We all love the idea of prefab homes – the simplicity of ready-made, to-go houses, and yet most of the time when we sit down to really study the plans with respect to our own lives and dreams, there’s just something lacking. We want prefab-style homes, but designed exactly to our lives and needs. If you’re like us, then you might enjoy checking out a new prefab designer: Stillwater Dwellings, based out of Seattle, WA. This new firm has many traditional prefab homes ready to go, but also allows you to design your own from their pre-designed modules.
Stillwater Dwellings has a special interchangeable series called sd-i. They describe the process of designing a home just like playing with legos. After reviewing the materials and process, it is — in fact — that easy and just as fun. If you’ve ever built a new kitchen from Ikea cabinets, this is way easier. Their method is an A-B-C step process . Step A – choose your living module from one of six options. Step B – add a connector module that is designed with a universal connector, so they all fit together. Step C – choose your bedroom modules(s), with options for extra offices, mudrooms, bedrooms and garages. If you want two floors, you can stack the modules. You can even pick your interior finish from three options – Fundamental, Natural and Contemporary.
Each home will feature a butterfly roof line, light shelves, plate steel entry canopies and efficient layouts that emphasize both indoor and outdoor living. Eco-friendly indoor materials include FSC-certified wood, bamboo, marmoleum, recycled glass, Trex decking, low-VOC paints and more. The homes also have high-efficiency lighting, high-performance insulation, passive cooling design, Energy Star appliances, and high-efficiency water fixtures. Homes are built in a controlled factory to minimize waste and maximize quality.
The designers of Stillwater Dwellings wanted to focus on a number of things with their homes. They wanted quality, contemporary prefab homes that weren’t expensive. These homes will run from $130-199 per sq ft, which is fairly reasonable, and they seem to be very open and upfront about all the costs associated with building a Stillwater home.
The designers feel that buying and owning a home should be fun, evident in their thoughtful process to design your own home. Stillwater believes that eco-friendly building is not a luxury, but a responsibility. They also feel that smaller homes make for better homes, which is why all of their designs are less than 3,000 sq ft. We like Stillwater’s approach and look forward to seeing a completed house soon.
+ Stillwater Dwellings
via a reader submission
I checked out their site and there are some really nice plans. And decent prices. Good work!
I love prefab, but how come every time Inhabitat showcases a prefab project it is set within some pristine natural setting? I don’t see how this coincides with Inhabitats goals of promoting green. I understand, artistically, the need to focus attention on the project, but this is simply promoting a lifestyle that is not healthy, and a false idea of protecting our natural world. Basically, by showcasing these prefab projects dropped like bombs into functioning ecosystems, we are continuing to promote and, effectively, tell people that this is what they should be striving for as consumers. Meaning endless sprawl, further reliance on automobiles….etc. I’m disgusted with every prefab project that gets shown on the site, for the most part.
Why are so many prefabs modern looking? I’d like to see a craftsman or bungalow style prefab house!
I can’t wait to see if Stillwater can make good on its price and timeline promises. The plan designs and concepts look beautiful, the price and surety of performance and construction are exactly what the modern prefab market needs. I’ll be keeping my eye on this one–and buying if it looks like Stillwater can perform.