Is This Prefab Design Website the Future of Homebuilding?

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Whether its a recycled-brick townhome, a secluded (and sustainable) prefab, or a farmhouse with volcanic rock walls, Australian architecture firm Archier has a track record of designing environmentally conscious homes that leverage natural materials. But after more than a decade of using predominantly traditional construction processes, the firm wanted to push the limits of creating sustainable, cost-effective buildings. That’s when Archier’s four directors joined forces with Jas Johnston, a digital manufacturing expert, to form Candour in 2022.

Candour is effectively a prefab building system and a tool for designers to customize building components within that system—including walls, floors, facades, and roofs—with a proprietary CAD plug-in. According to Archier, by utilizing the software, users can draft a design, determine if it’s feasible, and price it all in one day, the benefits of which are passed directly onto a client. Designs are built at Candour’s manufacturing facility in Sunshine, Melbourne.

To develop the tech, Archier workshopped the prefab system Candour now uses by designing a home in Hobart, Tasmania. Taroona House is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom plan with a detached art studio that uses a lightweight timber structure as its framing, and is encompassed by floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Here’s how Archier created the 2,600-square-foot residence, and how it thinks Candour can change how we build homes.

What went into the design of the Taroona project?

Taroona House sits on a steep, densely forested hill overlooking Hinsby Beach in Hobart, Tasmania. The clients wanted a home that was fully immersed in and connected to the setting. To achieve this, we needed a new approach to building that enabled a complete glass envelope that also integrates the structure of the building, making it as light and open as possible. This led to the development of Candour’s prefab building system, which integrates a structural timber façade system with floor, roof, and wall panels. The lack of sun on the site meant there was no threat of excessive thermal gain, which allowed us to build a house with a complete glass envelope. The result balances fully connecting the occupants to the rugged Tasmanian landscape with the comfort of an innovative and efficient shelter.

Why was a prefab system better for Taroona than traditional construction?

Candour’s system created the glass walls that enclose Taroona House. The timber floor cassettes, wall panels, façade system, and roof cassettes all work together as an integrated structural system acting as a diaphragm. In contrast to traditional construction, this means that all these elements are carrying structural load as well as creating the envelope. This dual function allows the home to be lighter, more efficient, and cost effective.

Developing the facade system was the only way to achieve the desired result within the specified budget. The use of timber and lack of steel in the windows created a more sustainable outcome, removing thermal bridges and complementing the passive house facade system that achieved a six star energy rating out of 10 on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.

How do you see Candour being used? How does it support Archier’s vision?

Candour’s platform is meant to be accessible for all designers. It’s been developed around a midcentury modern building approach that harmonizes and expresses the structure through a minimal, natural material palette. This allows it to be adapted to suit a range of styles, forms and aesthetics.

Building upon Candour’s prefab system, Archier has developed a streamlined offering to complete builds, extending the use of raw natural materials and a design language that intimately connects inhabitants to nature. This combination allows each of our projects to be unique by balancing a client’s spatial brief with their budget and maximizing the opportunities of any site.