The Resiliency of Prefabs: Modular Homes For Extreme Environments

Maybe you've always dreamed of having a home way out in the mountains, but wondered how you would get the infrastructure to such a remote area. Or perhaps climate change leading to more natural disasters has you considering the sturdiness of your current home.

Because they're built to be transported and lifted with cranes, pre-fabricated modular homes are inherently suited to extreme terrain and more intense weather conditions. 

In this article, we spotlight some beautiful prefabs nestled in far out, less hospitable locales. 

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Snøhetta's Gapahuk

We've mentioned the incredible designs of Snøhetta before, and yes - they even build prefabs!

“ Combining tradition and innovation, Gapahuk is designed to be a readymade cabin that fits into nearly any scenery – whether it’s placed in the mountains, in the forest or by the sea. Focus has been put on designing a cabin that is flexible with regards to wind and sun conditions, and which can adapt to various terrains and environments. ”

— https://snohetta.com/projects/328-gapahuk

The asymmetrical roof provides a shield to strong winds on one side, while allowing for plenty of sunlight and spectacular views on the other side of the home. 

Designed to be a readymade cabin with the ability to fit into any environment, the Gapahuk imbibes style into even the most rugged of landscapes.

Tasmanian Eco-prefab

Lingering over 150 miles off the coast of Australia, Tasmania is a pristine but untamed land.

Homeowner David Burns worked with Misho + Associates to design a sustainable eco-friendly prefab home that would be able to conform to the landscape and withstand the ocean winds which can blow in at up to 60 mph!

Photo by Lucas Allen. 
Read more: An Off-the-Grid Prefab that Combines Open Plan Living with Rugged Durability

Rural House

Located on the rugged and picturesque Isle of Skye off Scotland's northwest coast, Rural House is bringing modern modular design to a very rural and ancient feeling landscape. 

“Our contemporary, sustainable and prefabricated houses are purpose designed for rigours of the highlands and islands...”

— http://www.ruralhouse.co.uk/

French Island Off-Grid Prefab

About forty miles off the coast of Melbourne, Australia lies French Island, and there's really only one way to get there - by ferry. 

The area is so remote that there isn't even a local council, and the home certainly needed to be self-sustaining. The homeowners worked with Ecoliv to design and construct an eco-friendly prefab home that they then transported to the site via a three-day ferry ride! 

“We chose to go prefab because it consolidated most of the logistics into three days of moving, rather than months of ferries and barges for materials and manpower.”

— Rowan Brown, owner

Photo by Jaime Diaz-Berrio. Read more: It Took Three Days to Ferry This Off-the-Grid Prefab to Its Remote Australian Site

“Prefabrication allowed us to quickly and cost-effectively get an architecture standard of finish in a very remote place.”

— Rowan Brown, owner

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If you're considering living a remote lifestyle close to nature, prefab homes are a terrific housing option to facilitate this dream in style!

And if you're wanting to do so in North America, HAVEN can make this a reality for you. Get in touch with us! We'd love to hear your dream!

Tips For First-Time Home Buyers in 2018

The home buying process is renown for being overwhelming and perplexing. If it's your first time, this is especially true. 

So we decided to put together a list of tips and things to consider before buying or building a home. Hopefully this helps remove at least a little of the frenzy ;)
 

BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD

Know what kind of monthly payment you can afford before you even start shopping. 

List out all monthly expenses, not just bills, but anything you spend money on -- groceries, gas, eating out, shopping, entertainment, etc.

Be sure to factor in monthly projected utility costs in your new home, too.

Something for you to consider: if you go for an eco-friendly home, you could reduce your power bill to zero. That's smart, long-term thinking. 

A good rule of thumb is not to take on a mortgage payment any larger than 30% of your income.  Just because a bank approves you for a certain amount does not mean you should spend that much. 

DON'T SPEND ALL OF YOUR MONEY ON A DOWN PAYMENT

As a homeowner, emergency savings become more important than ever.

If your plumbing unexpectedly fails, that's on you, not a landlord, to get fixed.

Water leaks. roof damage. and other unexpected expenses outside of the home like a car repair or medical procedure could happen out of the blue.

You should have a minimum of three months of living expenses still in your bank account after purchasing your home. 

If your down payment is going to leave you with $1,000 or less, definitely wait until you have more money saved. The most "perfect" home can become a burden in no time if you impulse buy.
 

CONSIDER MAKING YOUR FIRST HOME AN INVESTMENT

Many first-time home buyers don't think about the option of having their first home actually make them money. 

But your first home can double as an investment property, too!

The HAVEN Nest, for example, is designed to be a single family home which offers a separate all-contained living area that doubles as a short-term Airbnb style rental. This offers the coziness of your own ultra-modern home to live in with all the privacy of a normal home, except it's fattening your wallet instead of draining it. #smartthinking right? 

Not to mention - experts predict prefab modular homes will continue to rise in popularity, opening the potential for a profit if you ever decided to sell.

IN CONCLUSION

As third generation builders, we've devoted time and careful attention to designing not only homes that make life better, but we've also designed one of the simplest home-buying processes on the market.

Unlike any other company we know, we offer the option of including land with your home.

But it doesn't stop there - your new modern prefab home can even be outfitted with sleek interior decor that fits your style to a T prior to you moving in! 

Read more about HAVEN's All-Inclusive Land + Home + Furniture Package. 

Hopefully these tips have been a little food for thought. Get in touch with us if you have any questions or want to chat about making your first home a HAVEN.

