“Everything is in the core,” Farley says. “It’s an efficient way to organize space and functions.
A Murphy bed pulls out of a central, maple-clad volume that also holds a sleeping loft, a bathroom, and a kitchen designed and built by Remo. “When it’s so small, you see everything a little bit closer,” Remo says. “There was more pressure to do it right.”
Remo and Emi started with a feeling—calm, cozy, and simple—and went from there, outfitting the space with white limewash paint, maple plywood built-ins, and green textiles and tile.
“We splurged on everything—we doubled our budget,” says Remo. To afford the increases, he sought out cash discounts, and Emi got trade rates through her company on pricey materials like limewash paint and Zia cement tiles.
An Englander wood-burning stove warms the living room, and the two round windows were inspired by architect Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti, which the couple visited on a cross-country van trip.
Warm wood detailing ensures that the concrete flooring has a natural contrast.
Customers are free to customize their prefab, as long as it fits within the company's structural grid.
The bed remains stationary in the Lite model. In the Pro and Premium models, it conceals a table and benches that can be used by folding the mattress up against the window.
The steel-frame structure allows for floor-to-ceiling triple glazing along the perimeter of the units.
Except for the interior partitions, everything from the finishes to the appliances are up for customization. Connect Homes also promises to work with clients on providing additional structures, like a covered deck or a carport.
While the Pro Series models can be purchased individually, they also work as the foundation for the company's new Pro Platform: a modular and scalable housing product for developers.
Connect Homes offers two product lines. Their higher-end and more flexible Design Series range in price from $208k to $1.2M. The more standardized Pro Series models go for between $208k to 611k.
High-performance insulation well above building code requirements and a ductless HVAC system allow for precise temperature control in each room.
Connect Homes covers everything from design, through production, to delivery. Preparing the site, laying the foundations, and hooking up utilities are handled locally through contractors.
The white-painted roofs form part of a enclosure system that "reflects up to 90% of incident heat,
Architects Gordon Stott and Jared Levy saw modular prefabrication as a chance to make high-quality residences more affordable—so long as the construction method was extremely efficient. In 2012, they launched Connect Homes with fifteen designs as part of its original Design Series. Since, Stott and Levy have made more affordable models as well as shelters and community buildings for unhoused people.
Connect Homes' units span between 460 and 3200 square feet in size. Unique among prefabs, some models reach two or three stories high.
Equipped with everything from appliances and furniture to the glassware and cutlery, the microHaus can be installed and ready to use in under an hour once it arrives on site.
Curtains slide up from the floor to help block sunlight or enhance privacy. The upholstery on the bed and the wall panels lining the nook is washable.
Like the large mOne and mTwo models, the structure of the microHaus is made from a recycled polymers.
Abodu Two provides 110 more square feet—or one more bedroom—than the flagship model, Abodu One. The one pictured here is sided in Arctic White fiber cement and boasts a few add-ons: a standing seam metal roof and an expanded 4'x10' deck.
Although aux boxes were originally designed as detached one-room structures of around 100 square feet, they now offer the larger Model 240 and Model 620. (The model number denotes its footprint in square feet).
The prefabs are built on a metal screw pile foundation. Not only is it more affordable than concrete, but it shortens on-site work to one day. In case clients would prefer to manage the installation themselves, aux box offers free consultation.
Southern California startup Find Sanctuary plans to build a series of cabins in the San Bernardino mountains that companies and individuals can rent for remote work. Their 322-square-foot pilot cabin is positioned for a view down a canyon just off the Highway 18.
Find Sanctuary’s digital concierge service provides a list of resources and activities in the area. We picked a hike to a hot springs the morning before check-in.
The cabin is tucked out of sight from the property’s driveway, but signs helped point us in the right direction.
Lou gravitates toward the comfiest place in the cabin, with the best view.
On Monday afternoon, I try out the counter seating that comes with a broad view of the mountains. You can open the window to let in a breeze on a warm day.
The cabin is tiny by definition, but the layout is efficient: A two-person desk is positioned against the headboard to maximize circulation areas.
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