SQUARE HOUSE

PREFABRICATED WOOD HOUSE - SCHEMATIC DESIGN

Square House is an exercise in modularity, prefabrication and restraint. Conceived as a prefabricated kit-of-parts house constructed entirely of wood, it is designed to work on virtually any site. Its simple geometric form enables efficient and rational construction, while maintaining the spatial richness that defines the project.

The square plan is articulated on the exterior by a continuous wraparound deck, sheltered beneath a thin, projecting roof plane. Internally, a second square defines the primary living, dining, and kitchen spaces. These central spaces are unified beneath a single expansive roof that appears to float, supported only by one central round column — evoking the structural clarity and lightness of an oversized tent.

Encircling this central volume are three bedrooms, washrooms, and supporting program spaces. These spaces are defined by a pinwheel arrangement of built-ins, closets, and storage elements, that clearly define rooms, thresholds, and circulation, while maintaining visual continuity and spatial flow.

The structure is conceived to be adaptable, capable of being constructed either using conventional stick framing or as a fully mass-timber building in cross-laminated timber (CLT), reinforcing the project’s emphasis on efficiency, adaptability, and material economy.

studio vaaro Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup

in collaboration with: Gabriel Fain Architects

builder: normerica