The Best Cities for Airbnb Investment in 2018

If you study real estate investment trends you already know that short-term rentals are predicted to continue their upward swing in popularity and demand. 

The prevalent tool connecting travelers to unique short-term lodging is, at present, Airbnb. 

These two pieces of information have been provoking real estate investors to hone their efforts more toward property purchase with short-term lodging in mind, and less toward the traditional rental situation (with tenants who are more likely to damage property and not pay rent). 

Of course, you could still run into issues like these with an Airbnb property, but the very software of AirBnB inherently diminishes this risk. This is due to AirBnB's ratings and review system; for anyone with a profile on Airbnb --property owners and travelers alike-- they are rated and reviewed on every stay. This ease of access to an individual's reputation helps mitigate risks to property, income, and other headaches in general. 

If you're reading this article, you're probably already convinced that Airbnb is a wise investment decision, so let's move onto the next step: Where will your Airbnb investment property be? 

THE BEST CITIES FOR AIRBNB INVESTMENT IN 2018

NASHVILLE, TN

One of the hottest housing markets in the US right now, Nashville doesn't just qualify as one of the overall best cities for Airbnb investment, but also one of the most profitable. 

Unlike many cities, Nashville already has a legal framework in place for the short-term rental market.

Despite the city's industrial growth, housing prices have remained affordable. 

The area attracts millions of tourists each year for its cultural downtown scene, rich in musical history and events, and the bucolic surroundings that are just a short drive outside the city. Nashville is a place where worlds collide: young and old, urban and rural, traditional and modern, promoting a feeling of everyone is welcome. 

Extra perks include no personal incomes taxes, low unemployment rate, and low cost of living. 

AUSTIN, TX

Airbnb is so popular in Austin that hotel revenues actually saw a 10% decrease in 2015. 

With its hip culture and plethora of attractions and events - Austin has been and will continue to be a tourism powerhouse. An added benefit - most tourists to the area are millennials, and millennials love Airbnb and unique experiences! 

Proof: during SXSW, an annual festival held in Austin which attracts over 130,000 attendees, Airbnb property owners have reported collecting over $1,000 each night. 

PALM SPRINGS, CA

AirDNA, a real estate analysis tool, gives an A grade to Palm Springs. Several factors go into this, notably: the consistent sunny climate, some of the largest festivals in the world, and the variety of activities to enjoy. 

Because of this unique blend of attractions, Palm Springs is always hopping with visitors and isn't just event dependent. 

Airbnb property owners in Palm Springs average $400 per day in short-term rental income. 

Make sure to research laws and regulations before settling on this area (or any area, obviously). As with most California cities - regulations are rapidly evolving and sometimes very different from what residents in other states might be accustomed to. 

SEATTLE, WA

From rainforests, volcanoes, mountains, hot springs and picturesque coastline to a bustling downtown full of museums, restaurants, and unique shopping - Seattle is a tourist hot spot, especially for cultured, eco-minded millennials. 

A 2015 study showed that Seattle tourism has reached record-breaking levels, outdoing neighboring Portland, Oregon. 

Average Airbnb revenue totals over $2,500 each month!

IN CONCLUSION

These are just a few great locations across America for Airbnb investors to look into. 

An important factor to keep in mind, no matter which city you decide to put your Airbnb property, is the type of property. Unique properties will always perform better than your standard house. 

Interesting structures like yurts, cabins, geodesic domes, treehouses, hobbit holes, shipping container homes, and ultra-modern prefab homes are among some of the most popular listings on Airbnb.

For this reason, we designed the HAVEN Nest sub-option specifically for Airbnb - a great way to make your HAVEN pay for itself. 

Sustainable Home Trends in 2018 & Beyond

If you thought sustainable green construction was just a trend, it might be time to reconsider. And it isn't just young trendsters living in hip Portland neighborhoods, in fact - this recent report surveyed builders who stated that green building was a significant share of their overall activity (more than 60% of their portfolio) and that one-third had already built a net-zero home. 

Single and multifamily homes alike are rapidly gaining traction in the world of green construction and this is a trend set to rise remarkably by 2022. 

As consumers become more and more aware of the impact their homes have on health and well-being, paired with an understanding of issues we face as a whole, sustainable homes serve as a powerful, intelligent, ethical response. 

But that's not all! There are numerous reasons for the continued rise in popularity of sustainable homes. 

SUSTAINABLE HOME TRENDS IN 2018 AND BEYOND

 

UTMOST ENERGY-EFFICIENCY

In the United States, buildings account for 70% of total energy use (and about 40% of CO2 emissions).

For several years now, homeowners doing renovations or construction have been focusing on more energy-efficient appliances, better insulation, and other small passive measures. This trend is poised to intensify, with net-zero energy homes being the aim. A net-zero energy home produces as much (or more!) electricity as it uses. 

California has even mandated that all new homes built must be net-zero by the year 2020!

Get on board by checking out our Roost sub-option - the pinnacle of luxurious net-zero modular living. 
 

HOME AUTOMATION (SMART HOMES)

Appliances and systems in a home can be automated, that is - programmed to behave a certain way. Smart home automation allows you to dictate how, when, and why a device or system should react. 

Via a remote control (which could be your smart phone), you have control of your house from anywhere in the world.

Savings, convenience, and control are obvious benefits, but an automated home also alerts you to incidents you might want to know about right away such as unexpected entry or a water leak. 

We have no doubt that fully automated homes are the very near future! For HAVEN buyers who are interested in home automation but feel a bit overwhelmed, we're happy to help you understand and select smart home automation systems during the design phase of your HAVEN. 

