We’ve often sung the praises of prefabricated structures here on Treehugger – after all, the process of producing prefab buildings creates less construction waste, construction times are typically shorter, and the results are usually more energy-efficient – all important aspects when it comes to building in a more sustainable way.
But there’s more than one way to build a sustainable prefab, and Argentinan design and construction company Grandio has come up with one that is both affordable, and one that they say is nearly “indestructible.”
The mesh doors are designed so that one person can easily open or close them, and also function as an operable canopy for shading the porch and interior.
Ultimately, the designers say that the overarching idea behind Hüga is to create something versatile, yet fully equipped with all of today’s conveniences, coming in a disaster-resistant package that can be moved with its owner.
Taking its cue from the cozy Scandinavian idea of hygge, the prefab Hüga is built with the rugged landscapes of Patagonia in mind, where homes can be subjected to harsh and unpredictable conditions like intense wind, snow, rain, humidity and quickly fluctuating temperatures. The creators of Hüga include two architects and two engineers, along with several university professors, who were inspired by their students’ aspirations for affordable and location-independent housing.
Hüga’s tough structural shell is made with reinforced concrete that’s been molded with a system of lightweight polymer molds and formwork, and assembled rapidly off-site. While the use of carbon-intensive concrete is a downside in terms of sustainability, this material does allow for the option of burying the Hüga underground, bunker-style. According to the company, after assembling the concrete components, the shell’s interior can then finished out and be transported by truck to the site, where it can then be set up in about a day, without the need for a foundation.
Measuring 36-feet long, 13-feet wide, and 13-feet tall, the Hüga’s approximately 485-square-foot interior has been designed as an open plan living space, bookended by full-height folding mesh doors on both ends.
