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All Photos/exterior/building type : house/building type : prefab

Exterior House Prefab Design Photos and Ideas

Marie Saldivar’s experimental metal-clad dwelling is the perfect place to host family—and proof of concept for her new prefab company.
As Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento of La Base embraced modular design as part of their architectural practice, they noticed that prospective clients were wary of prefabricated construction. So the duo teamed up with Place, an Argentine prefab builder, to make a proof of concept just outside the Patagonian resort town of Bariloche.
A family chose MyCabin to construct prefab structures in their home country of Latvia. The prefab structures have space for work, sleep, and relaxation.
This wilderness sauna cabin in the west coast of Finland was built with 112-millimeter thick squrae logs, and has a 1,028-square-foot outdoor terrace.
A full-height, double-glazed window lets ample light into the secondary bedroom.
The prefab compact cabins that Summary designed for Syntony Hotels in Paradinha, Alvarenga, Arouca, Portugal, are made from concrete, pine, and glass.
Summary turned some of the concrete modules on their sides to create two-story cabins.
On the north-facing facade, it’s easy to discern where the original glass doors used to open directly to the deck. In spring of 2012, Block Island contractor John Spier replaced the entire wall of glass panels.
Project Name: Greenville Escape
The screen wall that provides privacy for the water body is an integral part of the elevation detail.
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.
Inspired by LivingHomes’ RK2 model, this custom prefab-hybrid home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, was made for actor Will Arnett by Plant Prefab.
Transforming shipping containers into habitable spaces is a growingly popular subset of prefab. Just off the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Martha Moseley and Bill Mathesius adapted an unused concrete foundation to create a home made from 11 stacked shipping containers. "We were inspired by the site, and our desire to have something cool and different," says Moseley.
Though this 2,808-square-foot home in Lewes, East Sussex, England, used to be an old workshop, Sandy Rendel Architects transformed it into a beautiful home with a building shell that was made of SIPS (structured insulated panels), and prefabricated offsite.
HGTV stars Robert and Cortney Novogratz transformed a "generic white box prefab" into a cozy surfer paradise for a family of four in Montauk, New York. The clients’ paddle collection and surf art are used as interior decor, while large windows and sliding glass doors emphasize the indoor/outdoor living experience.
After an unprecedented year of earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires, a bright light has been shed on the benefits of building with concrete.
Go Home by Go Logic is a design/build firm that designs and constructs modular homes that stand out in the crowd: they're both modern and contemporary, but still harken back to the traditional architecture of farms and barns in New England.
The large window that floods the interior can be sealed off for privacy with sliding shutters.
The off-grid MU50 is topped with solar panels and solar thermal panels. Ground-source heat pumps support underfloor heating and cooling, while a nearby well supplies water. A desalination system provides drinking water, and rainwater is collected for landscape irrigation.
A fire pit and a pair of chairs on the west-facing deck are perfectly placed for sunset views.
The driveway concrete is colored with exposed aggregate river pebbles so that it matches the soil.
The home connects via breezeway to a 900-square-foot garage with a studio bedroom that’s currently used as an office.
Powered by a 6.5-kWh solar array and equipped with mostly electric appliances, the Waterfall Residence is designed to achieve net-zero energy after it’s been tested for a full year.
Built with the factory-fabricated Blue Sky Building System (BSBS), the home’s steel-framed floor, roof, and structural posts were rapidly bolted together on-site in less than two weeks.
Elevated on an oak-studded hillside lot, the three-bedroom, three-bath Waterfall Residence overlooks spectacular views in three directions.
“Celebrating California indoor/outdoor living is key,” Oni says of her and Didi’s new rental unit. “We splurged on that—it was the best thing we did.”
The interiors feature accoya flooring, which extends outside to a wraparound deck. The home faces east to soak up morning sunlight.
When looking to add an ADU to their backyard in Highland Park, Oni Lazarus and her partner Didi went with Cover’s turnkey offering. The Los Angeles–based prefab builders managed every step, giving the couple an idyllic, indoor/outdoor rental unit that capitalizes on sunny Southern California weather.
After the home was assembled, a local contractor built the outdoor concrete patio and barbecue on site.
The Japanese "no-brand" masters of minimalism unveil the first single-story design in their line of prefab homes.
The Courtyard House was constructed with a minimal steel frame with LVL floor joists.
Concrete off-form steps by FABPREFAB step down into the courtyard.
The home is elevated on pier foundations for reduced site impact.
Sliding glass doors blur the lines between indoors and out.
“I like that the house has a simple, almost abstract reading from the exterior—but the interior reveals an unexpected complexity of space, light, and aspect,” notes Ropiha.
“I like that the house has a simple, almost abstract reading from the exterior—but the interior reveals an unexpected complexity of space, light, and aspect,” notes Ropiha.
The south-facing timber screen can be pushed to the west to open up the courtyard to the expansive landscape.
The 300-square-foot “reinterpreted” veranda is a sheltered room open to the outdoors.
The modules were built to 90% completion inside a factory—fittings, fixtures, tiles, and more were installed before the units were trucked to the site and placed atop the foundation in five hours.
A natural materials palette ties the building into its scenic surrounds. The hardwood facade features spotted gum cladding with a Woca Silver finish.
The two-bedroom, two-bath Courtyard House is located in a clearing in the New South Wales coastal suburb of Hawks Nest, just a few minutes’ drive from the beach.
According to Mighty Buildings, the Light Stone material used to print the building shell is four times lighter than concrete, and it boasts water, fire, and thermal resistance.
Completed in July 2020, the Mighty Duo B model installed in San Diego is a 700-square-foot ADU with one bedroom, one bath, a kitchenette, and a walk-in closet.
The Outdoor Room frames west-facing views of the Kaimai Range. “With timber-battened clear roofing above, it perfectly frames the forest views beyond, creating moments of uninterrupted connection and stillness with nature,” note the architects.
The all-timber build helps establish a continuous indoor/outdoor living experience. The interior cross-laminated timber flooring transitions to radiata pine at the outdoor deck.
The Outdoor Room divides the main house (on the left) from the guest suite/office (on the right).
The timber construction is a nod to Coromandel’s timber logging heritage.
The home is wrapped in eco-friendly Abodo Tundra shiplap with a sustainable Sioo:x finish that helps the wood develop a silvery patina over time.
The homeowners have joined New Zealand’s One Billion Trees program and plan to regenerate part of their land with native bush.
James, an avid mountain biker, with his young daughter. The outdoorsy family enjoys access to the many hiking and river swimming opportunities available on the property.
The north side of the home opens up to a covered wraparound deck and views of the Karangahake Gorge.
Curious cows are a frequent sight on the farm. The house is located upslope from a 1900s worker’s cottage that the couple renovated in 2017 and rent out on Airbnb.
A timber palette emphasizes indoor/outdoor living. The outdoor cedar deck visually extends the interior white oak floors. The ceilings and soffits are made of hemlock.
Designed for energy efficiency, the home features insulation above code and hydronic radiant heating. Note the Morso 6148 wood-burning stove in the entry hall that’s fueled by locally felled lumber.
Completed in 2018 on a 2.6-acre site in the San Juan Islands, the two-bedroom modular home was installed in a day.
All lightHouses come with custom OxBox (oxidized steel) and Barn (wood) siding, as well as a collection of unique exterior steel features.
The first Plant Prefab–built modular lightHouse ADU was completed earlier this spring in Sebastopol, California. This 423-square-foot lightHouse was completed for around $285,000. That figure breaks down to approximate costs of $210,000 for design, engineering and production; $60,000 for infrastructure and site work; and $15,000 for shipping and installation.
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