A FOCUS ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HEALTH

Our homes are sealed environments, where all of the pollutants (think: cleaning sprays, artificial fragrances, dust, dander, mold, chemicals from new furniture and appliances, and building materials used to construct the home) get trapped and continuously circulate around us, inevitably being breathed in. Did you know that indoor air pollution is thought to be a bigger risk factor for health problems than outdoor air pollution?

The Cog FX Study really raised eyebrows when it showed that cognitive function was 61% higher in green buildings and a whopping 101% higher in enhanced green buildings! The implications are huge: what if your home is unintentionally causing poor health and poor performance (work, school...) in family members? It's something to take seriously. 

A new Harvard study examined green-certified buildings over a 16-year period in six different countries (U.S., China, India, Brazil, Germany and Turkey) and found nearly $6 billion in combined health and climate benefits!

Our use of non-toxic and sustainable materials in the green construction of HAVENS isn't just beautiful to look at, it creates a true sanctuary for healthy lives to flourish. 
 

BIOPHILIC DESIGN

As human beings, we have an inherent inclination to affiliate with nature. We are drawn to natural shapes and materials, natural light, and environmental features like plants. 

Despite these proclivities, over the last century our homes have been designed as barriers from nature. 

We design HAVENS to have a seamless indoor-outdoor connection, one that offers a sense of harmony and inspiration. You can feel this when you walk into a HAVEN.

These are just a few of the trends that are transitioning sustainable green building from a movement to a norm. As standards, codes, and rating systems are written and updated, and new smart technologies and design ideas emerge, eco-friendly buildings will take over mainstream. Watch this unfold in 2018 and beyond! Exciting, restorative times are ahead!

HAVENS All-Inclusive Home, Land, AND Furnishings Package

Buying a home is a big undertaking. As third-generation builders, we know first-hand how complicated and stressful the home-buying process can be. 

But we don't just build beautiful, eco-friendly, modern prefab homes, we've also designed some really wonderful and practical processes to help our buyers. We've anticipated needs in advance and decided to offer something entirely different from other companies.

There are a multitude of companies out there building and designing stylish prefabricated modular homes, but we don't know of any other company who includes land and furnishings!

What is usually several bills and many shopping trips can be consolidated into your mortgage --- your brand new trendsetting home, decked out with sleek modern furniture, and nestled into the perfect piece of land for your lifestyle! In just one bill. 

Hard to believe? That's because no one else is doing it. It's not a norm. 

At HAVEN though, we're serious about promoting sustainability, modern design, minimalism, and enjoyment of life! We genuinely care about our community of HAVEN owners and want to see you all living happy, full lives inside and outside of the sanctuary we build for you. 

Like we've said before, our mission is not just to build incredible homes, but fuller happier lives! This way we can ALL #dogoodthings in the world. 

WE'LL PROVIDE LAND 

If you already have a lot for to nest your HAVEN into, great! But if you don't - no worries, we'll take care of that! 

Part of our simplified home-buying process is to sit with you, get to know you and the kind of lifestyle you want to design, and locate the perfect piece of land for you. 

A suburban lot in proximity to shopping, work, and events...

A rural piece of land overlooking the river...

You tell us what you want, we'll talk about budget and specific details, and then you can carry on with life while we take care of everything. 

Go have fun! :)

 

OUR FURNITURE PACKAGES

Another aspect of our process is furniture selection. As a new HAVEN client, you'll have the option to select one of our carefully designed modern furniture packages. 

When we say our, we really mean it. Here at HAVEN, we've developed our own furniture line to outfit all HAVENS. Our furniture is the pinnacle of sleek modern design, ensuring your HAVEN is the modern idyll, inside and out. 

Here are some sneak peeks of our furniture packages!

MADISON //  A mid-century modern aesthetic___

ROWAN // Scandinavian-influenced designs___

 COZY // A relaxing and minimalistic modern aesthetic___

All packages have been expertly designed to coordinate with your interior finishes selections.  

With our team of interior designers, as well as our partnership with All Modern and Wayfair, we are able to deliver high-quality furniture that seamlessly blends with the design of your new HAVEN.

We're serious about taking care of you! Make life easier on yourself, get in touch with us to begin building your dream lifestyle. We can't wait to hear from you!

HAVEN Apparel!

Your favorite modular prefab home builders just got in a shipment of shirts and hats hot off the press!

Check out this sweet design! We love the retro mountains and sun and how it promotes and inspires a big fun life, which is exactly what HAVEN is all about!

Our graphic designer, Tiffany, created this original design to represent the HAVEN lifestyle. Here she is sporting a long sleeve women's shirt while "working" :P

And Chase has on his thinking hat...

In the near future, shirts and hats in a variety of colors and sizes will be available for purchase! Sign up for our newsletter for the chance to get awesome free apparel when we host giveaway contests!

Thanks so much for your support, folks, it means the world to us.  Have a fantastic weekend! #DOGOODTHINGS

Prefab Modular Homes: The Future of Housing

Gone are the days of modular being synonymous with cheap mobile home. Modern-designed modular prefab homes are now synonymous with serious style. And this trend is only set to grow. 
 

HIGH-QUALITY GREEN CONSTRUCTION

If you want to contribute to a healthier future for our planet, prefab is probably the best route you could choose for home construction. 

We build HAVENS in a climate-controlled setting, free of concerns like weather patterns that could (and often do) prolong build time. There's also the benefit of materials not becoming damp and compromised (a problem that could cause homeowners serious trouble in the long-term). Building indoors also means you are in your new home in a matter of weeks, not months!

