These examples of prefabricated structures range from luxurious floating villas to low-cost refugee camps. While traditional construction can be costly and time-consuming, prefabricated materials are both inexpensive and extremely quick to assemble.
One of the main reasons why architects and designers have turned to prefabricated materials is due to their economic and cost-effective design. Prefabricated construction means that less money is spent on expenses such as labor and additional building materials. The inexpensive cost of construction has made prefab construction ideal for building structures such as refugee shelters and affordable housing for low-income residents.
The other advantage to prefabricated structures is the speed at which these buildings can be constructed. Because each piece is pre-assembled, it is fast and easy for construction crews to set up structures. The advantage of rapid construction have made prefabricated structures an excellent solution for cities facing a housing crisis or consumers who choose to build in hostile environments.
45 Examples of Prefabricated Structures
From Floating Ocean Metropolises to Low-Cost Refugee Camps:
Katherine Pendrill — Aug 6, 2015 — Art & Design
41
Portable Prefabricated Rooms
Expand Your Home Space with Inoutside's Prefabricated Buildings
40
Boxed Bedroom Solutions
The LOIOS Houses Capsular Chambers Within an Old Historic Structure
39
Prefab Floating Houses
This Innovative Floating Home in Seattle Sits on Lake Union
38
Prefabricated Urban Homes
The Heijmans One Home is Targeted Towards Young Professionals
37
Compact Prefab Homes
This Modular Prefab Home Called 'The Passion House' Takes Two Days to Set Up
36
Rural Off-Grid Cabins
The Tintaldra Rural Cabin Blends in Seamlessly With its Rugged Surroundings
35
Off-Grid Tiny Homes
The POD-Indawo is Designed For Life in South Africa
34
Energy-Generating Prefab Homes
The P.A.T.H. Home Creates More Energy Than It Uses
33
Affordable Prefabricated Homes
The S-House Could Represent Suitable Housing For Vietnam's Poor
32
Cliff-Hanging Houses
Modscape Conceptualizes a Contemporary Home that Dangles Off of a Cliff
31
Versatile Prefab Cabins
2by4 Architects' Prefab Homes Can Function On and Off The Grid
30
Lonesome Lakeside Cottages
The Mulvagh-Crosby Cottage is in a Remote Location
29
Compact Glass Cabins
Modular Glass House Offers Broad Landscape Views from Every Transparent Face
28
Weatherproof Modular Housing
Cubicco Created This Resilient Dwellings Designed for Well-Being
27
Rapidly 3D-Printed Homes
A Chinese Company Constructed Ten 3D-Printed Homes In Less Than 24 Hours
26
Contemporary Prefab Housing
The Mini House by Jonas Wagell and Sommarnojen is a Tiny Getaway
25
Scenic Wood-Paneled Homes
The Far Pond House is a Durable Yet Panoramic Sanctuary
24
Woodsy Prefab Cabins
Chris Pardo Design's Small Prefab Home is Ideal for Cozying Up with Nature
23
Crooked Eco Abodes
The Huba Shelter Has No Right Angles, Yet it's Spot-On Amazing
22
Carbon Positive Houses
This Prefab Home Only Uses a Tiny Fraction of the Energy It Generates
21
Zigzag-Contoured Cabins
The Noa House Features Six Rhombus Facades for an Idiosyncratic Appearance
20
Affordable Timber Residences
This Low-Cost Home is the First of Its Kind in Copenhagen
19
Smart Spanish Abodes
This Smart Home is Controlled Thrtough a Mobile App
18
Tranquil Floating Villas
The SeaScape Floating Villa Features an Underwater Bedroom
17
Pentagonal Eco Abodes
The Oyster House Caters to the Natural Environment of the Seaside
