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.

An outdoor shower tucked behind a screen off the master bedroom neutralizes this threat. “We thought it sounded great for muddy kids to run up and shower off there,” Coco says.

Madrid-based firm PKMN dreamed up this flexible concept for a client with a tiny home north of the city. Made up of three shelving units on track system, the All I Own House can be configured in countless ways, making space for a bedroom, kitchen, sitting area, changing room, and more. Shown here is a horizontal Murphy bed, which makes a great space-saving solution as well as a comfortable sleeping space.

A glass-fronted walkway leads from the main house to the office/play area.

A bathroom sits at one end of the room.

Hexagonal tiles made by the Portland Cement Company continue the pattern in the bathroom, where the architect designed low drawers and cabinets that are easy for Luna to reach.

A corrugated metal roofing, pine walls stained a warm blonde hue, and an abundance of glass make this modern prefab feel much roomier than its 1,600-square-feet size.

The fireplace that Lake|Flato designed for the deck is the compound’s focal point. “People can go tuck their small kids into bed and then creep back to the fire pit area and be gregarious late into the night,” Wallace says.

The living area is furnished with a Fjord swivel arm chair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso and a Como sectional chaise by Giorgio Soressi.

Gliss swivel stools and a Dowel bar stool share space in front of a custom maple kitchen island. The pendant lamps are by Lightolier.

For her family’s house near Melbourne, Anna Horne created a series of prefab wood modules using a design from the company Prebuilt. She found the old industrial letter at a factory; it stands for Somerset, the name of the house.

Located seven miles from Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate, Tim Wright and Karen Ellzey’s prefab home is meant to pay homage to the great American architect’s experiments with modular housing.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Modular

Modular

Modular

X-Line 016 House in Lethbridge, AB is a cedar-clad passive home with a two-story living room, artist's studio, and three-car garage with windows creating a "chimney effect" ventilation system that allows the air to move without using power. Photo by: Clayton Strong

The open observatory.

Described as “Lego for grown-ups” Grupa’s ili_ili lamps (which translates to “either-or”) allow the consumer to pick and choose between six modular elements in different colors in order to create their own individualized lamps.

A drop-down countertop conceals dishware and other kitchen belongings.

Wright, who teaches a course in visual literacy at Taliesin, works at a #101 dining table by Skovby.

In episode 5, Machnik and his teammates were asked to reimagine a pre-fabricated modular home. Lukas is commended for his idea to create a built-in daybed that saves space and provides a nook for relaxing. Photo courtesy of Lukas Machnik.

“My favorite spot is the kitchen,” says Kaja Taft of the prefab home she shares with her family in Portland. “I can stand in it and cook and converse with everyone.” The space overlooks the back yard. The white-oak cabinetry is by HOMB and the countertops are Caesarstone. A hood by Faber is above a Dacor range.

Escape made a splash by launching a property in Tampa Bay filled with its trailers. But you don’t have to live there to own one.

“Your first impression is that the house is very closed,” says David Barragán of the building he designed with Jose María Sáez in Quito, Ecuador. Stacked concrete forms, developed by Barragán and Sáez and used as planters along the front facade, offer privacy and integrate the building with the site.

The kitchen island, with a Raven countertop from Caesarstone’s Classico Collection, is illuminated by a set of April pendant lamps by WAC Lighting.

The flexible concept can range from a one-person dwelling to a family-sized float with a 1076-square-foot floor plan and a 538-square-foot terrace.

“I love the house more each day,” says Tamami Sylvester of her and husband Michael's home by Sebastian Mariscal in Venice, California. The kitchen, which includes all Miele appliances, is sheathed in custom woodwork from Semihandmade. Accessories from A+R complement the Caesarstone countertops and Franke faucet. A LifeSource Water System provides filtration. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.

Six-inch-square blue tiles cover the walls and floor of the girls’ upstairs bathroom. The towels and rug are also by H&M Home.

"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.

Architect Gustavo Costa calls the home library the “project’s heart.” This central space houses the owner’s expansive collection of about 5,000 books, and acts as a meeting place for friends and colleagues. A Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Red and Blue chair completes the space.

5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

An outdoor shower was the family’s first construction project. “Doing the shower made us realize we can build things the way we want to build them,” says Meg.

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.