The methods prefab builders use paired with conscious waste management drastically reduce construction waste.  According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, an estimated 8,000 lbs of waste is created from the construction of a 2,000-square foot home. We can do better than that, and prefab proves it. 

MODERN DESIGN & ECO-EFFICIENCY 

From bamboo flooring to smart cutting-edge automated system technologies and the potential to be net zero, modular prefab builders also tend to be aficionados of sleek design and sustainability. 

Here at HAVEN, we believe that good design makes you happy. We aren't just building a shelter that looks good, we're building a sanctuary that feels good to be in, paying attention to and optimizing every single inch of space and we're full of knowledge about smart sustainable systems for your home. Tired of having a power bill? We can help you get rid of it altogether!

“The market will start demanding smarter components in a home. There will have to be a whole suite of components, and they’ll have to be manufactured because the technology in them will demand the precision of a manufacturing site. Conventional construction would be very limited as we move into the digital age, when [we’ll] expect more and more from the performance of our homes.”

— Joe Wheeler, Center for Design Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Univ.

“Contractors and owners that are not embracing modular and off-site fabrication as a significant portion of their business model are going to struggle to survive. By 2025, if a large contractor hasn’t embraced off-site construction for at least 25% of their workload, I wouldn’t expect that company to be in business by 2030.”

— Tom Hardiman, executive director at the Modular Building Institute

“We’re way behind, and the deficit of housing is growing. We have got to get out of the 19th century.”

— Roger Krulak, CEO of Full Stack Modular

A NEW DIRECTION FOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS
 

As more and more housing trends point toward a necessary modular prefab future of housing as a practical, beautiful, and sustainable solution to a future here on Earth, developers are beginning to respond!

We're beginning to see interesting developments, quite literally, such as a 7-story apartment building in Manhattan made entirely of prefab homes. 

“The Marriott has also hopped on the prefab trend, as the company is currently building its second modular-designed hotel in Oklahoma City. The Marriott’s first prefab hotel resides just outside Sacramento in California, and is evidently the first of many, as the company plans to start constructing around 50 more prefab hotels by the end of this year. These hotels will be easier to construct and more efficient, while simultaneously cutting down on construction waste as well as costs. ”

— https://www.curbed.com/2017/5/15/15638374/prefab-houses-hotels-marriott-construction

Prefab modular is the future of building, not just housing. The future of design, the future of eco-friendly sustainable living.

Homes that do more so you can go out and #dogoodthings!

Have an extra minute to spare? Walk into a HAVEN...

Gearing Up For Takeoff!

Spring is just around the corner, and here at HAVEN we're gearing up for takeoff! 

Right now, the days (and sometimes evenings) are spent fine-tuning designs, working with interior designers, structural engineers, and the like. You know, crossing t's and dotting i's. It's a lot of paperwork and computer work, mostly 2-D...

But today we got to get our hands dirty in 3-D! 

That's right - today was a great day! We took a little drive to pick up something that really inspires and excites us...

Now, friends, magic is about to happen. 

We've got our first shipping container on site and we'll be...

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates. We promise it'll be a fun process!
( #dogoodthings )

Flooring For A Healthier Planet & A Healthier You!

In China's warm and moist Anji county - a pilot county for eco-friendly and green construction - over 148,000 acres of bamboo groves thrive. A far cry from the polluted industrial centers, this fresh, bucolic, mountainous region is known for wholesomeness, producing eco-friendly products such as white tea, alpine vegetables and flowers, bamboo shoots, and (you guessed it) beautiful, sustainable bamboo flooring that gets carefully laid inside every HAVEN.

We have chosen to work with Calibamboo as a reliable and ethical source of bamboo flooring, who sustainably harvest their bamboo from well-managed groves in pristine Anji county. 

Hardwood flooring for HAVENS

A HEALTHIER HOME

Not only is bamboo flooring incredibly strong and aesthetically pleasing, it's also better for the health of everyone in your home!

Almost all conventional flooring is smothered in toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde. These compounds off-gas into our homes, often getting trapped and continuously circulated into the air we breathe which has been shown to cause serious health problems. A home that makes you sick is definitely not a sanctuary, and therefore not a HAVEN. 

Calibamboo's floor test results rank as "Ultra Low VOC" and in fact, they publish their test results online for the public to see - a level of transparency you won't often come across.  

A HEALTHIER PLANET

Did you know bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth? In can be harvested every 3-7 years without negative environmental impact, making it an endlessly renewable resource. 

Use of Calibamboo flooring is having a great impact on this gorgeous planet we call home. 

Here are their stats at the time this was written:

www.calibamboo.com

Pretty amazing, huh?! 

Doesn't it feel great to #dogoodthings?!

The Differences Between Prefab and Conventional Stick-Built Homes

With prefab homes quickly rising in popularity, you might be wondering what exactly makes them different from a regular house?

PREFAB VS. TRADITIONAL

While a conventional stick-built home is constructed piece by piece on the owner's land, a prefab home is constructed in a warehouse or factory setting and later transported to the lot and assembled in segments. 

PRIMARY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PREFAB + CONVENTIONAL HOUSES

SHORTER BUILD TIME

Because prefab homes are built indoors in a climate-controlled environment, construction time is not affected by weather.

Construction of modular homes can be measured in weeks rather than months, and it's far easier to stick to schedule and avoid on-site delays so often encountered with traditional home construction. 
 

LESS WASTE

A study by the National Association of Home Builders estimates that when building a 2,000 square foot conventional home, 8,000 pounds of waste material gets sent to the landfill (!!). 

