Going small: tiny prefabricated houses that will make you want to move in

Tiny prefabricated homes are becoming a tendency in architecture and design. They are partially made in factories and then installed on-site, usually in a few hours.

They are a cheap and comfortable response to some of the biggest problems in the real estate market today.

Most of these tiny homes promote sustainable lifestyles. They push energy efficiency and are usually powered by solar panels. Water reuse is also essential in these types of installations.

But perhaps the most sustainable characteristic of these tiny homes is that they promote the harmonious inhabitation of green spaces, like the forest.

At the same time, they are a good alternative to  tradition homes as they use less space leaving more room for parks and green areas in cities.

However, tiny house companies have succeeded because of their potential to improve the housing crisis in big cities.

According to Business Insider, these constructions picked up a lot of momentum in 2022 while buyers faced record-high prices and lifestyle changes during the pandemic.

Prefabricated homes are also an excellent response to disasters because they can be built on-site quickly.

According to Business Insider, some investors are eyeing the company's technology as a proof-of-concept for future affordable and emergency-housing communities.

Coodo's objective is to bring its buyers closer to nature, away from the crowd. These tiny houses are covered in glass, so users can constantly watch the surrounding environment.

Image: Instagram / @coodo.eu

According to Business Insider, Abodu is one of the tiny home startups that will transform the US real estate market in 2023. They build ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) to help clients take advantage of their empty backyards. Abodu makes homes from 340 square feet to 610 square feet.

According to the magazine Yanko Design, this Austrian company has an online configurator "that will tell you how much it will cost as you make specific changes to the modules and elements you modify to make their home your own."

Image: Instagram / @dimensions.com.au

Escape Homes has a village in Tampa, Florida. It is placed in a repurposed trailer park with more green spaces and a community space to provide recreation to the ten units they built. 

Image: Escape Village Tampa Bay website

Escape Homes also made a deal with Ikea for their Vista Boho XL model. The retail giant built all the sustainable furniture for the unit. At the end of the promotional campaign, their 187 feet house on wheels, initially unveiled in the fall of 2020, was given away in an Instagram contest in 2022.

Business Insider believes the Canadian startup Minimaliste would transform the real estate industry in 2023. The company builds and transports tiny homes specifically designed for the climate surrounding the designated plot of land they will sit on.

Image: Instagram / @minimaliste.tinyhouses

Cabn.Co is one of Yako Design magazine's favorite tiny homes of 2022. The company aims to build energy-efficient and smart homes. These cabins focus heavily on solar shading and roof overhangs and can be installed anywhere in the world.

Image: Instagram / @cabn.co

Uruguayan iHouse cabin Casa ZGZ is a single-level, black-clad cabin comprising two modules pushed together lengthwise. The color allows the building to disguise itself within the forest and helps warm the inside by catching natural light.

Image: Instagram / @ihouse.uy

To respond to L.A.'s housing crisis, the company United Dwelling created tiny homes ranging from 328 square feet to 1490 square feet. According to Business Insider, the buildings have a meager cost compared to what the rest of the local market has to offer, creating a real alternative.

Image: United Dwelling website

3D-printed as well, Icon's more than 24 tiny homes are the largest number of such structures completed by a construction company. Some of those are not tiny houses, like their zero models (in the picture). Now, the company will build training barracks for the U.S. Army. The biggest 3D-printed structures in the Western Hemisphere.

Image: ICON / Casey Dunn

Tiny homes could be the future of housing because of their convenience and cheap and simple installation. That is something to remember as we approach the necessity to house eight billion people worldwide.