In a new partnership with Koto Design, Rialto, Calif.–based sustainable prefabrication company Plant Prefab has announced two new prefab LivingHome models—Koto LivingHome 1 (Yksi) and Koto LivingHome 2 (Piha)—that were designed with Scandinavian features and various sustainable elements, including net-zero properties, ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, smart energy monitoring, and recycled insulation and drywall.
Similar to Plant Prefab’s founding principles, the U.K.-based, modular, sustainable architects at Koto Design use natural materials and aim to create spaces that facilitate comfortable, biophilic living with a minimum carbon footprint. The firm’s humanistic approach to design coupled with the Scandinavian design tendencies allow future homeowners to feel connected to the natural world.
“Our mission is to make great architecture more accessible, affordable, and sustainable. To do this, we’re looking to work with the best design practices globally—firms whose missions align with ours—so we can bring their designs to life in the most efficient way possible,” says Steve Glenn, CEO of Plant Prefab. “Koto is the first international firm with whom we’ve partnered and we’re incredibly excited to introduce two exclusive designs, and to expand our offering of top quality, highly sustainable homes.”
Koto LivingHome 1 is dubbed Yksi, or Finnish for “first,” and boasts 1,148 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. The home’s first floor was designed with bedrooms on opposite ends, forming private wings with varying views of the outdoors, while the cantilevered second floor is dedicated to the main living space. A natural timber exterior was chosen to blend in with the natural surroundings and to offer a lower carbon footprint.
The second model, the Koto LivingHome 2, showcases a courtyard-type floor plan and was named Piha, or Finnish for “courtyard.” The four-bedroom, three-bath design with 2,184 square feet centers around an open living space that is bracketed by two courtyards. Double-glass sliders extend the living area onto a covered deck, while the bedrooms are tucked away in a private wing separated by a staircase that leads to the second-floor master.
Both designs offer outdoor living opportunities, and employ large windows and long sight lines to create a sense of openness. Like all LivingHomes, the Koto models will come standard with all electric appliances and equipment, Amazon Alexa-compatible smart home devices, and energy monitoring products.
“At Koto, we strive to surpass expectations of modular construction, while always considering wellbeing for humanity and the natural world,” says Theo Dales, co-founder of Koto. “With Plant Prefab we share a vision for innovative, top quality and sustainable design, and are thrilled to now be able to put this approach into practice, and marry our design aesthetic with the highest quality manufacturing for a U.S. audience.”
Modules for the Koto LivingHome 1 start from $419,000, with a complete estimate starting from $533,800, and modules for the Koto LivingHome 2 start from $612,000, with a complete estimate starting from $830,400.
