A modern ADU offered by Abodu and pre-approved by San Jose, California. | Koto

From stylish backyard dwellings to a sleek floating home Whether it?s Kanye?s dome prototypes or Ikea?s plan to design residences for people with dementia, prefab housing of all stripes continued to make headlines in 2019. For our year-end roundup of the best prefabs, however, we?re highlighting the most impressive designs that are available to order.
You?ll notice that a few of these picks are intended as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which have had quite a year, especially in California, where new laws are making it easier for single-family homes to add a backyard unit. As prefab construction is particularly well-suited for the job, we?ll surely be looking out for more sophisticated, ADU-friendly prefabs heading into 2020 and beyond.
A city-approved modern ADU

Koto

Koto

In an effort to incentivize more housing stock, the city of San Jose, California, recently pre-approved a backyard dwelling from Bay Area housing startup Abodu so that residents can buy and install one in as little as two weeks. The 500-square-foot house, designed by U.K. studio Koto, costs $199,000 and offers Scandinavian modern style with stark white walls, pale wood floors, and the option to add a curated furniture package.
A full-size algorithm-designed backyard dwelling

Cover

Cover

LA startup Cover first unveiled its...