London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Honeycomb-Inspired HOMB Prefabs Tackle Tricky Building Sites

Honeycomb-Inspired HOMB Prefabs Tackle Tricky Building Sites

The HOMB prefab system by Skylab Architecture and Method Homes takes inspiration from honeycombs.

To bring the power of prefab to urban living, award-winning builder Method Homes teamed up with Skylab Architecture to develop HOMB, a flexible, modular grid system that takes inspiration from honeycomb structures.



"This system is based on a 100-square-foot triangular module that can easily adapt to diverse urban or environmental conditions, from a 20-foot-wide infill site to a steep, sloping site," explain the architects. "The prefabricated, structural modular frame is inspired by the triangle you typically see in a structural truss frame. The triangle is one of the strongest geometric forms, essentially subdividing a rectangle into a stronger space-planning grid."



The triangular modules can be tessellated into infinite custom configurations. The flexibility and efficiency of the modular system also makes it easy for homes to be built in phases for future expansion.



In 2013, the first home built using HOMB was the Taft Residence, a two-story building installed on top of a site-built basement in just one day. Its 28 modules were manufactured at Method Homes’ factory in Bellingham, Washington, and delivered to Portland, Oregon, via six trucks, each holding a load of 600 square feet.



The triangular, structurally independent modules gave the architects the flexibility to maximize the building potential of the steeply sloped urban infill site, which only measures 20 feet wide.

A blackened cedar rainscreen clads the home and provides a sharp contrast to the interior’s white walls and light-toned timber. Large windows flood the four-bedroom home with natural light while the open-plan layout creates an airy, spacious feel.



In addition to the eco-friendly benefits of reduced construction waste and site impact, the prefabricated home has also been engineered for energy efficiency and features over two inches of rigid insulation on the exterior as well as blown-in insulation within the walls. A six-kilowatt rooftop solar array helps power the radiant in-floor heating and a heat recovery system. An accessory dwelling unit was later added to the site as part of the project’s second phase.



The HOMB structural frame is built with conventional wood and engineered lumber with the addition of SIPs and LVL beams. Modules are typically 70- to 90-percent completed during the prefabrication process, and clients have a wide variety of exterior and interior finishes to choose from.



Although HOMB was primarily created for residential purposes, the prefab system can also be adapted for commercial uses as demonstrated by Skylodge, a custom ski lodge made up of six HOMB modules on top of Powder Mountain near Eden, Utah.



According to Method Homes, the build costs for a custom HOMB project starts at $350 per square foot.

"HOMB’s unusual economy of space and array of interior finish options are designed to work in harmony to create a living environment that’s every bit as cozy as it is pragmatic," adds the firm. "Additionally, uniquely unified connections between indoor/outdoor living mean a bit more nature at your feet-and an overall healthier place to spend your time."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×