16
Prefabricated Apartment Units
The 'La Casa Por El Tejado' Project Aims to Combat Urban Sprawl
15
Temporary School Architecture
The Mobile Classroom is a Refreshing Change from the Portable
14
Irregular Cubic Homes
This Prefabricated House is Low on Cost and High on Space
13
Rocky Cubic Architecture
The Karosta Kube is a Monolithic Mass Proposed as a Community Center
12
Conjoined Cubic Residences
Zamel Krug Architekten Designed Side by Side Houses
11
Smartphone-Controlled Homes
El Refugio Inteligente is Energy-Efficient Via Smartphone Control
10
Symbiotic Eco Dwellings
The Fab Tree Hab by Terreform One is a Living Graft Structure
9
Contemporary Oxford Homes
This Gabled House Features a Modern Spin
8
Speedy Prefab Building Systems
Using a Prefab System, the One9 Building Went Up in Just Five Days
7
Modular Mobile Living Spaces
2,5³ by Chmara.Rosinkes is Minimalist and Nomadic
6
Stilted Timber Cabins
The Charred Cabin Encapsulates the Bare Minimum for Living
5
Tree-Top Pavilions
The Vietnamese Pavilion by Vo Trong Nghia Takes Inspiration from Nature
4
Floating Ocean Metropolises
This Floating City Concept is Entirely Self-Sufficient
3
Piercing Crimson Architecture
The PathWest Research Lab is Located in the Australian Nedlands
2
Alpine Summit Refuge Cabins
The 'Bivacco Luca Vuerich' Cabin is Named After the Late Climber
1
National Housing Pavilions
The Chilean Pavilion Reflects on the Country's History
Related Ideas
Expandable-Roof Tiny Homes
This Unique Tiny House Benefits From a Mechanically Liftable Roof
Nest-Inspired Urban Houses
This Vietnamese Dwelling Offers Respite From the Concrete Jungle
Pink-Hued Shipping Container Homes
These Pink Shipping Container Homes by Ishita Ganguly are Chic
Floating Bamboo Houses
This Vietnamese House Aims to Protect Residents From Rising Water Levels
Experimental Low-Carbon Housing
Velux & EFFEKT Debut Is Low-Carbon Housing Designs in Copenhagen
Compactly Cubical Camping Shelters
The 'Maverick' Offers Durable Dwelling Both On & Off the Grid
Cat-Centric Compact Homes
This Japanese Dwelling Embraces Feline-Friendly Design Choices
Stacked Compact Compact Homes
The Cabini Edelweiss is Comperise of Square Metal Pipe Framings
Displaced Persons House Designs
The Essential Homes Research Project Has a Bunker-Like Form
Shipping Container Tiny Homes
UnContained Dreams Designs the Rising Sun Tiny Home
Fold-Out Boxed Housing
CMAX Systems is Raising Funds to Develop Foldable Housing Solutions
Plant-Based Cabin Constructions
Moontower Design Build Creates the Cross Cabin in Austin
Origami-Inspired Sleek Cabins
A.L.P.S. Designs the Infinity Mobile Architecture System
Storage-Packed Compact Homes
Modern Tiny Living Designed the 20-Feet Cerceaux Tiny Home
Architect-Inspired Design Kits
Lindal Cedar Homes Develops the Wright-Inspired Usonian Home Kits
Supermarket-Style Pavilions
Venice Architecture Biennale's Latvian Pavilion Has a Familiar Form
Energy-Efficient 3D-Printed Homes
Haus.me Introduces Premium Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Posh Prefabricated Passive Houses
The GO Logic 1200 Model Has Two Bedrooms and Ample Natural Light
Modern Compact A-Frame Houses
Linda Cedar Homes Boast Easy-to-Build and Affordable A-Frame Houses
Plant-Based Timber Cabins
Moontower Design Build Has Created the Cross Cabin in Austin
Precast Concrete Toronto Skyscrapers
Pei Architects Forms a Building for Tower Hill Development
Temporary Cabin Hotels
Overtreders W Utilized Locally Sourced Materials for This Project
