WHAT IS HYBRID CONSTRUCTION?
Long before prefab became the buzz of modernist architecture, Whitney Sander was realizing the sort of savings that today's prefab producers dream about.
-John Rosenthal,
Fast Company Magazine
This is a new type of construction that we have developed, using a prefabricated metal frame, skin and roof. We have achieved unprecedented economies by using prefabricated building (warehouse) fabricators to manufacture the most expensive parts of the building at a fraction of the normal costs. we have also achieved unprecedented scale: some Hybrid Constructions have up to 30-foot ceilings. These part prefab, all custom™ residences have been extremely well received, and will likely redefine the way many houses are conceived and built.
Sander Architects is known for award-winning modern design, innovative use of materials, and strong leadership in the green movement. The Sander Architects brainchild called Hybrid Construction uses the concept of part prefab, all custom to create a house with all the advantages of prefab in a building that is designed exclusively for the client. The Hybrid Construction approach is cost efficient, provides lower per-foot construction and allows a budget of any size to go much further.
We have used the part prefab, all custom™ concept in projects ranging in scale from 2000 to 8000 square feet in rural, suburban, and urban settings. A melding of art and architecture/interior design, the design approach of Sander Architects creates international award-winning buildings that have been published in books and major magazines around the world.
WHAT IS PREFAB?
Prefab is anything that is manufactured off-site and shipped in. A lightbulb is prefab. The term causes confusion in the context of prefab homes because it has become catch-all that can encompass many approaches. For example, prefab could be a module (or glorified trailer home) manufactured offsite and towed to your site. It could be a home manufactured offsite in panels that then get shipped to your site where they are snapped together.
For the Hybrid Construction we use established steel frame manufacturers to produce the frame, or bones, of your house offsite. These then arrive at your site on a flatbed truck and fit together like an erector set. Since we are able to take advantage of long-standing cost competitiveness in the industry, our system provides you with extraordinary savings and allows a budget of any size to go much further. Right now, other systems still need to ramp up their volume to the point where these kind of savings will be possible.
What does the word "custom" mean?
Other prefab methods take advantage of the potential time savings of prefab but create great limitations in design. Our system, because it is a hybrid, allows us to use the word "custom" in a way that does not merely mean you get a choice in how many modules to plug together, or, as the term has come to mean, in a choice of flooring or a countertop. None of our projecs resembles any other. We have done a house, for example, with a great room that has a thirty foot ceiling--an impossibility in other systems. Even more exciting, this was for a first home with an extremely tight budget. We have also designed and built many of our projects on steep hillsides, which is difficult or impossible with other systems.
Why is prefab considered eco-friendly?
Prefab has the added benefit of being eco-friendly, as offsite fabrication reduces wasted material, as well as reducing waste energy in fabrication. A large part of our practice is devoted to implementing and researching green materials and environmentally-friendly design. We start with the Hybrid House and continue with every detail it takes to finish your home.
We have designed part prefab, all custom™ homes in every budget range, from urban homes to 10,000 sf country retreats.* The key is that you will get a custom home designed for you using prefab components. Whether you hope to create your first home, or you want to take the finishes of a high-end residence to a whole new level we only ask that you come to us with a passion for modern design.
*2,000 sf minimum: our system begins to realize its substantial savings at this size.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
Hybrid Construction is the brainchild of sander architects | prefab. We use the concept of part prefab, all custom™ to design a house which gets you all the advantages of a prefab house and yet gives you a building that is designed exclusively for you.
Hybrid Construction is cost efficient.
> we use established steel manufacturers to create the bones of your house. This allows a budget of any size to go much further.
Hybrid Construction is eco-friendly.
> off-site fabrication reduces waste and energy expenditures during construction.
Hybrid Construction is versatile.
> whether a small suburban home or an 8,000 sf estate, the part prefab, all custom™ concept can be used for virtually any scale project.*
Hybrid Construction is beautiful.
> the part prefab, all custom concept allows for infinite possibilities--the melding of prefab, art and architecture.
Hybrid Construction is personal.
> the part prefab, all custom approach means that this will be YOUR house, designed exclusively for you. You might be a foodie and dream of an ope-plan kitchen, or have a fashion collection that is begging for extra-large closets: the point is that no two clients are the same and we love to work with the individuals who come to us to design their home.
All that we ask is that we ask is that you come to us with an appreciation of modern architecture and contemporary design.
*2,000sf minimum: our system begins to realize its substantial savings at this size.
HOW ARE THEY DESIGNED?
Based in Southern California, Sander Architects has built a reputation for designing buildings that redefine the modern aesthetic: the work is sensual, warm, and filled with light. Within this sensual realm, we adapt materials from conventional and unconventional sources and apply them in new liberating ways.
Hybrid Construction is one result of this design process. What we love about the part prefab, all custom approach to prefab is that this will be YOUR house, designed exclusively for you.
You might be a foodie and dream of an open-plan kitchen, have a fashion collection that is begging for extra-large walk-in closets, or own more cars than the average bear: the point is that no two clients are the same and we love to work with the individuals who come to us to design their home.
Once we have signed a contract, there are four basic phases:
Schematic design: what that means is that we begin with a series of meetings to clarify your needs and produce rough sketches and models--and these will solidify into a specific design for your home.
Design development: by the end of design development, you will have a set of planning/ zoning documents which we help to shepherd through the city or district in which your house will be built.
Construction documents: this phase is very much what it sounds like: the plans become a working set that a contractor will use to build your home. We also help you to select the contractor you will work with.
Construction observation: since we believe that design is an art, it's very important to make sure that the vision produced during design is what the contractor builds for you--so we participate right up to the moment that you are ready to turn the key in the front door of your new home.
HYBRID CASE STUDIES
Because of the ubiquity of butler building technology, hybrid houses can be built almost anywhere. Sander Architects has completed Hybrid Construction projects from Oregon to Los Angeles to the West Indies.
