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The age of the prefab homes is upon us! Prefabricated homes, also known as prefab homes or just prefabs, are specialist dwelling types of prefabricated building. These houses are manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled.
Prefab homes are an ideal solution for various reasons, including faster construction time, work unaffected by weather delays, and less wasted materials than with site-built constructions.
Today we take a look at 3 examples of modern prefab homes created right here in South Africa by Urban Habitat Architects, a dynamic group of architects and interior designers located in Johannesburg. Let’s see some fabulous examples!
The main aim of this Houghton abode was to maximise its northern views, create passive lighting and ventilation, as well as enhance its interesting living spaces. Through creative brainstorming, the professionals in charge came up with two distinct plans, separated by a courtyard to allow for optimal northern exposure.
The house was designed to separate the living- and entertaining areas from the more private rooms, like the bedrooms and bathrooms. To keep the aesthetic qualities of the house high, the creators emphasised modern and traditional residential architectural elements through articulated geometric forms.
Placing the living- and dining area of the house on the northern side connects the house to a spacious garden area, which helps in drawing the natural elements into the home and ensuring maximum use of the spaces.
This beauty was one of the larger residences designed by Urban Habitat. And what made it so interesting was the 5m slope of the landscape. But to accommodate this little challenge, the pros opted to break the house into blocks separated by landscaped courtyard areas.
The highest point (southernmost area) of the site was reserved for areas like the plant room, laundry area and staff quarters, while the northern block received the kitchen, dining room, and entertainment patio.
A decent little lap pool flows from the patio, complete with a rim flow which, together with the sloping landscape, looks quite superb.
For the architectural aesthetics, a simple and straightforward look was opted for. Because of this, the house doesn’t have any roof overhangs.
The end result is a house that, although spacious, makes the owners feel visually connected with the surrounding landscape, most notably due to the generous windows and glass doors that open wide enough to establish a firm link with the outsides.
The Moosa family from Illovo, Johannesburg were quite unhappy with their house’s layout and lack of aesthetic appeal. Tasked with modernising the house and create a more open-plan feel for the home, the professionals successfully achieved the latter by completely cutting out the internal divisions of the house, re-designing the kitchen and re-arranging the position of certain living spaces.
Not only were the existing bedrooms on the first floor enlarged, but a completely new one was added, complete with a walk-in dresser and an en-suite bathroom.
The façade was up next, which got treated to a modern and fresh look while keeping the architectural integrity of the home in mind. The rear (northern side) surfaces also received sliding sun louvers within the framing elements, while the middle section had permanent horizontal timber louvers added.
Want to see more prefab structures? Then enjoy: A Shining Example of a Prefab Home.