Affordable 3D-Printed Houses
Serendix's Fujitsubo is Remarkable in the Realm of Affordable Housing
Prefabricated Miniature Home Concepts
i29 Creates the Câpsula Concept for Dutch Design Week
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban Living
Futuristic Auto Micro Factories
Most Architecture Unveils a Modern Factory for Charge Cars
Prefabricated A-Frame Cabins
Diano Salvador Designs the SULA Cabin in Galapagos Islands
Sustainable Off-Grid Minimal Cabins
Marc Thorpe Presents the Fremont House in New York
Flexible Pre-Fabricated Homes
Rabih Hage Introduces His Latest Design — Muudo
Tranquil Elevated Tiny Homes
Jan Tyrpekl Designs the Cozy Zen House in Austria
Energy-Efficient Prefabricated Homes
The 'SON.DER' Home Offers Environmentally Responsible Living
Flax Fiber Floating Homes
The Conceptual 'Blue Nomad' Floating Home is Sustainable
Modular Cat Trees
The PETLIBRO INFINITY Cat Tree Supports Comfort, Relaxation & Play
Eco-Friendly Luxury Villas
Kengo Kuma Designs the Land Villas for Red Sea Global
Sustainable Smart Cottages
The LG Smart Cottage is a Compact Prefab with Cutting-Edge Tech
Bendable Bio-Inspired Materials
The HygroShell is a Self-Constructing Timber Building System
Upgraded Off-Grid Tiny Homes
Minimaliste Designs the Nomad 30 Small Home with Improved Interior
Prefabricated Modular Bathrooms
PORCELANOSA Group Creates Modular Bathrooms for its Clients
Geometric Structural Forest Homes
The C House by GetAway Projects has a Half-Hexagonal Shape
Modern Multi-Purpose Japanese Buildings
Akio Isshiki Architect Overhauls an Old Wooden Building
Two-Volume A-Frame Houses
Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados Designs a Home near Mexico City
Two-Person Wooden Dwellings
IAAC Designs the Moca Home Using Collected Wood in Barcelona
Bio-Cement Oceanic Structures
The 'Reef Rocket' Combats Coastal Flooding and More
Ultra-Compact Bungalow Designs
Satish Jassal Architects Completes the Haringey Brick Bungalow
Box-Like Innovative Apartment Designs
Photon Studio's Designs the Box in the Box Apartment
Inaugural 3D-Printed Social Housing
Lünen is Home to the New 3D-Printed Home Project
Aluminum Cladded Mountain Refuge
EX Creates the Pinwheel Shelter with Prefabricatef CLT Panels
Prefabricated Forest Saunas
Out of the Valley Creates an Elegant and Compact Sauna in Devon
War Plane-Inspired Off-Grid Homes
Peter Markos Designs the Tiny Monocoque Cabin
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Curved Translucent Experimental Apartments
NEUHÄUSL HUNAL Designs the Sculptor's Apartment
Mass-Timber Airport Rooftops
ZGF Architects Completes the Portland International Airport Expansion
Portable Wooden Mobile Homes
Mooble House UK Designs the Mo.5 450 Compact Home
Modular Camping Furniture
'Owomo' Created a Line of Build-Your-Own Camping Panels
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Award-Winning Housing Designs
Hong-En Lin Emphasizes the Importance of Clean Water Access
Captivating Modern Prefab Cabins
Lloyoll Prefabs Creates the SKALI BackCountry Cubiod
Bio-Based Compact Housing
Woonpioniers Designs the Sustainable Sprout Ruben & Marjolein House
Reusable Material Office Buildings
The MVRDV 'Matrix ONE' is Capable of Being Easily Demounted
High Concrete Walled Homes
Cesar Mancillas Creates a Linear Home with Tranquil Elements
Prefabricated Exposed Structural Homes
Workshop Architecture Inc Designs the Unfinished House
Modular Bathroom Solutions
Prefabricated Pods Streamline Construction and Improve Quality
