Type 7

Puzzled Together

Taking a look at the latest in prefab housing for the woodlands of the Pacific Northwest.

Snaking around trees and foliage as though it were built bespoke for this specific environment, there’s a little more than meets the eye in the Whidbey Puzzle Prefab house by Wittman Estes. The clue is in the name, with each section acting as a detachable module, or puzzle piece, so that the house remains infinitely reconfigurable or even expandable throughout its lifetime.

The example constructed on Whidbey Island, Washington, happens to divide roughly 50/50 between indoor space and covered outdoor decking, but it’s entirely possible to do things differently depending on specific client needs.

Naturally, the architects built in a heavy emphasis on low-impact utilities and construction methods. Each module is built on concrete-free pin foundations, which are much easier to dismantle at the end of their life cycle and don’t scar the natural environment.

A system of solar arrays, heat pumps and rainwater collection handles many of the day-to-day functions of the house, giving it true off-grid credentials.