Prefabricated home design, which has a 100-year history, is one of the most efficient ways to build homes. (Though in recent decades, some prefab styles have been associated with cheap materials and shoddy construction.)
Factory workers build its parts off-site, then they are then shipped and assembled — a process that usually takes anywhere from 10 to 50 weeks.
Avava Systems, a startup based in San Francisco, has designed prefab tiny homes, called Britespaces, that can go up even faster. CEO Benjamin Kimmich tells Business Insider that Britespace construction takes four to six weeks. This is incredibly fast; many other prefab startups promise 10-week builds.
Avava ships a house's parts in flat-packed boxes (à la Ikea), which speeds up the time and efficiency of getting from the factory to the site, Kimmich says.
The startup works with third-party construction crews to build the actual homes.
In spring 2016, Avava launched three different-sized models, with base prices that range from $117,000 (shown in the rendering above) to $223,000. The price includes permit fees, construction, and contractor services, but owners need to buy their own furniture and appliances.
The homes are available to order in the US through Avava's site. Take a look at the designs:
Britespaces' model names — Model 264, Model 352, and Model 480 — reflect the amount of square footage they have. The two smaller ones are studios, while the largest is a one-bedroom home.
The homes feature concrete foundations and pine frames. Each precut component fastens into place, which contributes to a quick build.
You can customize the size, finishes, window color, trim color, cabinets, counters, and flooring. Here's a look inside a Model 264, which was shipped in 64 boxes:
The bedrooms have high ceilings, which make them look larger.
The homes have LED lighting as well as ample natural light.
The bathrooms, which measure about 20 square feet, include a shower, toilet, and sink.
Each home is also designed to accommodate add-ons like an electric water heater, rooftop solar panels, and a battery pack to store solar energy, Kimmich says. Eventually, Avava hopes to design an open-source house that anyone with basic do-it-yourself skills could build.
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