Prefab Homes
Modern prefab homes are built faster and have a smaller environmental impact than conventional construction methods—and as these projects show, they're the past, present and future of design.
The Timber Screens of This Off-Grid Prefab in Italy Lift Up Like Wings
Designed for a couple needing a temporary home, MU50 is a modular cabin whose moving sunshades create a dappled effect, called “komorebi” in Japanese.
A Prefab Office Adds Rugged Good Looks to a Backyard in Madrid for $68K
Architects Delavegacanolasso expand a client’s work-from-home office space by adding a Cor-Ten steel design to the backyard.
A Seattle Musician Improvises During the Pandemic by Building Out His Own Backyard Cottage
Starting with a design from prefab builder NODE, musician Michael Lerner relies on YouTube tutorials and perseverance to complete a DADU.
A Log Cabin Kit Home Pops Up at the Edge of a Lake in Southern Finland
Prefab builder Pluspuu erects a rustic yet refined retreat an hour’s drive from Helsinki.
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 Passive House standards.
This Zen-Inspired Prefab Cabin Popped Up in a Single Day
The Kynttilä tiny house lights up like a lantern in a secluded Finnish forest.
With an Otherworldly Shape, This Finnish Cabin Fends Off Subarctic Cold
The Meteorite by Ateljé Sotamaa, clad in 272 prefabricated panels of cross-laminated timber, uses air gaps to keep the interior warm.
A Fire-Resistant Home on Tricky Terrain Taps Into the Power of Prefab
Packed with off-grid tech, the partially prefabricated Waterfall Residence soaks up stunning views of Carmel Valley.
A British Architect’s Picturesque Prefab Seeks £1.2M
David Tapp’s 1969 residence in Oxfordshire features a living room that appears to hover over the garden.
This Foldable, $23K Tiny Cabin Pops Up in Less Than Three Hours
A unique hinge system allows the Brette Haus to unfold into an instant shelter, home office, or event space.
Prefab Startup Jupe Unveils a $17.5K Flat-Pack Shelter Inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Available to preorder for $99, the futuristic pod features on-board Wi-Fi and solar power for a plush, off-grid experience.
This Off-Grid Cabin on Finland’s Archipelago Is an Irresistible Call to Low-Impact Living
With a leave-no-trace design, the prefabricated Majamaja Cabin by Littow Architectes draws visitors to a new eco-retreat at the water’s edge.
This Prefab Tiny Home Is Designed to Be Nearly Indestructible
With its reinforced concrete shell, the prefabricated Hüga House is ready for a variety of challenging environmental conditions.
The Top 10 Prefab Homes of 2022
From modular units that become entire residences when assembled to tiny houses on wheels, these are this year's best-in-class prefabs.
A Designer’s $210K Prefab ADU Captures the Allure of California Living
Oni Lazarus of AO Studio commissions Cover to add a svelte prefab rental unit to the backyard of her Los Angeles home.
Extreme Skier Lexi duPont’s New Base Camp Is a Passive House in British Columbia
Stark Architecture uses prefabricated panels of cross-laminated timber to build an elevated ski retreat for the world champ.
Asking $10.5M, This Desert Prefab by Marmol Radziner Doesn’t Want for “Wow” Factor
Assembled from 36 steel-frame modules, the Las Vegas residence even has its own James Turrell installation.
Spend the Night With Lions, Tigers, and Bears in These Prefab Glamping Pods
At a wildlife rehabilitation center in Denmark, rentable cabins by Iglucraft allow guests to catch glimpses of endangered species.
A Coastal Prefab Cabin in Uruguay Rose in Just Six Hours
Compact and light on the earth, this 840-square-foot home subtly camouflages into its forested surroundings.
Choose Your Own Adventure With a Finnish Prefab Pod That Can Pop Up Anywhere
Less than 100 square feet, Studio Puisto’s new modular cabin can be configured as a home office, gym, or forest retreat.
This 250-Square-Foot Prefab Cabin Fits a Queen Bed and a Fireplace
The newest model from Wheelhaus challenges small-space clichés with high ceilings and oversize windows.
These $6.6K Prefab Office Pods Can Pop Up in Less Than a Day
My Room in the Garden is a modular work-from-home solution that’s affordable and stylish.
A Rare FUTURO Flying Saucer House Seeks an Earthling Buyer
Fewer than 100 of the prefabricated, plastic homes were reportedly manufactured—and this one remains in stellar condition.
This Ultra-Versatile Prefab Cabin Can Shed Its Layers of Wood and Glass
Now available for less than $99,000, ANNA is a flat-pack retreat whose inner and outer shells glide along tracks.
A Ruddy Shipping Container House Is Installed in New York in Only Two Days
With a prefab structure near Hudson, LOT-EK—the pioneers of shipping container architecture—make a new case for the genre.
This New A-Frame Cabin Kit Can Be Built in a Weekend for $21K
Den’s new easy-to-assemble, flat-packed cabin is disrupting the prefab scene.
Whatever Happened to the Ecohouse?
First profiled a decade ago, we checked back in with the adventurous architect of Biosphere 2 and his plans for his massive, sustainable prefab.
This $22K Mirrored Home Office Is Launching Soon on Amazon
ÖÖD House’s tiny glass cabin makes the perfect home office or backyard guesthouse.
Kodasema Launches Prefab Tiny Homes in the U.S. Starting at $95K
Kodasema is now accepting orders for their prefabricated micro homes in North and South America.
Three Shipping Containers Form a Tiny, Eco-Friendly Home in Australia
A designer couple convert three shipping containers into a 530-square-foot, solar-powered dwelling on their family’s farm.
A Timber-Clad Prefab Cabin Offers Respite in the Canadian Wilderness
A rotating fireplace, a glazed facade, and a cozy sauna complete this wonderful woodland retreat.
These Prefab Cabins Offer the Ultimate Eco Escape in the Heart of the Swiss Alps
A new suite of prefab timber cabins welcomes guests at the Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel.
These New $49K Prefabs Can Snap Together Like LEGO Bricks
Boxabl’s flat-pack Casita ADUs are designed to combine for (virtually) infinite square footage.
Prefab Pods Create a Super-Efficient Floating Apartment That Shape-Shifts at Sea
Michael K. Chen Architecture channels Le Corbusier vibes into a modular and multifunctional holiday home aboard the world’s largest residential yacht.
A Midcentury Jean Prouvé Prefab on the French Riviera Asks $7.5M
Designated a historic monument in 1991, this midcentury masterpiece on the coast of France marries indoor/outdoor living with avant-garde prefabrication techniques.
This $12K Flat-Pack Cabin Makes the Perfect Weekend Retreat or Backyard Office
Hungarian design studio Hello Wood unveils Kabinka, an affordable, compact cabin that can fit a kitchenette, bed, desk, and couch.