10 Nature-Forward Hotels That Take Advantage of Prefab Construction

From the roof of an Austrian midcentury hotel to the remote sands of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, prefabrication has made it possible to insert comfortable and luxe getaways in hard-to-reach places with minimal environmental impact. We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite hotels around the world that have taken advantage of prefab construction to offer unique opportunities to commune with nature and wake up to breathtaking views.

1. Freycinet Lodge in Tasmania

Perched atop pink granite cliffs, Freycinet Lodge’s Coastal Pavilions are a series of one-bedroom suites that offer unparalleled views in one of Tasmania’s oldest National Parks. Designed by Liminal Studio and prefabricated off-site to minimize site impact, the nine structures feature curved profiles to reflect the coast’s fluid topography and are clad in locally sourced natural materials to blend in with the surroundings. 

2. Cabanes des Grands Cépages in France

In a remote fishing reserve in Avignon, France, Paris-based Atelier LAVIT has installed ten prefabricated cabins that float on a tranquil lake. Designed to mimic the surrounding water reeds, the timber cabins of Cabanes des Grands Cépages are clad in vertical wooden screens to camouflage into the environment and to capture a rustic, back-to-nature atmosphere. 

3. LoftCube in Austria

Not all hotels taking advantage of prefab construction are found in remote nature. Berlin-based architect Werner Aisslinger’s LoftCube is a stylish penthouse addition that was constructed off-site and then craned into place atop the roof of Hotel Daniel in Graz, Austria.  

4. iT House in California

Designed by Taalman Koch Architects, the iT House is a stunning high-design escape that uses prefab structural components to reduce disturbance on the pristine and remote desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The solar-powered, industrial-inspired home incorporates passive solar design principles to operate entirely off the grid.  

5. Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia

The remote and notoriously harsh desert of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is now home to Shipwreck Lodge, a low-impact boutique hotel that relies heavily on prefabrication to minimize environmental impact and ensure easy removal after the lodge’s limited 25-year concession period. Designed by Windhoek-based Nina Maritz Architects, the 20-bed property comprises solar-powered structures designed to evoke broken pieces of ships in a nod to the shipwrecked vessels that have washed up along the treacherous coastline. 

6. Revier Mountain Lodge in Switzerland

In the heart of the Swiss Alps, Carlos Martinez Architekten crafted the angular Revier Mountain Lodge to feel like a "VW bus parked at the edge of a lake." To achieve his vision and provide floor-to-ceiling views of the lake from every room, the architects turned to prefabrication for efficiency, speed, and uniformity.

7. Vipp Shelter in Sweden

Sleek, stylish, and immersed in nature, the Vipp Shelter is a plug-and-play prefab cabin set on the edge of a forest lake in southern Sweden. The first in the Danish design company Vipp’s series of one-room hotels, the 592-square-foot cabin was crafted as a "livable design object" set in pristine nature. 

8. Lodges on Vashon Island in Washington

Built in a factory in Idaho and then ferried to Washington’s Vashon Island, the 16 prefabricated units that make up the Lodges on Vashon are just a 20-minute ferry ride away from Seattle. Architecture firm ASW designed the 570-square-foot luxury suites with a modern Scandinavian feel that can be felt from the muted color palette to the use of midcentury modern furnishings. 

9. Sacromonte Landscape Hotel in Uruguay

Montevideo-based MAPA Architects worked their modular magic on the modern Sacromonte Landscape Hotel, an eco-retreat in Eastern Uruguay that uses one-way mirrored facades to all but disappear into the landscape. Made up of 13 prefabricated camouflaged cabins in addition to a winery and a farm-to-table restaurant, the resort in the Maldonado mountains not only embraces the landscape through views, but also respects the environment with sustainable design.

10. Het bos roept! cabin in the Netherlands

To create a place for city dwellers to recharge and reconnect with nature, Amsterdam-based studio The Way We Build designed a tiny prefab cabin at Het bos roept!, an eco campground in northern Holland. Filled with light and chapel-inspired poplar arches, the 162-square-foot cabin is an enchanting escape that sits lightly on the land and was constructed off-site in just a matter of weeks.  

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