At HAVEN, responsible waste management is inherent in our company DNA. Like most modular home builders, we work in a controlled environment where every piece of material is paid attention to and efforts are always made to eliminate, minimize, and recycle waste to achieve green construction.
 

FOUNDATION

Prefab homes are anchored to the foundation, making them technically able to be removed from the foundation in the future if desired. Whereas a conventional home and its foundation are in a lifelong commitment to a single place. 
 

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

At HAVEN, we build our homes to withstand the elements using the highest quality materials and sturdy steel frames.

Because modular homes are built in a controlled setting, the entire process is under strict quality control. 

Furthermore, all materials are protected from the weather. A common mishap on a conventional construction site is that lumber will be inadequately protected, leaving it exposed to the elements. Structural and environmental issues can arise years later from this kind of neglect. 

So now you know the ways in which prefab homes differ from conventionally built homes. 

If you've read our blog you already know that HAVENS fit all predicted real estate trends for 2018, that they have net zero potential, can pretty much pay for themselves, and that we offer the simplest home buying process on the market! 

It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

#DOGOODTHINGS

Good Design Makes You Happy - February Spotlight: Snøhetta

Every month we shine the spotlight on projects that have provided inspiration, celebrating the transforming impact that good design can have on the world. 

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From underwater restaurants to powerhouse hotels above the Arctic Circle, if Snøhetta is involved - that's pretty much a guarantee it's going to be incredible. 

Snøhetta is an international integrated architecture, landscape, interior, branding and design firm who focuses on creating experiences. 

Here are a few of our favorites, but we really suggest going over and checking out more of their projects.

SVART

 www.snohetta.com

It's a hotel - a ring-shaped, energy-positive hotel located above the Arctic Circle. Not only will guests enjoy astounding panoramic views of glaciers, fjords, and untouched wilderness, but the hotel will be the first in the world to achieve the Powerhouse standard in a northern climate. 

“Not only does this new hotel reduces its yearly energy consumption by approximately 85% compared to a modern hotel, but it also produces its own energy - an absolute “must” in this precious arctic environment. ”

— Snøhetta

UNDER

 www.snohetta.com

Situated on the Norwegian coastline, Snøhetta has designed Europe’s very first underwater restaurant. 

The restaurant, whose namesake has a double meaning (in Norwegian, under can just as well mean wonder), will also double as a research center for marine life. 

Guests will be able to literally submerge themselves into the local marine ecosystem, while enjoying authentic Nordic fare. What a dream!

A HOUSE TO DIE IN

 www.snohetta.com

Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard had an idea to create a sculpture that would also serve as a home, it was only natural to collaborate with Snøhetta on such a project. 

A triangular wooden house supported by animal sculptures...

“The building is clad with black, burned oak, inspired by Japanese building traditions. The burnt oak will naturally erode over time so that the building gradually changes character throughout the years and seasons. A shallow water pond below the building creates an illusion of a floating building.”

— Snøhetta

GAPAHUK

www.snohetta.com

Yep! They even design prefab homes. 

Just like a HAVEN, the Gapahuk cabin was designed to be placed in any location - mountains, forest, coast - able to withstand all conditions, with the potential to be off-grid. 

 

Thanks Snøhetta for all the beauty you bring to the world! We're thoroughly inspired.

7 Real Estate Trends To Look For In 2018

With new technologies in building and energy coming to the forefront, environmental trends catching on, fresh ideas and solutions being generated constantly, and a housing crisis that is finally being predicted to start turning around, it should be an interesting year for real estate in America.

Whether you're a developer, a first-time homebuyer, or simply looking to find a home that makes you happier, it's useful to be informed about what to expect and watch for in the housing market. 

Here are the expert's predictions for 2018 real estate in America. 

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

2018 will see the continuous upward trend of short-term rental appeal. Tools like Airbnb have made lodging more interesting, giving us all access to home experiences we may otherwise not be able to have. 

Short-term renting gives homeowners a whole new income stream potential, renting their whole home or space in the home. Because Airbnb accesses a global community, rental fees are often three to five times the local and regional market! That's a pretty good return on investment!

Our NEST sub-option was designed with an Airbnb/short-term rental space in mind, offering a separate all-contained living space with appealing modern style. Learn more about how to make your HAVEN pay for itself with short-term renting. 

FRACTIONAL INVESTING

Rather than hand over huge sums of money to invest in real estate, many investors are diversifying and relieving themselves of responsibility with fractional investing.

You can go in with other investors or with friends and family you trust to own part of a property rather than the entire property. 

Peer to peer lending and crowdfunding are helping to facilitate this process, assisting new investors to break into the market. 

Real estate remains a smart and promising investment, providing a consistent and reliable stream of income. 

INCREASE IN LENDING

Banks have been tight for years, but 2018 will likely see a turnaround in that trend.

Experts predict that in 2018 banks will begin actively pursuing buyers and offering more diverse loan opportunities. 

Homeowners--and especially investment buyers--should see more buying opportunities
 

SMALLER LIVING

One solution for increasing the housing stock--and thereby helping to alleviate the housing crisis--has been the emerging trend of tiny living and mobile living. 

People are becoming more and more interested in genuine fulfillment and are finding that big square footage doesn't correlate with overall life quality. 

Experts predict this will become more and more of a norm, especially in big cities. 

 

MILLENNIAL BUYERS

"New buyers are millennials," states this recent Forbes article. 

Most millennials would prefer to live in urban areas, but end up settling into suburban homes (something for developers to keep in mind!). 

