Spanish Architecture firm Abaton is no stranger to modern homes, with private residences making up most of its contracts. However, the concept of a low-cost prefab was a new challenge for the company to tackle when this home, the APH80, was proposed. Not wanting to compromise to any extreme in the pursuit of a price point, Abaton chose to downsize instead of cheapen. The result is this three-room manufactured home that packs all the utility and function of a conventional design into a significantly smaller space.
The APH80 is manufactured entirely in Spain from mostly Spanish-sourced materials, meaning to do a small part to bolster the rough economy in the country. The outside of the home is covered in a layer of concrete designed to manage heat well, while the frame is a simple wood structure. The design comes off as extremely minimal, especially given the exterior material choice, but has artful flairs that keep it from being classified as Brutalist. On the inside, the design ethos is lighter and comes complete with bright, calming finishes and forms. The entire package, assembled, costs under 40,000 Euro (though utilities and installation will add some to the final tally), making modern design easily within reach of almost any homebuyer.
For the sake of privacy and for the practical purposes of climate control, the home’s entrances and windows all can be covered by sliding concrete-and-wood enclosures. This design choice keeps the building simple, with maximum use of constrained space.
One of the keys to the home feeling as spacious as possible is the high, traditional arched roofline (often missing in other modern prefabs), which measures over three meters tall from the floor.
The concrete shell of the home sits over a light wood structure, so the covering of the home’s door is easily moved out of the way whenever its occupants want natural light or a view of their property.
Once opened, the largest room of the house is revealed. The main room is a living space with a small kitchen, offering light-flooded views directly out the door.
Abaton designed the house to fit a specific furniture layout, and their model is full of tastefully contemporary furnishings to complement the general style of the home. It’s nothing too pretentious, but is effortlessly modern.
The kitchen is the space of the house with the most compromised space over a larger, more traditional layout, consisting of a small area set aside with a sink, counter, and cabinets. It’s no chef’s kitchen, but it’s unobtrusive and allows the home to remain compact while still offering the basics.
