Factory Construction for Cost and Quality
The key to affordability is factory construction. Modular and prefabricated construction has been touted for decades as the future of production housing. In theory, using time-honored models from other industries, modular and factory-built homes could be produce at lower costs with higher levels of quality control. In fact, factory production has been generally limited to mobile homes, which are perceived to be cheap, low quality, and unattractive. REAL Housing seeks to change this perception by producing homes that live up to the promise of high quality at low cost.
Our house design is based on a modular and prefabricated engineering spine using recycled shipping containers. The spine provides both structure and life support. It houses the kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, and equipment spaces, and includes the building electrical service and all plumbing and HVAC systems. In our larger house designs, there are two shipping containers to allow larger kitchens, expanded laundry areas, and more bathrooms. While our current designs use standard configurations of the high-value kitchen and bath spaces, the approach allows a custom selection of cabinetry and fixtures by the owner.
The remainder of the house - bedrooms, storage, and living and dining areas - are simpler spaces that connect to the spines. These living spaces are built in our factories using structural insulated panels (SIPs). The modular SIP spaces use less raw materials and are better insulated than conventional construction.
Prefabricated, wired, and plumbed, our homes are shipped directly to the construction site where they are connected to the home’s electrical service, water main, and sewer. Onsite construction is minimized, reducing both the cost and the time to deliver a finished home.