Welcome to Prefab Profiles, an ongoing collection of interviews with individuals remodeling how we construct homes. From prefab tiny homes and modular cabin kits to whole properties able to ship, their tasks symbolize a few of the finest concepts within the business. Do you realize a prefab model that must be on our radar? Get in contact!
In April 2016, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Muisne, 110 miles from Quito, Ecuador, and destroyed an estimated 7,000 constructions. In the wake of the devastation, there was a necessity for easy-to-transport housing that was additionally straightforward to assemble, notably in rural areas. In response, The Architecture Union began experimenting with prefabricated housing, they usually created a prototype that individuals may replicate with supplies they’d close by.
Since that first foray into prefabrication, the Quit0-based follow has developed plenty of like-minded tasks, together with a tiny house that may be fastened to the rooftop of condominium buildings, a carpentry workshop the studio says is rooted within the rules of prefabrication, and, most lately, a 260-square-foot cabin that provides an lodging to a household’s farm.
Here, the studio shares extra about its prefabrication follow—and the backstories behind a few of its most enjoyable tasks to date.
El Sindicato Arquitectura designed Casa Pukará for a household wanting so as to add a small lodging to their 10-acre retreat close to Cayambe in Ecuador.
What’s probably the most thrilling undertaking you’ve realized thus far?
In phrases of tasks which can be prefabricated, one which has impressed us probably the most is Parasite Housea tiny house that sits on a roof. It challenged many ideas, not solely architectural ones, but in addition philosophical and sensible ones, about city residing. It explores how we will benefit from areas with nice potential that always go unnoticed, and the way, by giving a small inventive twist to the capitalist system we stay in, we will create new, accessible housing choices, particularly for younger individuals who wish to stay residing in metropolis facilities corresponding to Quito.
A row of clerestory home windows on the loft degree brings further gentle into the area.
Tell us extra about Casa Pukará.
Located on the slopes of the Cayambe volcano, within the rural outskirts of town with the identical identify, Casa Pukará is a part of a roughly 10-acre family-owned plot that has traditionally been devoted to livestock grazing, the cultivation of grasses and greens, and the artisanal manufacturing of cheese. The web site already contained primary infrastructure: a rustic home, a secure, a small dairy, storage buildings, a big irrigation reservoir, and the ruins of a former animal feed storage facility. Casa Pukará introduces a brand new layer of use over this productive panorama, a sustainable intervention aligned with the imaginative and prescient of Daniel, the son of the household, who wished to include a low-impact rural lodging expertise.
The cabin is meant to assist guests disconnect from town and immerse themselves, even briefly, within the calm of the countryside. The 260-square-foot plan can accommodate as much as 4 friends in a stepped open-plan format that makes use of degree modifications to outline zones.
The whole construction was prefabricated in a workshop utilizing a system of absolutely completed, demountable panels. The design enabled Daniel to assemble the home alongside his father, utilizing solely a primary instruction guide and easy cordless instruments corresponding to drills and screwdrivers. This development technique addresses the location’s limitations—no electrical energy and restricted entry that forestalls the supply of a completely constructed construction.
A hatch within the sleeping space leads right down to a semi-subterranean degree.
A floor-to-ceiling window appears out over a pond.
The rest room, on the decrease degree, has its personal patio.
What was the fee per sq. foot?
The price was round $80 USD per sq. foot. In basic, the fee per sq. foot may be equal to and even larger than that of a traditional home, however for the reason that general measurement is far smaller, it finally ends up being extra inexpensive.
What qualities make your prefab designs stand other than these of different corporations?
Our designs come from a deep understanding of the shoppers’ wants and an intensive conceptual evaluation, which function the foundation and guiding component of every undertaking. This ends in distinctive and authentic designs which can be additionally grounded in sustainable values and our fixed exploration of prefabrication as a software for accessible, high-quality housing. We prioritize environment friendly use of area to create versatile and versatile options, demonstrating that residing comfortably doesn’t require massive areas, however reasonably the experiences you will have inside them.
Where do you construct?
We are at present targeted on constructing in Ecuador.
Inside the small, open-plan cabin, completely different programmatic zones—just like the kitchen, residing space, and bed room—are outlined by degree modifications.
How lengthy can a shopper anticipate the method to take after they put down a deposit?
The timeline depends upon whether or not it’s a pre-designed mannequin or a customized undertaking. For pre-designed fashions, we provide choices beginning at three-and-a-half months from the down fee to supply. For customized tasks, the method sometimes takes six months or extra.
The flooring plan responds to the slope of the terrain.
What facets of an set up do you handle?
We have expertise managing each step of the set up course of, together with web site preparation, utility hookups, and on-site meeting.
What facets of the design can a shopper customise?
Clients can customise furnishings, resolve on lightning fixtures, select flooring and wall finishes, and so forth.
The construction is comprised of prefabricated panels that had been assembled by the proprietor with solely a primary instruction guide and easy, cordless instruments like a drill and screwdriver.