A Builder Striving to Make Sustainable Homes Accessible Gets Into Prefab
Based in British Columbia, Hewing Haus utilizes clean construction methods and sources materials from responsibly managed local forests.
Based in British Columbia, Hewing Haus utilizes clean construction methods and sources materials from responsibly managed local forests.
Welcome to Prefab Profiles, an ongoing series of interviews with people transforming how we build houses. From prefab tiny houses and modular cabin kits to entire homes ready to ship, their projects represent some of the best ideas in the industry. Do you know a prefab brand that should be on our radar? Get in touch!
After 25 years as a builder, Ken Toews was looking for a new challenge. He knew that home construction could be complicated, to say the least, and it seemed like the process was only getting more convoluted over time. Toews wanted to get owners into a new address without exhausting their patience, without compromising on sustainability or style in the meantime. Hewing Haus would be a prefab company with a modern builder's mindset: efficient yet comfortable, customizable yet streamlined.
Based in British Columbia, the company serves Canada and the United States to start. Read on to learn more about Hewing Haus, and how Toews hopes his latest endeavor shifts the way people invest their time and resources.
A standard project can be lived in full-time, and off-grid options are also available.
Photo courtesy of Hewing Haus
What qualities make your prefab stand apart from the rest?
Our goal is to design smaller homes that are thoughtfully planned. However, as a company, we believe three key aspects set us apart. First, our homes have a Scandinavian design with clean lines and beautiful finishes. Secondly, we take care of everything, from permitting, design, building, site prep, and installation. And lastly, we use clean construction methods and source materials from local and sustainably-managed forests.
Our goal is to create homes that blend seamlessly into their surroundings, which requires us to carefully select materials that align with this vision.
Warm wood detailing is a hallmark of these homes, inside and out. The Saturna 7 features a large deck.
Photo courtesy of Hewing Haus
What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?
Located on a sprawling 155 acres, we landed a custom 600-square-foot unit with a 150-square-foot gym beside it. The home offered a unique blend of coziness and expansive beauty, and we were sure to invite the outdoors in. Plus, we delivered the home just over a month after construction began.
However, naming just one exciting project is tough—we also built a 1,800-square-foot home on the Pacific Ocean, a 1,100-square-foot home on the shores of a beautiful lake, and a 300 square-foot home on the edge of the McKenzie River.
Sustainably-sourced, cross-laminated timber is used throughout this 700-square-foot model.
Photo courtesy of Hewing Haus
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Builder Striving to Make Sustainable Homes Accessible Gets Into Prefab