3D-Printed Sturdy Homes
Progreso and COBOD Creates a Printed Durable Home Within Hours
Bamboo-Inspired Cultural Buildings
This Cultural Center Seamlessly Blends Into its Surroundings
Monolithic Concrete-Clad Pavilions
Alberto Campo Baeza Collaborated with Miguel Quismondo
3D-Printed Sustainable Home Designs
HONOKA LAB Presents the TATAMI ReFAB PROJECT
Fiji Ocean-Front Estate Homes
A Tesm of Designers Join Forrces to Create the Reef House
Spacious On-the-Road Homes
Minimaliste Designs the Nomad Tiny House for Off-Grid Adventures
Economical Modular Wooden Homes
The Cake House Reinvents Housing in the Czech Republic
Wooden Surrounded Concrete Homes
Omer Arbel Presents Designs for a Range of Washington State Homes
Elevated Timber-Clad Homes
Habitable Form Designs the Victory Bay House on Kiawah Island
Tent-Like Exhibition Pavilions
Buero Wagner Creates the Adaptable Black Pavilion in Rome
Y-Shaped Community Pavilions
Sam Crawford Architects Creates a Red-Roof Pavilion in Sydney
Prefabricated Timber Barn Residences
Lake Flato Architects Designs the North Fork Residence
Modern Minimal Concrete Homes
Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados Designs the Copas Home
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Eucalyptus Wood Curved Pavilions
Unknown Works Creates the Armadillo Pavilion in London
Perforated Facade Compact Residences
Rahul Pudale Design Creates the Porous Adobe Compact Home
Recycling-Centric Waterfront Homes
Measured Architecture Designs the Shor House Project
Low-Carbon Biomaterial Bricks
Tavs Jorgensen Created Sustainable Extruding Cob Bricks
Geometric Prefabricated Pavilions
Heams & Michel Architectes Presents the 7 Kiosks Project
Simplistic Timber Warehouses
Aretz Dürr Architektur Designs the Structures of Halle S 46
Engineer Training Structural Kits
Márcio Sequeira de Oliveira Designs the Mola 4 Kit
Ancient Construction Campus Buildings
Henning Larsen Designs a New Campus in Foroe Islands
Prefabricated Bathroom Units
Cozy International Sells Innovative Prefabricated Bathroom Solutions
Concrete Boxes-Overlapping Homes
FujiwaraMuro Architects Designs the House in Tsurumi-ku
Modern Concrete Hayfield Homes
Omer Arbel Designs the 75.9 House in the Canadian Pacific Northwest
Hempcrete-Crafted Sustainable Workspaces
Commonbond Architects Designs the Gardenhide Studio
Welcoming Prefabricated Student Housing
Ignacio Prego Architectures Designs New Student Housing
Local Craft-Shown Bamboo Pavilions
AtArchitecture Designs the Northeast Pavilion for an Art Fair
Cement Block-Decorated Homes
Bloom Architecture Designs the Small Houses Collection
Refreshing Micro-Living Compact Homes
Mariano Ravenna Designs the SF-FR House with Concrete
Exposed Concrete Stealthy Homes
OFIS Aritekti Designs the Villa Eternal Way in Slovenia
Steel-Cladded Social Housing
Christ & Gantenbein Creates a Block of Social Housing in Paris
Community Hub Timber Pavilions
The Craft Not Carbon Pavilion Raises in London's Park
Global Affordable Housing Competitions
ICON Challenging Architects & Designers with Initiative 99
Raw Concrete Industrial Homes
Studio Cochi Architects Designs the House in Nishizaki
Modern Mobile Futuristic Homes
Nestron Presents its Range of Contemporary Tiny Homes
Woodland-Inspired Timber Office Spaces
Atelier du Pont Completes the Pavilion Jardins Building
Ruin-Adaptive Shipping Container Homes
Patrick Bradley Architects Forms the Barneys Ruins Project
Space-Conscious Compact Residences
Piccola Tiny Homes Designs the Minuet Compact Home