What do millennials want in a home?

• Big kitchens
• Open floor plans
• Home offices
• Energy efficiency
• New technologies
• Ideal locations

So basically - a HAVEN ;)
 

COLIVING

Unfortunately, many home-buyers are still struggling with affordability, making coliving a sensible solution.

Some people return to family homes while others live in communal roommate setups. In fact, many startups are popping up to meet this demand with hip shared living spaces. These communal arrangements typically offer each person or couple their own living quarters with the kitchen and living areas being shared with other inhabitants, where social life and a philosophy of community are built in. 

Our HATCH sub-option caters to this demographic, transforming the extra space in your HAVEN into an extra area for coliving.  A mother-in-law suite, a nursery, a room for returning college grads, millennials hoping to save money for a while, or another coliving setup: we designed the HATCH sub-option to nurture relationships and promote bonding.

PREFAB MODULAR HOMES AS A SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING CRISIS

One solution to the housing crisis is to increase the stock of homes. Prefab modular homes are an excellent response to this economic need with their lower construction costs and faster turnaround time. 

Developers are looking toward smaller, modular, prefab homes to increase housing stock faster with less on-site labor. Estimates show that such units can be delivered to a developer 50% faster than a standard build-out, permitting leasing to begin much sooner! 

Experts predict the demand for modern prefab homes will expand at least 15% annually, reaching over a million by 2020. 

Ready to jump ahead of the crowd and get started on your build?

How HAVENS Make Life Better

Of course it's our opinion that HAVENS make life better, but it might actually be a fact! 

Read on to see for yourself the myriad of ways HAVENS contribute to optimal lifestyle design. 

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LESS SPACE (=BIG LIVING!)

It seems like things in America just keep getting bigger, doesn't it? Unfortunately, this doesn't correlate to happiness and fulfillment. 

Thankfully, the huge 2,000 SF+ homes are a fading trend, with western society beginning to focus more and more on true happiness, laying the false idols of MORE + BIGGER = HAPPIER to rest. 

A study published in the Wall Street Journal found that 2/3 of our time is spent in the kitchen/nook or the family (TV) room. All that extra space sits unused, but demands to be heated, cooled, and cleaned nonetheless. Let's be real - do you ever actually use that spare dining room? Or let's be really real - how many times do you ignore all tables and eat on the couch? 

Less square footage makes cleaning and basic maintenance a breeze. 

With all HAVENS featuring at least 500 SF of outdoor living space and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, we encourage time spent outside - relaxing, playing, entertaining, working on projects...

If you want a huge home, only to spend more time cleaning and repairing it, that's your prerogative. Call us crazy but we'd rather use that time to have friends over for a patio BBQ or take a weekend kayaking trip, ourselves! #thatlifequality

LESS DEBT

It's considered fairly normal to enter into a GIGANTIC mortgage nowadays. 

The obvious financial burden and risk aside, this can be a heavy mental burden as well. Many people find that the infatuation phase of a big new home wears off fast, leaving many of us to feel like slaves rather than owners. 

HAVENS aren't just homes - they're true sanctuaries and good investments. 

(You can even make your HAVEN pay for itself!).

INTERIORS THAT FEEL GOOD

With a focus on natural light, natural building materials, and nature-inspired design, HAVENS promote feelings of clarity and inspiration. 

Our modern open floorplans promote the feeling of more space, with strategic placement of walls that allow natural light to spread through the home. 

These sleek spaces discourage hoarding and clutter and encourage a clean Scandinavian minimalism that feels good. 

Open floorplans, with their long lines of sight, also promote interaction and bonding time. Huge homes isolate us. 

Use of non-toxic and sustainable materials enhances indoor air quality, actually making HAVENS healthier than conventional homes. With indoor air pollution often being a larger concern than outdoor air pollution, that's something to delight in!

We design with aesthetics and functionality at the forefront to ensure that HAVENS are pleasing to look at and live in while also being optimally functional. 

(Psst...have you heard about our coconut floors?!)

THE EASIEST HOME BUYING PROCESS ON THE MARKET

As third generation builders and fellow homeowners, we're all too familiar with how stressful the home buying process can be. 

That's why we've obsessed over and perfected the HAVEN buying experience. Why not go ahead and include land and furniture with your new HAVEN? Yep, we'll take care of that too!

Read more about our simplified and easygoing process here. 

LESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

HAVENS are smart homes. With the potential to be fully automated and net zero, built using sustainable and non-toxic materials, you aren't just making your own life better--fresh air, no power bill-- you're contributing to the greater good of making life on earth for all living creatures better. 

Cheers to that!

Living in Harmony: HAVEN's Nature-Inspired Designs

At HAVEN, we value home design that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor, letting the outside in. 

One of our primary goals is to create the space necessary for people to live big beautiful lives, both inside and outside the home.

Part of the reason we take the environmental ethical stance that we do (caring for the planet and preserving the natural world) is that we believe nature is good for people - mentally and physically.

And inversely - that our separation from nature (so prevalent in modern times) is a source of stress in the mind and body. 

Encouraging a healthy, fun, and harmonious lifestyle is a root purpose of what we do, and you can feel this when you walk into a HAVEN.

 

OUR NATURE-INSPIRED DESIGN ELEMENTS

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LET THE LIGHT IN

What we refer to as modern "Scandinavian" design, with lots of white space and natural light, came to be because of the dark northern winters. With such short days and so much darkness, light was (and still is) highly valued. Figuring out ways to bring this light inside and magnify it was necessary. 

