When an efficient prefab can become a coastal retreat with a spectacular view to boot—it makes a very compelling case for not being landlocked.
Here, we’ve gathered a variety of prefabs set in diverse locations around the world, providing you a little inspiration if you’re currently plotting a feasible way to build a beach house of your very own.
Located on the northern edge of Waiheke Island, approximately 800 feet from the nearest road, The Cora House sits atop a thicketed cliff that falls sharply into Hekerua Bayhe below. The prefab home’s configuration maximizes views, while its siting limits environmental impact. Bonnifait + Giesen Atelierworkshop, the firm that designed the structure, was even able to retain the mature trees on the property.
Also located in New Zealand, this compact prefab vacation home in the seaside community of Onemana Beach was a collaboration with Architecture students from Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology.
Casa Remota is a design prototype for a transportable, modular dwelling. The 861 square-foot home can be constructed in 45 days, transferred to its location in four hours, and installed in only six more. Erected near the Chilean city of Valparaíso, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home has floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy views of the region’s dramatic coastline.
Casa Remota is a design prototype for a transportable, modular dwelling. The 861 square-foot home can be constructed in 45 days, transferred to its location in four hours, and installed in only six more. Erected near the Chilean city of Valparaíso, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home has floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy views of the region’s dramatic coastline.
Felipe Assadi
When Australian architect Anna Horne designed a beach house consisting of three modules for her family, she had the prefab constructed in a factory outside Melbourne. Then, the house was transported down to the sleepy beach town of Merricks. Horne created a series of prefab wood modules using a design from the company Prebuilt. She found the old red industrial letter at a factory. It stands for Somerset, the name of the house.
This prefab house designed by ArchiBlox on the northern beaches of Sydney has to stand up to high winds and spray from the surf. To ensure this wouldn’t be a problem, Archiblox wrapped the exterior in marine-grade Colorbond Ultra steel. Panels of Queensland blue gum, a native Australian hardwood, covers the street-side facade, which is protected from the harsh climate.
This enormous modular home by Tony Robins of Vancouver-based AA Robins Architect was built in partnership with a prefabrication factory. Two-foot-wide steel beams were enlisted to support the 20-module home. The primary building’s wings frame Pacific Ocean views and wrap a private courtyard with an infinity-edge pool. Five bedrooms disperse in a U-shape along a corridor that’s punctuated by low, horizontal windows facing the courtyard.
The A-frame prefab family retreat of the late iconic designer Jens Risom is located on the northern portion of Block island. It’s bordered by a low stone wall, an aesthetic element that appears throughout the land.
Contact USModular, Inc. for more information on building modular homes in California!
