Bond.
The World’s First Fully Accessible Water Park Raises the Bar for Inclusion
In San Antonio, Morgan’s Inspiration Island opens for its second season.
Not Ready For a Prefab House? How About a Prefab Kitchen.
Kitchen systems are a lot like prefab housing: they're designed to be modular but they're endlessly customizable—not that that's...
OpenHome Debuts Cutting-Edge Prefab Houses Designed by World-Class Architects
KieranTimberlake, Lake|Flato, and Bensonwood are harnessing decades of homebuilding experience to offer “no compromise” prefab...
Have a Look at the World’s First 3D-Printed Home Made Entirely of Clay
After years in the making, it’s finally time to meet TECLA—an eco-friendly model home designed in the likeness of a wasp’s nest.
ICON Unveils the World’s First Village of Affordable 3D-Printed Homes in Mexico
After 18 months of planning, ICON and New Story just unveiled two affordable 3D-printed homes in a groundbreaking development for...
The World’s First High School Built Around a Skate Park Is in Malmö, Sweden
Bryggeriets Gymnasium offers courses in kickflips and bluntslides as part of its curriculum.
Plant Prefab Launches Its First Passive House LivingHomes with Net-Zero Capabilities
Plant Prefab raises the bar for green building with three Richard Pedranti Architect–designed dwellings that meet rigorous...
The First Ever Frame Awards Celebrate the World's Best Interiors
We headed to Amsterdam to attend the first annual Frame Awards honoring 31 winners in non-residential interiors.
A Carbon-Neutral Concrete House Is an Exemplary Infill in Western Australia
Australian firm Whispering Smith uses commercial materials in a limited footprint for a wabi-sabi effect.
11 of the World’s Best Cabins for Stargazing
From treetop dwellings to glass retreats, these cabins make it easy to wish upon a star.
A Prefab Passive House Takes Root in the Catskills
Assembled in just two weeks, the idyllic retreat near Woodstock, New York, realizes a couple’s dream of rural living.
Prefab, Proven
In January 2003, we issued a challenge to 16 architects: Design a modern prefab home for $200,000.
Prefab for Humanity
In inner-city Baltimore, Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake paves a path to affordable prefab.
First-Class Cabins
From the familiar log model to Swiss chalets and Swedish friggebods, cabins are the simplest of structures, made from local...
GO Home Takes the Passive House Approach to Prefab
It can take as little as two weeks to build one.
A Pink Concrete House in Argentina Offers “a Window to the World”
Alarcia Ferrer Arquitectos designs a modernist oasis on the slopes overlooking the Calamuchita Valley.
A Prefab House Near Paris Is Designed to Be Bright and Open
This prefabricated home in France was built to embrace the neighborhood.
8 Vacation Rentals in the World’s Best Wine Regions
Each bottle of wine tells a story with its particular aroma and taste.
Sustainable Living: Chicago’s First Certified Passive House
Take a tour through Chicago’s first passive house, built by Brandon Weiss of Weiss Building and Development LLC with the help of...
The World’s Most Popular Airbnb Is a Geodesic Cabin in California
In the redwoods of Aptos, California, a tiny treetop cabin holds the crown as Airbnb’s most visited listing in the world.
This Carbon-Negative Cabin Is the Sustainable Home of the Future
Perkins & Will designs a mountaintop Passive House that takes energy efficiency to the next level.
The World’s Biggest Design Fair Is Postponed Due to the Coronavirus
Milan’s Salone del Mobile is being pushed to June, giving Italy a substantial runway to restabilize in the wake of the recent...
A Picturesque Desert Prefab
Jim Murren’s prefab house in Sin City, designed by Marmol Radziner, is as artful as it is art-filled, thanks to an asymmetrical...
This Prefab Tree House Was Inspired by a Young Girl’s Sketch
Ryan Street Architects uses Douglas fir and prefabricated panels to build a lofty guesthouse in five days flat.
The World’s Most Beautiful Outhouse Is a Mirrored Cube in the Australian Bush
In Australia’s Kangaroo Valley, a mirrored cube answers nature’s call.
This Prefab Tree House Took Just 8 Days to Assemble
On the outskirts of a small Swiss town, Baumhaus Halden is a gable-roof tree house built for two close friends.
The World’s Largest Urban Farm Is Opening Next Year in Paris
The six-story, 150,000-square-foot garden is expected to yield a ton of organic produce every day for the French capital.
The World's Smallest McDonald's Is For the Bees
While the restaurant's concept is strong, Michael Pollen wrote a stinging review.
Prefab Made This Super Remote House in the Ontario Wilderness Possible
An isolated prefab in Ontario, Canada, demonstrates how factory-built housing can be as site sensitive as traditional...
A New Book Explores 25 of the World’s Most Sensuous Buildings
“The Touch​” shows that great design is not just visually appealing—it engages all of the human senses.
IKEA Is Crushing its Carbon-Neutral Goals
Over the last decade, the flat-pack retailer has invested in solar and wind power to the tune of $2.7 billion, and it's now...
One Night in the Self-Proclaimed “First U.S. Carbon-Positive Hotel”
Denver’s recently opened Populus makes some pretty steep sustainability claims.
We Dream of Prefabs...
...and wake up, every so often, to a project that fulfills the potential of mass-produced housing. Here are six examples.

12.7k more articles