Natural light is the most pleasing form of light - proven to reduce depression, help hospital patients recover, and school kids to perform better. So no matter where you are geographically, inviting natural light in is beautiful and beneficial. 

We incorporate Scandinavian design elements into HAVENS with large windows and doors and white open spaces, nestling each home into the landscape with consideration of the local climate and surroundings.  

OPEN SPACES

Modern design and ancient feng shui both agree on this: clutter feels chaotic. 

Open interior designs not only feel better, the long lines of sight promote interaction between occupants.

Our large glass windows and doors paired with strategically placed walls allows light to spill into a HAVEN uninterrupted.

NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS

Use of interior natural materials is vital in nature-inspired design. 

These are the surfaces that surround us on a daily basis and have the power to influence how we feel and interact with the world.

The materials so abundantly used in most conventional home construction - porcelain, vinyl, asphalt - have no place in a HAVEN. 

We've put a lot of energy into researching and incorporating superior materials that reflect the natural world, such as:

• Suspended recycled steel staircase, with steel stringers, and wood treads
• Quartz countertops
• Recycled bamboo on outdoor decks
• Self-healing weathered steel
• Wooden cabinets
• Artistic wooden accents throughout the home

Most wood floors utilize hardwoods which take 35-60 years to mature for harvest, or pine which takes 15-30 years to mature for harvest.

But a HAVEN has floors made of coconuts!

Once a coconut matures, the coconuts can be harvested every single year, discouraging stripping of the land. 

Not only are HAVEN floors beautiful and ethical, they're also tough! With one of the hardest janka scale ratings, our coconut and bamboo floors are immune to common mishaps like nail scratches from pets and high heel marks. 

OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE

HAVENS feature anywhere from 500-920 square feet of exterior living space (not including the lot itself).

Placement of large windows and doors encourage a seamless transition to these outdoor rooms.

Proper outdoor lighting goes even further to make these exterior spaces cozy and inviting. 

Imagine it's a crisp October night... walking from the kitchen with a mug of hot cocoa, through the spacious interior, out the large sliding doors, onto the patio - a room in itself, with a fireplace and a blanket of stars overhead.

This blurring of the line between man-made and nature is what inspires our design process, coaxing the two to fade into one another. These elements are felt when visiting or living inside a HAVEN.

Life just starts to feel... better.

No Power Bill: Our 'Roost' Sub-Option & Net Zero Potential

As civilization progresses, and we gain more and more knowledge about the impact our species is having on the planet, it's clear that there are large problems we need to work on solving in order to secure a positive future for earth's environment and inhabitants. 

The antiquated era of fossil fuels seems to be approaching its end, getting replaced by modern systems and designs that favor smarter renewable resources.

And HAVEN is all about bringing this future to fruition by designing and building gorgeous modern homes that are also net zero ready. 

When beautiful design and environmental ethics combine, a whole new standard of life is created. This is exactly what we're out to do: raise the bar.

WHAT DOES NET ZERO MEAN?

In a nutshell: A net zero building produces just as much energy as it consumes. 

The total amount of energy used annually by the building is roughly the same amount that is generated on-site. 

Most net zero buildings (but not all) receive some energy from the electrical grid, then return that same amount at another time. 

The two key elements to achieving this are:

1. Harvesting energy on-site using renewable/clean technologies such as solar/photovoltaic, wind, or hydro.
2. Reducing overall energy use with highly efficient systems, designs, and behaviors.

WHY WORK TOWARD A NET ZERO HOME?

1. You'll Save Money

The possibility of no power bill is compelling on its own. 

Solar power has a payback period of fewer than 7 years according to this comprehensive study, and that's in conventional homes!

2. You'll Be Helping To Reduce Greenhouse Gases

A net zero home contributes less overall greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, so if you're concerned about the future of the planet amidst climate change, this is a positive step you can personally take to help fortify earth's fate.

3. You'll Enjoy Cleaner Air (Inside and Out)

Not only is air pollution at the forefront of our current planetary issues, did you know that the indoor air in most houses is deadlier than outdoor air? 

Renewable energy sources and interiors outfitted with sustainable, eco-conscious systems and materials eliminate the multitude of by-products associated with gas, coal, and nuclear power. 

4. Contributing To A More Resilient Power Grid

While our modern power grid is an engineering wonder and is highly reliable, that doesn't mean it's immune to disruption. Severe weather can take a power grid down for days, even weeks. And the possibility of really destructive events - a coronal mass ejection, for example - is out there, despite how abstract it may seem. 

Imagine if your own household were without power for weeks, even months. What does that look like? Imagine if hospitals or government buildings were without power for a prolonged time. Grocery stores...

Residences and businesses producing power on-site and understanding how to optimize these technologies work to build societal resilience. 

This is what the future looks like, what it has to look like.

HAVEN'S NET ZERO POTENTIAL ROOST SUB-OPTION

While we outfit all HAVENS with sustainable, eco-conscious materials, choosing our Roost sub-option to customize your HAVEN is the pinnacle of modern eco-luxury. 

The Roost option group represents all of the eco options we offer. 

Such as:

• Solar/photovoltaic systems
• Solar orientation on site (positioning your HAVEN to maximize solar efficiency)
• Water conscious landscaping (xeriscaping)
• High-efficiency appliances
• Insulated window panes with low e-coating and high solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC)
• Spray foam insulation
• Tight thermal envelope
• Insulated concrete form walls
• Smart home automation to ensure power doesn't get wasted (anything with a plug can be automated)
• Programmable smart thermostats

The key element to a net zero home is the user. This is why the word potential is crucial in the term net zero potential - you can invest in eco-conscious systems and design, but net zero will not be achieved if the dweller does not understand how to utilize and optimize the technologies. 

