Small one bedroom modular building

This complete small modular building offers a living room, a kitchen room, a bedroom and a separate bathroom. The house fits on semi truck trailer and can be transported just about anywhere. The 280 SF modular unit come with all the essentials appliances. It is pre-plumbed, pre-wired and ready to plug in.

Design: Modular Dwellings

weeHouse - Modern Prefab Homes by Alchemy Architects

Marfa weeHouse - 440 sq ft 1 Bedroom Modern Prefab Home, Texas

Installation

Floor plans, Drawings

Video

About Alchemy Architects

Project	Marfa weeHouse
Design and manufacture	Alchemy
Location	Texas, United States
Area	440 sq ft
Bedroom	1
Year	2007
Photos	Scott Ervin

AIA Honor Awards

Small Projects 2011





This 440 sq ft 1 bedroom prefab home serves as a simple retreat space on the beautiful remote area outside an arts colony in Texas. It is the first of three prefab modules that are planned to install for the site. The module installed complete with an outdoor shed and a fully finished exterior and interior, leaving only sun-shielding canopies, decks and utility hookups to be assembled on-site.

Description by architects.

This weeHouse and its cool, calming interior serves as a simple 440 SF retreat space on the fairly remote site outside a small arts colony in West Texas. It is designed to be the first of three weeHouse modules that are planned for the site.

The module arrived complete with an outdoor shed (housing w/d + hot water heater) and a fully finished interior and exterior, leaving only utility hookups, decks and sun-shielding canopies to be installed on- site. A stepped foundation provides a proud platform for sweeping views of an amazing landscape.

Program 

The client wanted a modestly-scaled retreat that sat lightly on the landscape in a remote site, 20 minutes outside the small arts colony of Marfa, in West Texas. The initial house is a do-all outpost, the first of three modules that are planned for the site. The module arrived complete with an outdoor shed and a fully finished interior and exterior, leaving only utility hookups, decks and prefabricated sun-shielding canopies to be installed on-site. The architects sought to re-imagine the ideal of luxury based on size, instead looking to leverage the uniqueness of place through effcient multi-use space with simple, elegant detailing. They also concentrated design efforts on the process of producing high-quality work within a modest budget and a geographically challenging location.

The house is reduced to a floor and ceiling, the end walls creating a TUBE that locates a nexus on the landscape.

The simplicity of the living space and its amenities offer livability and a sense of luxury without detracting from the reason to be there in the first place: respite. Expansive decks promote outdoor living, the glass allows natural cross ventilation, and large awnings that block the intense SW Texas sunshine.

Process 

The remoteness of the site created unique challenges to delivering high quality architecture. The Client contracted with the Architect to purchase not only design services but also the actual house - as a product.- prefabricated in a modular factory. This gave the Architects complete control over the process: from concept to completion, and allowed the house to be "plugged in" with all electrical, infloor heating, and final plumbing items compelte upon delivery. 

The house is located in the high deserts of Texas and is a minimalist refuge. One room serves as bedroom, kitchen, dining room and living room. The adjacent room is a luxurious bathroom with views of mountains to the north and south. A prefabricated utility shed houses an outdoor kitchen and laundry,

leaving the rest of the essentials to the main module. 

Data

• Size: the project consists of a 15’ x 35’ house (525 sf of conditioned space) and a 4’ x 15’ shed, for a total of 585 sf.
• Cost: modular work and design, $155k. Site costs withheld.
• Structure: standard wood frame with simple “framing square” type bolt-on moment brackets to reduce cost, weight, installation labor.
• Ceiling height: 8’.
• Siding: fibercement panels and trim, painted with an oxidized latex paint with suspended iron filings.
• Windows: standard Andersen 8’x8’ sliding doors.
• Roof: Epdm rubber, vented.
• Heating: The house is heated via wood-burning fireplace, on-demand electric boiler with hydronic in-floor heating located in the bath cabinet. A small 19-seer rated split wall AC unit provides all the cooling needed.

Curtain tracks are integrated into the ceiling/door trim.

Steel Frame Transportable Prefab Home by Bachbox, New Zealand

About Bachbox

Design and manufacture: Bachbox
Location: New Zealand

The steel frame transportable prefab home (New Zealand) specifically designed for simple transportation and crainage when fully assembled. The low maintenance powder coated steel shell can be made entirely secure by four folding decks which enclose the building and the system can be operated by remote controlled electric winches. The prefab building is designed suitable for extreme environments and to be cyclone and earthquake resistant. Can be combined or customised to fit any need: holiday cabin/bach, permanent home, rental, office or temporary accommodation.

Pre assembled house, Denmark

This pre assembled house (Denmark) was created with the ambition of designing a quality building at an affordable price. The prefab house is in several different variations which have the basic floor plan design to reduce costs. The building has a kitchen with installed furniture, utility room, bathroom and large room which can be divided into two spaces, and in addition a large living room and roof terrace.

Design: ONV arkitekter (Denmark)