It’s beginning to look a lot like efficiency and affordability are trending in the Dallas-Fort Worth real estate market.
As tiny homes and accessory dwelling units are gaining in popularity, environmentally-friendly modular homes also are entering the scene and making a not-so-tiny splash.
Architecture firm Lake | Flato teamed up with developer Oaxaca Interests to produce prefab homes called Haciendas, manufactured at HiFAB plant in Grand Prairie. They use interactive technology so consumers can customize their homes and watch the building process from start to finish.
HiFAB founder Brent Jackson said two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes are being offered, starting at $249,000. Prices include design, assembly, on-site delivery, and setup.
“People seem to now want efficient living,” Jackson said. “Part of that includes efficient construction methods and, as a result, dependable delivery of homes in light of massive supply chain disruption.”
The homes will be available in the first quarter of 2023 but can be ordered now.
Affordability and Sustainability
The partnership between HiFAB and Lake | Flato is billed as a “change-making move to help solve housing and environmental crises.”
Haciendas are designed with ultraviolet-light air purifying systems, fresh air exchange systems, True Zero VOC paints, and tile-setting materials that are Greenguard Gold certified.
HiFAB employees work on a seven-acre property in a light-filled biophilic atmosphere with stretch therapists on-site to alleviate stress during the workday.
“Building in a factory allows us to manage unit costs much more efficiently as well as allowing us to scale more quickly to generate stronger buying power,” Jackson told Daltxrealestate.com. “These two components will allow us to pass meaningful savings to consumers.”
Building modular homes in a factory saves up to 90 percent of material waste than constructing in a more traditional manner “in the field,” Jackson added.
Leading the Way
HiFAB hopes to lead the modular home sector in Texas, Jackson said.
“Simple design is hard to pull off but it allows us to focus on the details for a cleaner, more efficient way of living,” he said. “This uncluttered design also allows for a lock-and-leave lifestyle to travel the world and then return to a lovely home to catch your breath and relax.”
Haciendas are intentionally designed with wellness and functionality in mind — and they won’t break the bank, explained Ted Flato, founding partner of Lake|Flato Architects and HiFAB board member.
“Lake|Flato’s early house designs offered clients creative and economical ways to connect with the outdoors,” Flato said in a press release. “They were inherently sustainable, taking cues from their surroundings by combining passive systems, natural materials, and local building traditions to create uniquely crafted residences. Close to 40 years later, we are excited to continue this tradition of thoughtful design and building by partnering with HiFAB on its initial product line, Haciendas.”
HiFAB homes will be marketed to potential homebuyers and developers.
“With Oaxaca’s expansion into prefabrication with HiFAB, we are leveraging new technology to reach a broader audience through streamlined, scalable options that express those same enduring qualities of nature, place and restraint,” Flato said.
And this is just the beginning, Jackson said.
“We’ve loved working with Lake | Flato over the past 15 years,” he said. “Collaboration has become second nature, which allows for special projects to emerge. Rest assured, there is plenty more to come from this wonderful friendship.”
