Oregon Home | 49 PERFECT PLACEMENT: ABOVE THE MANTLE allow for a home to be constructed quickly and with less on-site disruption, making them a great choice for building on beautiful natural parcels. With the A-frame and Quonset hut designs, the roof goes up first, easing construction during Oregon’s changing seasons. “It’s a giant benefit,” Barnes says. It also makes them ideal for use as Accessory Dwelling Units. “Many regions and communities are trying to help homeowners and density with ADUs,” Barnes says. “That really was our starting point.” They’re also sustainable. Most prefab designs have highquality insulation and airtight seals, meaning they are better energy performers. Using a single manufacturing source cuts down on the energy needed to transport materials. It all adds up to a process that, even with custom finishes, cuts down on custom building in Central Oregon to around $250 per square foot and reduces carbon emissions by 40%. And that trendy A-frame design? It draws on the iconography of the vacation chalets that became popular in the 1960s (and which could also be ordered as a kit and built by one person). Skylab improved on the original A-frame by exchanging the form’s peak with a curve, thus making for a roomier interior. Steel Hut founder Marie Saldivar is optimistic that the concept can help solve some of the West’s most pressing challenges — but also do what homes should do best, which is make people happy. “The fire-resistance component is the cherry on top,” Saldivar says.
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