Geometric African Homes
Gregory Katz Architecture Designs the Great Primary Shapes Home
Cast-Concrete Cooling Homes
The FR House by CAZA Optimizes Natural Cooling Structures
Modular Wooden Holiday Homes
Arsenit Designs the Piil Home Resting in an Estonian Forest
Concrete Cultural Visitor Centers
UAD Completes the Villagers' Home Center in Zhejiang Province
Welded Steel Cantilevered Footbridges
Ehl & KKoumar Architekti Designs a Sculptural Footbridge
Log Cabin-Inspired Modern Homes
Balbek Bureau Renovates a Home in Ukraine with Steel and Concrete
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Latticed-Steel Transport Hub Columns
Tremend Designs the Metropolitan Station in Lublin
Adjustable Japanese Studio Apartments
IGArchitects Designs the Building Frame of the House
Reinforced Concrete Housing Sets
Atelier Rampazzi Designs the Residenza Carèsg Row of Homes
Social Housing Unit Blocks
Joan J Fortuny & Alventosa Morell Arquitectes Forms 54 Social Housing
Pyramidal Roof Steel-Framed Homes
Niall McLaughlin Architects Designs the Saltmarsh House
Wooden Multi-Building Brazilian Convents
Mixtura Unveils a New Convent in Salvador de Bahia
Mass-Timber Transport Hubs
BIG and A+ Architecture Build the Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub
Off-Shelf Tension System Pavilions
Webb Yates Creates the Off the Shelf Pavilion for London Design
Roman Architecture-Themed Pavilions
Pratique and Fanum Design the Forum des Vestiges Pavilion
Recycled Ship Sail Pavilions
The Breeze Installation is Installed at Chart Art Fair
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
Sustainable Custom Luxe Homes
Schenkar and GA Arquitectura y Construcción Join on a Structure
Arab Majlis-Inspired Modular Sofas
Patricia Urquiola's Insula Sofa Series is Customizable
View-Overlooking Portable Wooden Saunas
BIVAK Studio Designs the Portable New SAUNABIVAK
Textured Concrete Tiered Homes
Nomo Studio Designs the Shift House Holiday Residence
Dolmen-Inspired Furniture Series
Weonrhee Designs the Primitive Structures Series of Furniture
Preserved Townhome Concrete Facades
Rieder Joins Faerber on Preserving an Original Structure
Expansive Roofs Concrete Homes
Studio MOB Creates a House in the Farm in Coimbatore
Open-Air Perforated Concrete Homes
MM++ Architects Designs the Anchor House in Vietnam
Pre-Fabricated Fire Stations
Wittman Estes Forms the Rapid Assembly Fire Station 67
Steel Structural Dynamic Workspaces
Skylab Architecture Builds a New Skylab Office in Oregon
Square Structural Canadian Homes
PARTISANS Designs the Canvas House in Toronto, Canada
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Minsuk Cho Designs the Archipelagic Void Shelter in London
Monolithic Custom Residences
Laboratorio de Arquitectura Designs the Casa Catedral Project
Juxtaposing Traditionally Modular Homes
FLOWER Designs the Hi-Hat House in Colorado
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
Housing Block Defensive Facades
Bureau des Mésarchitecture Creates Gold Aluminum Shutters
Educational Storage Shed Designs
Invisible Studio and Mole Architects Form the Big Roof
Compact Bengali Affordable Homes
Marina Tabassum and AKT II Design the Khudi Bari House
Telecom Infrastructure Shelters
Panel Built Inc. Recently Introduced Telecom Shelters to Its Range
Stacked Pebble-Inspired Towers
Atelier 9.81 Designs the Calaid Port Tower Building
Distinctive Airlifted Structures
Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication Design the Karka Tower