We Don’t Build Prefabs

But We Design the Hell Out of Them

[TOPIC: Passive‑Prefab design | Prefabricated construction | Passive House standards | Energy-efficient prefab homes | Factory-built quality control | Modular homes | Faster construction & waste reduction | Sustainable housing solutions | High-performance homes]

What’s Prefab?

Prefabricated or “prefab” houses are designed so assemblies can be built in huge sections, off-site, in a temperature-controlled factory. When the walls, the roof, and the flooring sections are constructed, they’re packed up and trucked to the site, where a crew puts them together using a crane.

• Benefits of prefab construction:
  
  

  • Construction materials stay dry → reduces mold and mildew risk
    

  • Ideal for wet climates
    

  • Drastically cuts construction time and labor overhead
    

  • Houses go from foundation to dry shell in ~1 week
    

  • Prefab Passive House ≈ cost of conventional Passive House, with better performance and less waste
    
    

Note: At Artisans Group, we don’t build prefabs ourselves. We design them, then collaborate with the prefab manufacturer and general contractor of your choice to build the house.

How We Approach Prefab Design

At Artisans Group, all prefab house designs are custom, passive, and highly specialized.

Our Prefabs Are Custom

• Prefab homes are not modular or kit homes — they are fully custom, like our other projects.
  

• Prefab is not prescriptive, just a different method of architectural design.
  

• Each prefab design is:
  
  

  • Varied, complex, and beautiful
    

  • Designed with Passive House expertise
    

  • Cost-equivalent to traditional design
    
    

Design considerations:

• Corners, roof structure, and window-to-wall relationships are approached differently
  

• Continuous measurement and tweaking ensure the assembled structure is uncompromising and strong

Our Prefabs Are Passive

Passive House is an architectural design method that:

• Conserves up to 75% more energy than conventional construction
  

• Uses super-deep, high-density insulation
  

• Incorporates heat-retaining technologies
  

• Seals gaps effectively to prevent energy loss
  
  

Benefits:

• Comfortable, bright, and sustainable homes
  

• Low-maintenance and healthy living environments
  

• Expertise in Passive House design applied to prefab projects
  

Our Prefabs Are Highly Specialized

• Collaborate with prefab manufacturers to ensure Passive House elements (e.g., air-sealing components) are executed correctly
  

• Decades of experience → oversight on potential issues and triple-checked accuracy
  

• Thrive in highly technical design work
  

• Ensure net-zero homes deliver minuscule energy bills and allergy-free comfort
  

• Design resilient homes for seismic zones using high-performance materials

How to Start the Prefab Design Process

If you’re interested in a custom, prefab Passive House architectural design, contact us. We start by asking questions about your project to determine if prefab is the right solution for you.

© Artisans Group Architecture + Planning — Sustainable Architecture, Passive House, and Passive Building Design Experts