Prefab house installed in Kenwood

An unusual prefabricated home was installed in Kenwood on May 18. The Blu Home design was customized by the Plant Design Studio, the nation’s first Certified B Corporation custom prefabricated design and construction company.

The house replaces one lost in the North Bay Wildfires of 2017. The owners of the new home were not disclosed.

“Our in-house design studio allows us to work with clients on custom designs that meet their lifestyle and zoning requirements,” said Plant Prefab Founder and CEO Steve Glenn, in a press release announcing the build. “This is particularly important for victims of California’s wildfires, who have to rebuild their homes in general conformance to their previous homes’ footprint in order to qualify for expedited permitting.” Glenn said the company’s experience with fire-resilient materials “is a huge advantage for those who want to rebuild sustainably and cost effectively.”

California-based Plant Prefab has completed several fire rebuilds in the area since the October 2017 wildfires.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Kenwood includes 2,100 square feet of indoor space, with 3,105 square feet of decking and outdoor space.

Fire resilience was a core focus of the Plant Prefab home's design, materials choices and construction, and all prefabricated components were custom constructed to comply with local building code, climate conditions, and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) zoning requirements. Non-combustible materials were used for sheathing and siding, and the landscaping was conceived to be fire resistant.

Plant Prefab homes are built in the company’s 62,000-square-foot facility in Rialto.

Plant Prefab was funded by Amazon, Obvious Ventures, and others.

Nearly 30 Plant Prefab homes have been certified LEED for Homes Platinum, including the first home ever to achieve the certification.