Someday, the practice of lugging materials to a building site and constructing the structure right there from scratch could go extinct. Why" Prefabrication and modularity are transforming the industry, proving every day to be more efficient and affordable than on-site construction in dozens of ways. Most of the construction takes place in a protected warehouse, leading to fewer accidents and thefts of tools and materials. Quality control is easier, the whole process is more streamlined, buildings go up faster, and waste is dramatically reduced. The DublDom, made by the Russia-based firm BIO, is a great example.
Not so long ago, prefabrication was associated with cheap cookie-cutter materials of the sort most of us associate with the phrase “manufactured homes.” But affordability and good design can go hand-in-hand, especially when the designers make use of natural materials like wood. The DublDom looks like a custom cabin, but its components were assembled in a factory, pre-fitted with all the necessary fixtures, equipment, and even furniture.
BIO Architects recently completed a new DublDom for a young couple who wanted a cost-efficient home on Pirogovo Lake, in the suburbs outside Moscow. The couple had previously commissioned a smaller version of the structure just for themselves in 2015, and then decided they wanted another DublDom house that was big enough to accommodate their extended family as guests. Dubbed DublDom 2.110, the structure demonstrate...