25 Prefab Homes - From Cardboard to Shipping Containers (SUPER GALLERY)

Flat-pack, pop-up and prefab are all terms that are becoming increasingly popular in the world of design and living. Prefabricated products go way beyond the shelves of Ikea; in fact, prefab homes—yes, entire houses—are one of the biggest new architectural crazes.

From cardboard to recycled shipping containers, instant homes are made from a diverse range of materials. Some are built as temporary post-disaster shelters, while others are just super-hip homes like the Dwelling Dock featured in the main photo.  Below are some of the most interesting concepts we’ve featured on Trend Hunter.

Prefab Housing Boom - Pre Fab Gets Hip

Predominant mass-market housing programs such as project homes or tract housing largely fail to meet the desires of people who appreciate a modernist design aesthetic. Custom-designed modernist architecture… [More]

African Prefab Houses - The Abod (GALLERY)

BSB Design has developed a low-cost, high-quality, prefab house for South Africans. The entire home is shipped in one box and can be easily assembled in one day by four people, using only a supplied screwdriver… [More]

Living Homes- Modernist Sustainable Prefab

Neato! I like it. “A new prefab development company, “Living Homes” is being launched shortly- a prototype is being built now in Santa Monica. Designed by Ray Kappe, the house has many features that any… [More]

The Dwell Home Pre Fab House

This is absolutely awesome. From the Dwell Home website: Dwell Home Response to: What happens if you ask a manufactured home builder for an architect: Well, for lots of reasons involving everything… [More]

Sunset Breezehouse PreFab Home: I Wish I Lived in Your Trailer Park

I am suddenly feeling less arrogant about living in a pre fab home. From the Sunset Website The huge success of the prefab Glidehouse at Sunset Magazine’s Celebration Weekend last May—boosting attendance… [More]

Disaster Housing

Post-Disaster House-To-Go - Fresh Start (GALLERY)

The owners of Martin House-To-Go lost everything after Katrina, then came up with the Fresh Start, a 2008 moving post-disaster house which retails for about $30,000. They describe it as a ‘fully equipped… [More]

Disaster House - DH1 Assembles Easily for Urgent Shelter

Here it is Gregg Fleishman designed this marvellous DH1 Disaster House which would also make a fine place for shedworking. It’s 14’ square, with a 30” high structural floor and is built with sustainable… [More]

Disaster Housing Designs - The Octagon Post-Earthquake House

Earthquakes are an all too real threat in Japan and other areas of the world. If you ever find yourself without a home due to such a natural disaster, it would be nice to have one of these cardboard homes… [More]

Paper-Based Architecutre - Shigeru Ban Tea House (GALLERY)

Architect Shigeru Ban designed the Tea House which was made from paper-based building materials. It was designed to show how materials can be recycled and reused using low-tech construction, ideal for… [More]

Shipping Containers

Hip Modular Housing - Container City (GALLERY)

Urban Space Management uses old shipping containers - bolted together in different configurations to provide an environmentally-friendly and affordable alternative to traditional buildings. Container City,… [More]

Houses made from Shipping Containers (GALLERY)

Live the life of box-car Willie - but now without those frustrating train noises. A number of companies have started creating low-income housing out of recycled shipping containers. The houses can be created… [More]

Alley Houses - 8 Ft Wide, 4 Story Home (GALLERY)

This very creative four-story Alley House is cleverly integrated between the walls of two buildings in Antwerp, Belgium. Although the distance between the two structures was only 2.4 meters (7’10") wide,… [More]

Green Container Condos - Salt Lake City Center Lofts (GALLERY)

The first container building in the U.S. is planned for downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.  The development was designed by Adam Kalkin and will be called city Center Lofts. The ultra-modern totally green… [More]

False Lobbies - Container Hall For Urban Delinquents (GALLERY)

To solve the problem of “urban delinquents” loitering in apartment hallways, the French port of Le Havre has set up “false lobbies” to hang around in instead. The fake entry ways are made of old shipping… [More]

Shipping Container Architecture - The Freitag Store (GALLERY)

The Freitag Messanger Bag is all about recycling “useless” refuse into a finely built product. Their flagship store is no different in its sensibility. It’s thinness scares me coming from California… [More]

Container Stores - Uniqlo Drops Stores in NYC

If you don’t have a store location, why not just drop a big box of cargo and call it a store?  A Japanese store, Uniqlo, will be opening the first ‘Container Stores’ in NYC this Labor Day weekend. ”Uniqlo… [More]

Contained Living - TempoHousing In Sea Containers (GALLERY)

These funky homes are created out of recycled freight containers and are growing rapidly in popularity. The original idea by Dutch company TempoHousing was for the shelters to function as temporary housing,… [More]

All Terrain Cabin - Life In A Shipping Container (GALLERY)

Here’s another fantastically clever Canadian invention! The BARK All Terrain Cabins (ATC) are made out of old ISO shipping containers and can comfortably fit up to four people. The ATCs would be a simple… [More]

Pop-Up & Push Button

One Room Everland Hotel (Follow Up) - Now Rooftop in Paris (GALLERY)

This is one of the coolest & certainly most exclusive hotel rooms in the world. The £313 one-room designer prefab room only contains a mini bar and double bed, and stays are limited to a single night.… [More]

Pop-Up Roomvertising - Ikea Sets Up Fake Rooms Throughout NYC (VIDEO)

IKEA is opening its first store in Brooklyn, New York on June the 18th and the home product and furniture giant wants to make as much noise as possible about the event. With that goal in mind, the company… [More]

Pop-Up Offices - Crate Spaces in 24 Hours (GALLERY)

As companies outgrow their original spaces, they find themselves needing temporary offices in a hurry. Dutch designer Jack Brandsma has a unique and attractive solution he will be showing at the design… [More]

Push Button Homes - Quik House by Adam Kalkin (VIDEO)

Remember the Illy house? The shipping container that would unfold at the push of a button to reveal a fully furnished, highly functional pre-fab coffee shop? People went crazy for the New York installation… [More]

Shipping Container Houses (Follow Up) - The Illy House Blooms in 90 Seconds (GALLERY)

At Trend Hunter, we’ve already seen houses made from shipping containers, but the Illy House can open ‘like a flower’ in just 90 seconds.  Okay, that’s innovative. Cool Hunter notes, “With the push of… [More]

Prefab Walls

Prefab Outer Walls - EcoSip the Future of Construction? (GALLERY)

EcoSip is aiming to revamp the green building industry with their prefab outer walls. The plywood comes from sustainably farmed, fast-growing trees. The wood is laminated, the panels are filled with… [More]

Iconic Panels - Prefab Walls that Ooze Awesome (GALLERY)

Iconic Panels to dress up the walls of your home or business.  B&N;Industries offer a wide variety of panel designs all made of durable laminate over carved wood form panels.  Very cool! [More]