Assembled architecture
Retreat in Finca Aguy is a compact house by MAPA in Uruguay that was prefabricated in a factory and then shipped 200 kilometres to its destination in an olive grove.
Retreat in Finca Aguy, Uruguay. The home is composed of two identical modules that were placed over criss-crossing stone walls to sit side by side. Adjustable wooden louvres screen full-height glazing.
The small, sustainable Wikkelhouse by Amsterdam studio Fiction Factory uses cardboard as its main building material and can easily be altered in both size and function.
Living room of the Wikkelhouse. 100 per cent recyclable, these cute modular homes can be transported and on site within one day, as the home does not require foundations.
This metal-and-glass 55-square-metre dwelling was created by Danish retailer Vipp. It features two upper-level chambers, one which houses a small sleeping loft. The cabins are prefabricated in a factory near Copenhagen.
The Vipp cabin comes filled with the company’s line of homeware products and floor-to ceiling glazing ensures a close connection with the surrounding nature.
Alchemy Architects’ weathered steel home, situated in California, is composed of two separate open-sided modules that were almost entirely prefabricated offsite.
Full-height sliding glass walls maximises views of the beautiful countryside in Santa Rosa, California. The smaller of the two modules is designed for guests, with a bedroom, bathroom and private terrace.
This pine-clad Ripollès cottage, designed by Marc Mogas Architecture, was transported to the site in three modules. Situated near the Pyrenees mountains in Spain, it is a cost-effective summer retreat.
Inside the Ripollès cottage, Spain. The structure is left exposed and the interiors boast a neutral palette and white walls, with generous spaces for socialising and eating.
Nilsson Pflugfelder’s wooden prefab House R is situated in Cambridge, UK. Windows have been strategically placed both to ensure privacy from neighbouring properties and for uninterrupted views.
House R, Cambridge. A staircase ascends through a double-height void, and the skylight above the curving inner wall ensures plenty of natural light enters the dining and lounge area.
This charred timber holiday home is a prototype built in 2014 next to Lake Maggiore, Italy, to demonstrate the possibilities of prefabricated wood panel construction methods.
German designers Nicole Lachelle and Christian Niessen are behind ‘The Wood Building’. The house was constructed using solid cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels set on a concrete base, prefabricated off site.
Avalon House, Sydney. This ArchiBlox-designed prefab beachside home features an overflowing green roof and sits lightly on its site, with a build time of only six weeks.
Avalon House, Sydney. Timber was used on the exterior for a natural effect and large windows maximise northern sun and ocean views. A bright interior palette was inspired by the sea and sand.
The prefabricated elements of the Lofthouse I in Amsterdam by Marc Koehler Architects were constructed in a workshop over two weeks, with on-site construction taking four days.
A black steel staircase criss-crosses across the different split levels in one continuous flow inside the three-storey Lofthouse I in Amsterdam. Views over the harbour can be enjoyed from the living areas.
The Frontier Lodge is First Light Studio’s eco lodge offering in Whanganui National Park. A series of panels and pods were pre-built in Matamata before transportation to the remote site.
Frontier Lodge, Whanganui National Park. To ensure guests’ comfort, the compact building features ultra thick insulation, thermally efficient glazing and an airtight building envelope.
Baragaño Architects’ Casa Montaña, rural Spain, is situated on the site of an old stone granary complex. The modules took four months to be made in a factory in Madrid and were erected on site in five days.
Casa Montaña, Spain. The cores of the modules that make up the two-storey gabled structure are composed of galvanised steel sheets clad in thin vertical wooden slats.
I-Kanda created 84-square-metre weekend residence Cabin on a Rock in New Hampshire, United States. A timber porch cantilevers out over a slope while a wood-burning fireplace keeps the home warm.
Cabin on a Rock, New Hampshire. Black metal and a pre-manufactured timber frame accentuates the strong lines of this angular cabin that boasts a minimal but cosy interior.
The recent boom in the construction of prefabricated homes and buildings is not showing any signs of slowing down. Whether they are being touted as the answer to our world’s various housing crises or as the fastest, most sustainable and cost-efficient way of building, modern prefabricated houses have come a long way from some of the bland modular constructions that were built during the 20th century.
Below, and in the slideshow above, we showcase 12 stunning houses from across the globe, which illustrate that prefabricated homes can be smart, well-designed solutions that work in a range of locations.
