1660099240 Minimal and prefabricated houses an architectural proposal against the real

Minimal and prefabricated houses: an architectural proposal against the real estate swindle

It didn’t exist yet, but there was reason to believe it would work. Everyone was in lockdown to stop the pandemic. Most without a balcony, terrace or field. Until then, TINI was just an idea; a graphic representation of prefabricated houses on a website with three minds: the architects Pilar Cano-Lasso and Ignacio de la Vega and the consultant Ricardo de Zulueta. Enough to appear in all architecture publications and to consolidate itself as an optimized alternative – in time, space and processes – to traditional building.

They started thinking about it in 2018. First, her dream house should have wheels; It would be smaller and geared towards rural tourism, but with comfort. Today, from the Plasencia warehouse, where the modules are made, come offices for the garden, painting studios, guest houses, cellars and first and second homes. Underscored by sawing noises, the architect couple tells how they are made and where they are going. They are all built with local materials and only take 60 days to complete.

The biggest project they faced is mounting on another ship. The skeleton of the house in Menorca appears, a 300 square meter project commissioned by an architect, for which they build 10 modules that are staggered on a rock. Another much smaller project, whose inner workings are compact branches, rests on a piece of land north of Madrid to be installed in Mundaka (Bizkaia).

A TINI module in its warehouse in Plasencia (Cáceres).A TINI module in its warehouse in Plasencia (Cáceres).Juan Millás

The goal is that they are personalized homes that replace self-promotion, with greater control over the process and the final price. TINI starts with two standard models of 23 square meters (from 44,600 euros) and 34 square meters (from 51,900 euros). From there, they combine them to build larger rooms. “We have the system. And we adapt to what it is, aesthetically and functionally,” explains Ignacio de la Vega. This adaptation also implies the adoption of the regulations of the region, which vary according to the autonomous community: in the north, the roof must be pitched; in Menorca the finish must be white.

Because depending on the environment, there are not only aesthetic differences; as far as permits are concerned. According to Ricardo de Zulueta, “The current construction will disappear. There are many things in the process that don’t make sense,” he says, referring to the bureaucratic confusion. “We want to integrate the product and the associated services. Make a very simple process for the end customer.” It’s about reducing to zero the process involved in building your home, which includes finding a plot, applying for permits, finding an architect, overseeing the design, finding a contractor and a surveyor. “Buying a house is so difficult that people decide to buy an apartment.”

You speak from experience. All three partners are in their thirties. The TINI architect couple bought a piece of land to build their own project. “With what this house and the land cost, you’re only buying a small apartment in Madrid with a poor quality of life,” says De la Vega. “It’s a problem for young people because they don’t have the means to buy anything,” Cano adds.

His bet aims to solve this problem. Those of people between 30 and 40 years old who are looking for an apartment on the outskirts. “We have a very important gap here. It is our responsibility to help these types of customers,” says De Zulueta.

One of TINI's pilot projects in the north of Madrid.  One of TINI’s pilot projects in the north of Madrid. John Miles

Pilar Pascual is 57 years old, born in Santander and grew up in Aranda de Duero. The house TINI, which he owns on a plot of land in Barajas de Melo (Cuenca), is his refuge surrounded by nature. Its module is self-sufficient and is powered by solar panels.

All of TINI’s operating machines have the minimum impact on the natural environment as a philosophy. “Something closely related to the manufacture and size of houses. With a well-designed process, you consume and waste less,” explains the architect. The structure is optimized to be as light as possible. “Not just for transport, but to use as little material as possible during construction,” adds his partner. These architects insulate the houses by just 16 centimeters using five materials, one of which is used in cold rooms. On the contrary, De la Vega mentions and criticizes the excessive constructions complemented with energy efficiency techniques. “It does something very unecological and puts everything in it and then tries to neutralize it,” he explains.

“There needs to be a reflection on how much space is needed to live; our consumption of resources must decrease,” the architect clarifies. The company’s philosophy suits its audience. This way of life led Pilar Pascual to invest in this type of construction. “We can be happy with much less. All you need is a bathroom, a good bed, a kitchen and two closets,” says this client, who is in the discovery phase. “I spent my first 50 years accumulating things. I want to get rid of all that for the next 50, that’s my goal. And this is proof that it is possible.”

Stacked beams used to build the structures of TINI prefab houses.  Stacked beams used to build the structures of TINI prefab houses. John Miles

Sustainability, the green and the ecological long ago began to be devirtualized to the most conscious public through the excesses of marketing. “People forget the basics. Everything that was sustainable had already been invented, but sophisticated technologies moved on when there was nothing more sustainable than a tree that provides shade in the summer and lets the sun’s rays through in the winter,” he recalls.

Chatting in a small office on one of their ships, the three partners reminisce about the journey they have taken. Since the delivery of the first project, they have installed 13, for a total of 40 modules. In the first year they created a single installation worth about 70,000 euros. The goal is to finish this year with a turnover of four million euros. “Sometimes we don’t believe it,” admits De Zulueta, who recalls his early days just before confinement. “We didn’t have a dime.” They founded the company with 3,000 euros. Now they have just closed their first two locations abroad: in Sweden and Switzerland.

The general conditions are very favourable. The Covid appreciated the natural setting, space and teleworking. “Technology has been developed in traditional construction, but nobody has redefined what construction is. Nobody started from scratch to find a more efficient process,” summarizes the consultant. you yes