Pre-fab homes on stilts easy to move and re-assemble

The raised structures use local materials and require minimal construction time

Spotted: Created to replace the common short-term approach to building in Bali, Stilt Studios are prefabricated, modular and easy to assemble. Designed by architect Alexis Dornier, the structures have many uses and come with a number of ecologically friendly aspects. Being raised off the ground reduces the footprint of the building and construction process. Each Stilt Studio also presents cross-ventilating rooms and rainwater harvesting roofs, allowing to maximise the local climate.

The roof includes a large overhang, which shades and cools the interior and provides space for solar panels on top. Many homes in Bali sit on land with very short leases, and it is common practice to destroy a structure once the lease is up. Stilt Studios can be disassembled and transported with ease, thus making frequent moves much less expensive and polluting. The studios can also be joined together to create larger living spaces, and they come in a range of designs.

Dornier’s plans to scale production of the studios include replacing the steel frames with cross-laminated timber, and selling to hotels and other tourist organisations. The very first Stilt Studio was created as Dornier’s new workspace for the design team, and is in the middle of woodland area outside Ubud, Bali.

Learning to live with the results of climate change involves the adaptation of buildings and materials. Springwise has already spotted a modular home that moves up and down via mechanical jacks that could make floodplains livable, and homes made from a mesh-reinforced mortar and plaster material that can withstand earthquakes.