This is why we offer training and ongoing monitoring to help HAVEN owners get acquainted with their new eco-sanctuary. 

This is how we work together to create inspiring daily lives and optimal futures!

Make Your HAVEN Pay For Itself

Being the proud owner of a beautifully-designed modern home is one thing. 

Doing so at virtually no cost to you is another thing entirely. 

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Enter the NEST sub-option.

One of our three customization packages, the NEST not only offers a posh modern home to call your own but also allows for a separate, entirely self-contained living quarters. 

Short-term rental? Long-term rental? Artist retreat? Studio? The possibilities are as big as your imagination, but they all spell one thing: passive income. 

We've done the numbers and they're nothing to scoff at...

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AIRBNB

The advent of Airbnb has made good design and unique architecture much more accessible for all, allowing us to spend time inside amazing structures we may not be able to otherwise. 

The options are seemingly endless - from treehouses to hobbit holes, remote log cabins to super modern minimal dwellings. (You can even stay in Frank Lloyd Wright's house if that's your thing! Yes please.)

Another style of lodging that has soared in popularity on Airbnb is --we'll give you one guess-- modular pre-fab houses!

This off-grid pre-fab house in California's Grass Valley rents for around $200/night, while this prefab cabin in the forest of West Virginia brings in over $200/night. 

The New York Times' published a recent article all about the shipping container as a modern home, causing the popularity of container homes to soar. 

Because HAVENS are also considered shipping container style homes, we hopped on Airbnb to see what the demand is like for this particular style. 

It seems these container homes are in huge demand - for aesthetic, novelty, and genuine curiosity about what it's like to live in one - with 5 stars across the board, and a minimum nightly rental fee of $120. We especially love this one in British Columbia, sitting unexpectedly in a conventional neighborhood. 

THE NUMBERS

Several different factors go into determining how much you could rent your HAVEN for on Airbnb: location, interior design, system technologies, proximity to attractions or a destination of some kind, and more. 

So let's take an average nightly rental amount, not the lowest, not the highest, which would be roughly $150/night. 

If you manage to rent your HAVEN for just one week each month, you're bringing in over $1,000 in passive/supplemental income!  Two weeks of guest stays = $2,100/mo. and if you manage to book for the entire month (which many of the modular pre-fab homes on Airbnb are in fact doing!) your HAVEN would be generating an average of $4,500 each month!

So not only would your mortgage be covered, you'd be profiting!

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The NEST sub-option can be applied to any HAVEN - The Alder, The Hemlock, or The Cypress. 
 

Here are some example floor plans, helping you to visualize the separation between your own personal home and your self-contained Airbnb offering (click image to enlarge):
 

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We firmly believe that we offer the simplest home buying process on the market today. 

So if you're into sleek modern design and a sound return on investment, get in touch with us! We're happy to answer any questions you have and hear about your goals and desires when it comes to your dream home.

Talk to you soon!

The Simplest Home Buying Process On The Market

If you've owned a home before, you're probably no stranger to how stressful the conventional home buying process can be. 

As third generation builders, we're familiar too.

That's why here at HAVEN we've obsessed over and perfected the buyer experience -- not just in living (open spaces, lots of natural light, elegant design through and through), and not just in smart systems design (cutting-edge green technology and use of sustainable materials), we've also thought about how to make the buying process as simple as possible. 
 

OUR SIMPLE, STRESS-FREE PROCESS

Step 1 // Phone interview

We'll chat about what you want in a home and discuss possible options. 

You'll become very familiar with all of our different models and sub-options. 

We want to hear all about your dream home and from there we'll detail the ways in which we can transcribe those dreams into reality. 

Step 2 // Land

Where do you want your HAVEN?

Maybe you already have an urban lot or some acreage outside of town. Or maybe you don't have any land at all. 

A unique aspect of HAVEN is that we will purchase land for you. (See? We told you it's stress-free).

Once you tell us what you're looking for, we'll do all the footwork to find the perfect piece of earth for your HAVEN to be nestled into. 

Step 3 // Plan foundation + utilities

Foundation is a crucial component of any home - prefab included. 

HAVENS are built with the utmost structural integrity, then attached to a solid foundation upon arrival at your site. 

We'll work together to lay out a plan to get all utilities to the lot (power, water, sewer, phone, cable, internet...) then we'll take it all from there. 

Utilities will be put in your name for billing purposes, but HAVEN will manage and coordinate everything for you. 

Step 4 // Build

Now it's time for us to do what we do best - build.

HAVENS are built in a climate-controlled environment allowing for far less material waste, tighter construction, and a much more efficient building process.

How efficient? Our building process lasts weeks, not months. Pretty awesome, right?

Step 5 // Delivery day

Things are starting to get real fun now!

Just a few weeks after your order is placed, HAVEN's install team arrives.

Our team of professionals will inspect site conditions and make any last minute adjustments, then we'll bring in the big guns to deliver your modules!

All modules are craned into place and within 24 hours your house is dried in!

Step 6 // Move-in day 

Just a few weeks after delivery, your home is ready to move into. 

Furniture in place, beds made, everything you need to spend your first night is already in place.

Welcome home. 

That's it! Mere weeks after your order is placed you have a beautiful new home, filled with all the mod cons, ready to live in, and no headaches along the way because we take care of the entire process. 

Creating space for you to enjoy life. 
This is a HAVEN.