Los Angeles-based Connect Homes—a pioneer of prefab—debuted their first modular home on the cover of Dwell’s June 2014 print issue. The featured project, a 1,600-square-foot dwelling in the hills of Sonoma, California, put the potential of prefab on full display for our audience. Completed in 2013, the single-story home was designed and built in just a year—for about a third of the cost of one "traditionally-built."
Ten years—and 100 homes—later, Connect Homes continues to make modern design more accessible to more people. Delivering architect-designed, factory-built homes to sites both urban and remote, Connect’s modular offerings make the homebuilding process more efficient, streamlined, and affordable. From an oceanside retreat in Malibu to a hillside guesthouse in Brentwood, these ten Connect Homes celebrate successful projects of the past, while inspiring ideas for an even brighter future. Furniture
The home that started it all, Connect Homes’ two-bedroom, two-bathroom Sonoma residence highlights the showstopping beauty of the Northern California countryside. Despite being assembled from the same core components, each semi-custom Connect Home is fine-tuned to its surroundings, perfectly exemplified in this Sonoma stunner.
Connect Homes are named simply according to the number of modules they contain. The smallest model, the 460-square-foot Connect 1, starts at a base price of $260,000 installed, while the 3,200-square-foot Connect 10 runs just over $1M. Their new Pro Series is lower cost, with models starting at $210 per square foot for production. On a rocky terrain in Ojai, California, the Connect 1 shown here integrates a site-built deck to extend the living space and embrace the rugged landscape.
Built along with a Connect 2 ADU in Sonoma, California, this Connect 6L was part of rebuilding efforts after devastating local fires. With Class A-rated roofing and options for non-combustible exterior sheathing, Connect Homes offer a strengthened line of defense against threatening wildfires.
Connect Homes can typically be built in less than half the time of homes built using traditional methods. After homeowners in Calistoga, California, were forced to tear down a previously-built unpermitted structure on their property, they were able to expedite the addition of this 640-square-foot Connect 2 ADU before existing septic permits expired.
Far from cookie-cutter, Connect Homes’ semi-custom approach gives buyers ample opportunity for individualization, without dreaded decision-making overload. Thanks to Connect Homes’ structural steel frame, homeowners are able to place floor-to-ceiling glass anywhere in the house. Interior finishes and fixtures are completely customizable, as seen in this bright and airy San Luis Obispo kitchen.
This Connect 4 showcases panoramic ocean views in Malibu, California. A recovery effort after the Woolsey Fires, the home was craned in and carefully positioned on the coastal site — photo is taken at the end of install day. Connect Homes built five homes for Malibu homeowners after the fires, including a Connect 10 that was the first home back online.
This two-story Connect 12 was sited on a narrow, non-conforming lot in Menlo Park, California. Beneath towering heritage oaks, the 12-module home was positioned to engage with the generous front yard, and create seamless indoor/outdoor dining and living spaces.
The great room of this Brentwood, California, guesthouse showcases jaw-dropping views of the surrounding tree canopy. The entire 40-foot span of the Connect 2 is turned into a wall of glass, an architectural maneuver made possible by the high-strength steel perimeter frame built into all Connect Homes.
Ten years after Home 001, Homes 100 and 101 are delivered to their building site in Truckee, California. Looking ahead to the future, Connect Homes plans to explore multi-unit construction, on- and off-grid solutions, and rapid-deploy housing to address homelessness in urban communities.
The newly launched Pro-series utilizes architect-curated design details, fixtures, and finishes to reduce time and cost without sacrificing the modern living experience of a Connect Home.
Not seeing a model that works? Check out Connect Home’s Design Series & Pro Series at connect-homes.com.
From cozy cottages to large family houses, see how prefab continues to redefine the future of construction, building, and design.
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