In space-strapped London, the biggest obstacle to building new houses is, simply, the availability of land to put them on. New London-based developer CubeHaus, which bills itself as a creator of “modular homes at reasonable prices,” saw a ripe opportunity to marry unmet demand with good design.
Tapping well-respected architectural practices Adjaye Associates, Carl Turner Architects, Skene Catling de la Peña Architects, and Faye Toogood to create four standardized housing models, CubeHaus aims to take advantage of small or awkwardly shaped urban sites that might not easily lend themselves to the rigidity of a traditionally designed home. The bulk of the structures will be manufactured off-site, in solid panels of cross-laminated timber. Ideally, lower margins and use of off-site production mean the end product will be 10 to 15 percent cheaper than an equivalent house in any given area.