Zaha Hadid Architects Reveals Futuristic Modular Homes

ZAHA Hadid Architects (ZHA) has revealed its designs for a series of modular homes for Roatán Próspera, a residential community on a Caribbean island off the coast of Honduras.

The ultra-sustainable timber homes are set to begin construction later in 2020.

Above: The houses will be completely customisable (image courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects).

Prefabricated off-site and transported using local networks, the houses will be made of timber from certified forests on mainland Honduras.

Every aspect of construction will be focused on developing localised supply chains, so as to limit carbon emissions and be as environmentally-friendly as possible.

Above: Located on the island of Roatán (image courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects).

ZHA is working with AKT II and Hilson Moran to create a “kit of parts” that specify exactly what elements and components are needed to build the homes without any material waste.

Residents will have access to software allowing them to customise the site - including the house’s size, arrangement and furnishings.

Each site will be made of “voxels” - three-dimensional volumes that make up the sections of the house.

Each voxel contains 35 square metres and is four metres high. Residents can choose up to five voxels to build their home - allowing up to 15,000 unique arrangements.

Above and Below: The houses will be made from locally sourced timber (images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects).

As the construction industry responds to the unique challenges of a post-coronavirus world, prefabricated buildings are likely to become increasingly popular.

Prefabricated construction is generally safer as most of the work is carried out in factories where social distancing rules can be better adhered to.

They also require less people to be physically on building sites when the modules are fitted together.

We are already beginning to see a number of high-profile prefabricated projects, including Singapore’s twin Avenue South Residences, Collins House in Melbourne and the world’s tallest modular hotel in New York.

Learn more about about "offsite manufacturing" and the rise of component-based, kit-of-parts approaches, including what they mean for the construction sector in our documentary: