Philip and Lisa Nel have lived in this compact prefabricated home since 2009 – and by layering a quirky cosiness onto innovative design and construction, they’ve demonstrated the long-term value of this increasingly popular way to design and build.

Set in a burgeoning grove of indigenous Karee trees on the outskirts of Bloemfontein, Philip and Lisa Nel’s home anticipated the current trend of prefabricated dwellings by a decade. Back in 2009, having just renovated and sold a house, Philip finally took the plunge and built the prefabricated small dwelling he’d had in mind for a while. A piece of property adjacent to his parents’ home on the western edge of the city was the chosen site – and 12 years later, it’s where the couple still live.

Originally just 45m2 in size and manufactured in three sections that fit neatly between two of his beloved karee trees, the design for Philip’s own home became the basis for a design and construction business, Inizio Homes – a company that offers a turnkey solution including design, fabrication, project management and construction. The Nels’ prototype house had garnered local publicity from the start: it was published in ArchSA, the journal of the South African Institute of Architects, in 2009, while Inizio Homes was nominated for VISI’s emerging designer award in 2012.

READ MORE: Contemporary Bloemfontein Home

Every item of furniture and element of decoration in their abode is something specially selected that has been “found, collected, and is very much liked”, says Philip. The couple definitely have an eye for unique vintage furniture, while the large bookshelf – which used to do double duty as a room divider between the living and sleeping spaces – is packed with treasured titles, as well as being home to small artworks and part of a collection of indoor plants.

When Lisa was working on a master’s degree thesis in 2019, and required long periods of privacy and quiet, Philip decided the moment had come to extend the house. The result is a new bedroom and bathroom, completed in early 2020 – “Just before lockdown began, thank goodness,” he says – that adds a further 23m2 to the overall footprint of the home.

READ MORE: Dutch Houseboat

The new section was constructed using similar materials to the original, including the steel frame that forms the basis of all Inizio structures, but also utilising insights from Philip’s experience with his other builds. The result is a delightfully airy space with north-facing clerestory windows that allow just the right level of light and sun into the room, while on the opposite side, sliding glass doors lead out onto the extended outdoor deck. Other key features of the room include the exposed-truss interior roof configuration that Philip has discovered works much better than traditional board ceilings; and a large vintage steel bath, which “we’ve had for five years”, waiting for its ideal setting.

READ MORE: The Huddle on Rosemary Hill Farm

Now, it’s a showpiece, with the artfully rusted exterior kept intact and the interior fully restored. In Philip’s view, in the last 10 years there’s been a change to the “misconception that prefabrication is a less-permanent building solution, or something overly functional and unattractive”. And with Covid-19-related mind-shifts with regards to working remotely already having a clear effect on housing markets and options around the world, it seems many more of us will be thinking about the possibility of living in a new, custom-built house in a small town or peri-urban location – particularly if we can have a closer connection to nature.

All this, of course, makes Lisa and Philip visionary early adopters of the “close to town but out of town” lifestyle trend. Their delightfully cosy home is filled with collected treasures and populated by two very happy humans and their beloved wire-haired terriers – not to mention the pet donkey and rescued teenaged guinea fowl. In fact, rather like the evergreen, frost-hardy and drought-resistant karee trees that surround it, this is a future-proof home that has already stood the test of time.

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After launching some years ago to great acclaim, the original prefabricated Zenkaya cabin has found a new home just outside Pretoria.

With its boldly graphic shape and wooden cladding and deck, the Zenkaya both stands out from and blends into its new home in a forested hideaway just outside Pretoria.

In 2005, the Zenkaya concept was launched at Decorex JHB and for the first time, design- conscious South Africans were presented with a homegrown modular housing solution that was both innovative and aesthetically pleasing.

After the prefabricated home was featured in VISI 23 (Summer 2005), the response was immediate and, as Peet van Straaten of RAW Studios now remembers it, “viral” in character. “People absolutely loved it” he says.

Architect Eric Bigot had created something special: a structure that could, as that piece in the magazine explained, “function as a holiday home, studio, office, guest room or ‘chalet’”. Combining “zen” for enlightenment and “kaya” to suggest its orientation outwards to the African landscape, the idea behind Zenkaya was that one could simply order a home that arrived fully constructed – and in some iterations, fully furnished, too – on site for quick and easy installation.

