We've been taught to believe that we can't have it all in life, and that also applies to the current trend of downsizing. After all, if you do decide to downsize and move into a tiny house, you can't reasonably expect the same degree of comfort and, least of all, luxury.
On the already unique and occasionally quirky segment of tiny houses, prefabricated homes strike an even quirkier and slightly different note. Still mobile but lacking wheels, they can be moved around while offering incredible advantages over standard homes. But they can't do luxury.
Or so we believed.
Prefabricated homes are slowly emerging as the cooler, more convenient cousin of tiny houses.
Photo: Hello Wood
They're yet to go mainstream, but if the Elon Musk-unofficially-backed Boxabl Casita is any indication, demand for them is unprecedentedly high. As expected. This is a housing solution that promises a certain degree of mobility (definitely more so than a brick-and-mortar home), higher affordability, a decent amount of comfort and features, and reduced impact on the environment and on construction costs.
Prefabs are hailed as the future of housing, at least by prefab builders themselves, who are racing to come up with new, highly creative ways to enhance the experience of living in such a tiny home.
The team behind Hello Wood are doing the same. They're a team of architects and experienced designers who first got together for an educational program that has since grown to include over 20 universities and 30 countries.
Photo: Hello Wood
They're based in Hungary, but since they launched into prefabs, their units have shipped worldwide, including to Canada and the UK, allowing them to joke that you shouldn't "be surprised if you find one of our cabins on Mars when you get there."
Their portfolio is impressive and includes every type of wood shelter you can think of, whether for personal or commercial use. It also includes a resort in the old village of Csoromfolde in the Balaton Uplands, counting with 6 custom cabins called the Rocks and 2 larger ones dubbed The Grand Rocks. Hello Wood practices here something they call sleep tourism, combined with programs for an active lifestyle.
Hello Wood designed its first prefab, now known as PEBL One, during the international health crisis. In May this year, they introduced the upgraded version of that, called PEBL Grand cabin. Much like the Rocks mentioned above, the difference between the two is in size, finishes, and features.
Photo: Hello Wood
The PEBLE Grand is shaped much like a hexagonal pebble, which allows the exterior to be clad in a variety of materials including the mirrored sheets seen in the photos in the gallery. This option would render the home "invisible" to the ignorant eye as it would reflect the surrounding environment, seamlessly integrating it into it.
Details on the PEBL Grand are surprisingly scarce considering the unit already has a waitlist opened, but from what we can gather, it promises 5-star hotel room-comparable amenities, including a hot tub on the porch and a "panoramic" infrared sauna, which will be offered optionally.
The Grand Rock serves as a visual for how the PEBL Grand will incorporate these features, so make sure you check out the second video embedded at the bottom of the page.
Photo: Hello Wood
Features will also include a small galley-style kitchen, a comfortable and well-lit bedroom for two, a small living room area, and, of course, a bathroom with all the necessary stuff inside. Heating and cooling options, as well as insulation, will make these units suitable for year-round living or operation.
Hello Wood says that, beyond the unique design that will surely make for a great conversation starter, the PEBL Grand boasts low-energy consumption and environmental focus due to the fact that it's a prefab. All units will be pre-manufactured and transported on-site by crane or trailer, with installation taking place within a day without much prep.
All these combined allow Hello Wood to claim that this prefab might just be the future of housing, since it seems to defy the old misconception about how this type of houses can't offer luxury.
Photo: Hello Wood
There's also the promise of further customization, both for the exterior design and the interior layout. "No two [cabins] are exactly alike," Hello Wood says because each unit is built only after consulting with the owner on its exact purpose. So you're not getting just a space-age-like prefab home that looks unlike any other out there, but the chance to really make it your own with personalization.
But customization costs, regardless of whether we're talking about cars, tiny houses, or private jets. There's no official info regarding pricing for the PEBL Grand prefab, so there's no way of guessing the final costs once those personal touches have been added. We reached out to Hello Wood for more details, and we'll update the story when we hear back.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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