Unfortunately, after the initial enthusiasm had subsided, the design somehow never took off on a commercial scale. A prototype ended up at RAW Studios’ production space outside Pretoria, where it remained until Lourens Maritz (of creative agency Mighty Fine) and Peet decided to purchase the unit together. They planned to refurbish it, then move the cabin to a new home at The Greenhouse Café events venue on the capital city’s eastern edge. And that’s precisely what happened, with the freshened-up Zenkaya arriving at its new home, pretty much as originally planned, on the back of a flatbed truck in 2019.

Interiors have been updated using RAW Studios’ innovative range of modular furniture pieces, including a built-in kitchenette, four-poster bed and smart storage, and the team is delighted to have “saved the ideal” of the Zenkaya concept in this way, says Peet. The cabin’s second lease of life is greatly enhanced by its new position within a forested glade on the Greenhouse Café-Rosemary Hill property.

A fresh take on the classic four-poster bed.

Says Peet, clearly pleased with the final result overall, “It’s finally found its spot.” And he’s right – Zenkaya is now living up to its name as the perfect place for a tranquil and private weekend retreat.

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French architect Christophe Benichou has collaborated with aluminium frame manufacturer Lumicene to create a prefabricated house that can withstand even the toughest weather conditions.

Shaped like a bean or peanut, the 40 m² aluminium-covered structure features a bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom.

The idea is that the dwelling be placed in nature. “It is a comfortable cocoon that offers the sensitive experience of being transplanted in the heart of nature while enjoying the inside comfort,” says Christophe on his website. “The whole is wrapped with a protective aluminium skin, which appears as if it is folding and shrinking to seemingly recover the original fœtal position,” he adds.

The large curved windows create an indoor-outdoor flow, as well as providing panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

You can pre-order the Lumishell now, with worldwide delivery starting in 2018. For more information, visit lumi-shell.com.

(h/t) designboom.com

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MUJI, a Japanese brand known for its inventive approach to design, has finally released its tiny minimalist hut, which we previously featured here.

The trendy brand introduced these portable huts as a means of encouraging the idea of compact living without having to compromise on comfort and style. “It’s not as dramatic as owning a house or a vacation home, but it’s not as basic as going on a trip,” explains MUJI. The compact home offers a sense of ease and versatility because it can be moved and re-situated to a different location. “Put it in the mountains, near the ocean or in a garden and it immediately blends in with the surroundings, inviting you to a whole new life.”

The huts are made from burnt cedar wood, which is known for its durability, thanks to its use in traditional Japanese shipbuilding techniques.

The 9m² huts are spacious enough for four occupants to stay for a holiday or weekend away. MUJI huts go on sale in August 2017.

For more information, visit muji.com.

(h/t) designboom.com

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The PULL Pavilion, designed for Wallpaper* by Andreas Fuhrimann Gabrielle Hächler Architekten (AFGH), is a prefabricated indoor pavilion that can adapt to suit your needs.

The pavilion was created in collaboration with Revolution, a collection of precrafted, limited edition properties by Robbie Antonio.

PULL has a unique folding technology, which means the pavilion arrives already assembled in a compact container. All you need to do to is unfold the PULL and connect it to a power supply. The PULL is ideal for any office space or home as a private 11.2m² haven, kids’ play area, cinema or meeting point.

Main features include a couch with foot stools, a cupboard, projector and a multi speaker sound system.

For more information, visit revolutionprecrafted.com.

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Japanese design studio Muji has, under three product designers, created three prefabricated huts made from different materials.

Konstantin Grcic’s aluminium hut, Jasper Morrison’s cork hut and Naota Fukasawa’s wooden hut went on display at Tokyo Design Week in October 2015.

These little cabins are designed to work within the confines of compact urban spaces (especially Grcic’s aluminium hut), or as alternative “weekend away” accommodation.

The huts will go on sale in Japan in 2016.

For more information, visit muji.com/jp/mujihut.

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Whether you’re looking for extra storage space, a showroom, home office or a games room (aka man cave), a ModPod might be just the thing for you.

These modern, custom-made structures are constructed from a heavy-duty, steel-frame base and element- and fire-resistant insulated panels. They are 100% waterproof, and there are various options available for exterior cladding, including wood, Neutek panelling and corrugated sheets.

Once ordered, a ModPod takes around three weeks to assemble, before being delivered to your location. Because they are custom-made, you can specify to your heart’s content, within reason of course. Richard Meershoek, ModPod’s designer, recommends anything up to 2.6m wide and 12m long for easy transportation.

We’re rather partial to the idea of having a little quiet space at home, to retreat to, with the latest issue of VISI – sans disturbance.

From R20 000 to R300 000, 083 506 2783, richard@modpod.co.za, modpod.co.za

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